French Press Coffee

French presses come in a variety of sizes and materials. I have an Arcosteel French press with French-tempered glass that makes exactly one mug of coffee. It has served me very well over three years. You can find plastic French presses as well as large ones that brew a pot of coffee. You can also find insulated French presses that will keep the coffee hot for several hours.

Most French presses come with a measuring spoon that will help you achieve the perfect water:coffee ratio that is the key to making great French press coffee.

Purists will say that to make the best French press coffee you should buy beans and grind them, ideally with a burr grinder. I agree. But you can make excellent French press coffee with high quality grounds. They will leave a layer of grit at the bottom of your cup if you don't filter your coffee, however. I just make it a point to not drink the last sip of my coffee.

A French press makes strong coffee, so depending on your tastes you may prefer to choose a lighter roast than what you normally use in a drip-type coffee maker. I love the bold but never bitter taste of French press coffee so I always choose a dark roast. As a bonus, the darker the roast, the less amount of caffeine the coffee has!

To make French press coffee, start by heating water. You don't want to use boiling water, however. Either remove the kettle from the stove just as the water is about to boil, or let it sit for about ten seconds after boiling before using it.

You can grind your beans, if using whole ones, while the water is heating. Use the measuring spoon that comes with your French press to measure out your grinds, then dump them into the carafe.

I like skim milk in my coffee, so I add about an eighth of a teaspoon of powdered milk to my coffee mug at this point.

When the water is hot, I start by adding a splash to my mug to create hot milk. Then, I add water to the beans in the carafe. How much water might be an issue of trial and error. My French press has a metal band around the top. If I add water to reach the bottom of the band, I have exactly enough for a mug of coffee and the proportions are perfect.

You'll then need to let the coffee steep. The rule of thumb is four minutes and then the coffee becomes bitter. Again, you will need to experiment because grind size affects steep time. The larger the grinds, the longer the steep.

Once you have your proportions and time perfect, you will produce a perfect cup of coffee every single time, so the effort is worthwhile!

While the coffee is steeping, stir it once or twice to release the crema. This is the golden foam of coffee oil that is so rich with flavour. When the time is up, slowly lower the plunger to trap the grinds at the bottom of the carafe.

Now, pour yourself a delicious cup of coffee and add whatever you fancy to it!

I empty the carafe into the day's garbage, using a spoon if needed to get the last of grinds. I then rinse the carafe and plunger under hot water. Every few days, I take the French press apart and wash all parts with hot soapy water. Some purists will say this is a no-no and that the carafe should be allowed to 'season' the way a cast iron frying pan is, but I find that the coffee gets bitter when the coffee oils go rancid.