French Press Coffee

Brewing coffee is an easy task in theory. Add hot water to ground coffee, wait a few minutes, and drink. But those tasks leave lots of room to make or break the end product.

Grind the Coffee
Grinding the coffee is normally not very important in coffee brewing. When using a French Press though, you need to take extra care. Since the filter is a relatively wide mesh (compared with a paper filter), you need to have a large grind. A burr grinder is best, since it results in a much more even grind (use the largest grind setting). A blade grinder leaves large and small pieces. But, if you must use a blade grinder, grind for about 10 seconds, and shake the grinder as it goes, to try to ensure an even grind.

Buy a Baratza Maestro Burr Grinder


Buy a Starbucks Blade Grinder


Boil Water
This seems simple, but you really need to get a nice rolling boil. With a drip machine, it does this for you, but with French Press, you need to make sure the water is really hot. I have a kettle on a stove, but I've also used an electric kettle in the past. Just remember that you really need boiling water, not just hot water.

Buy a 50 oz. Bodum Ibis Electric Kettle


Buy a 27 oz. Bodum Ibis Electric Kettle


Brew the Coffee
Coffee grinds should be in the bottom of the French Press, and pour the still boiling water over it. Fill the French Press to about 2/3s the way up. Now grab a spoon and give it a few stirs. Just 4 or 5 are needed, to make sure the coffee is all in the water. You'll get some slight foaming of the beans, that's exactly what you want to see here.


Buy a Young Press French Press


Filter the Coffee
After 3 to 5 minutes, the coffee will be done. Gently and slowly push down the plunger on the french press. This will separate the coffee from the water, and mostly stop the brewing.

Drink
Pour the coffee out of the french press into your mug. I have a largish mug, so I typically get a cup and a half. Feel free to add sugar, and cream if you like. But hold off that first time, French Press coffee has an interesting thickness to it, a body you don't get with drip. Watch for the last little bit in the cup, just leave it, you get a bit of sludge. That's the only downside you get with the French Press.

Buy a Starbucks 16 oz Tumbler

I won't do this topic justice. But I recommend strongly that you get good, whole bean coffee. Don't deal with ground coffee. Coffee starts going bad the second you roast it, you only get a few weeks of optimal coffee. Once you grind it, it goes bad in a few days. The folgers on the shelf has been there more than a few days, and to be honest, they didn't start with 100% optimal beans.

Starbucks is not the best coffee in the world. Many coffee lovers will come in and tell you that. But, they are not even close to the worst coffee either, and it is a great spot to start with, and branch out from over time.

Blunt, smoky flavors are the core of this dark roasted coffee. The intense flavor makes it one of our the popular coffees offered. Despite its bold flavor profile, French Roast contains no more caffeine than any of our other coffees.

Buy Whole Bean French Roast.

With refined acidity, cocoa texture and spice flavors, this coffee has great balance. Antigua is a lush region in southern Central Guatemala, situated among three volcanoes.

Buy Guatemala Antigua Whole Bean Coffee.

Mild and flavorful, this light-bodied blend makes a bright first impression and is a wonderful cup to begin your day. This blend of Latin American coffees offers a milder flavor than other coffees due to the slightly lighter roast.

Buy Whole Bean Breakfast Blend.

The intro picture is from papalars's flickr.

All other images are from Starbucks.