Many coffee enthusiasts discover their love for specialty coffee through the French Press. There’s nothing quite like the first time you drink expertly brewed coffee.
Although the process is straightforward, learning to brew French Press coffee takes a lot of practice and can be frustrating at times.
We’re here to help! We’ll show you five tricks you can use to remedy your French Press coffee troubles.
By the end, you’ll know how to brew a delicious cup of French Press coffee—free of sour, bitter, or boring flavors.
Before we reveal our brewing tricks, let’s review the steps to brew French Press coffee.
You’ll need:
Brewing Tip: Before prepping the French Press, try adding some hot water to the vessel. This helps retain heat throughout the process. Remember to discard the hot water before brewing!
Read: The Ultimate Guide to French Press Coffee
If you follow these steps and your coffee’s not tasting quite right, we’ve got your back. Check out these easy French Press troubleshooting tips.
Solution: Change the grind size.
The majority of French Press problems are caused by the incorrect grind size.
For French Press coffee filled with exciting flavors, use a coarse grind size.
When coffee grounds come in contact with hot water, the natural compounds inside (acids, sugars, oils, etc.) are pulled from the grounds. The finer the grind size, the quicker these natural flavors are extracted. If extraction happens too fast, we run the risk of extracting unwanted flavors like bitterness.
It’s all about finding the sweet spot for each coffee and brew method.
Since the French Press is an immersion brew method, the coffee and water will be in contact for several minutes—meaning we want to slow down the extraction with a coarse grind size.
Otherwise, the coffee may taste bitter and bland from being over-extracted.
Pro Tip: If you use a coarse grind and the French Press coffee has a sour taste, you can grind a little finer to speed up the extraction process and remedy this.
Read: How To Pair Your Coffee Brewer With Its Perfect Grind Size
Solution: Adjust the brew time.
A standard French Press recipe lets the coffee steep in the water for four minutes.
But this rule isn’t written in stone.
If you’ve already adjusted the grind size several times and your coffee still isn’t tasting right, try altering the brewing time.
For example, if your coffee is a bit sour, try extending the brewing time and give your recipe a chance to extract more of the natural flavors. Or, for troubleshooting a bitter coffee, reduce the brewing time and halt the extraction process.
Remember: Every coffee is different! One coffee may taste great with a medium-coarse grind and a 4:00 brew time, while another does well with a coarse grind and a 3:30 brew time. It’s all about finding that sweet spot!
Solution: Alter the coffee-to-water ratio.
The mesh stainless steel French Press filter allows fine coffee particles and oils to remain in the final cup. These organic compounds aren’t being soaked up by a paper filter during the brewing process. This difference creates the heavy or “thick” mouthfeel that French Presses are known for.
Some people adore this characteristic in their coffee, while others aren’t a fan.
But, just like the grind size and time, it’s all about finding balance. Adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio of your brewing recipe will help you accomplish this!
Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
Solution: Use the sediment trick.
Since French Press coffee does not use a paper filter, a few tiny bits of coffee sediment may end up in your cup.
Don’t worry!
It’s completely normal and won’t drastically alter the taste.
But, if you don’t enjoy sediment in your coffee, there’s a little hack you can use to reduce the chances of this happening.
All you need are two spoons.
About 15-30 seconds before the end of the brewing time, remove the top of the French Press and use both spoons to gently skim the surface, collecting all the floating coffee grounds. Quickly throw the grounds out, reattach the filter, and plunge away.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press User Should Know
It’s important to note that this technique won’t completely eliminate sediment. You can always run your French Press coffee through a paper filter before drinking to catch any lingering coffee grounds.
Solution: Only brew what you’ll drink immediately.
A French Press is capable of brewing multiple cups of coffee at once, making it a great choice when entertaining guests.
But, have you ever made yourself several cups of French Press coffee and noticed that the first cup tastes far superior to the second?
This happens because the coffee is still brewing after it’s been plunged!
The remaining coffee in the French Press is only separated from the grounds by a thin stainless steel mesh filter. This means the bitter compounds from the spent grounds are actively being added to the coffee still inside the French Press!
To combat this, only make as much coffee as you can consume immediately OR pour all of the coffee into a serving carafe after brewing.
If you’ve tried all of our tricks and your French Press coffee still tastes off, we’ve got some bad news for you:
The problem isn’t the French Press, it’s your coffee. Pre-ground, commercial-grade, and flavored coffee will all taste mediocre and boring when brewed in a French Press.
Using whole bean specialty-grade coffee, ground right before brewing, is the only way to unlock the irresistible natural flavors you want in your morning cup of coffee. Once you taste the difference, you’ll never brew a French Press without specialty coffee again.
👉 Click here to try JavaPresse Coffee and take your French Press coffee to the next level.
]]>Although simple to use, the french press is a powerful and versatile brew method for rich decadent coffee.
This compact brew method dates back to the 1850s, with patents registered (ironically) in Italy in 1928. Today, the french press is found in movies, works of art, coffee shops, and homes across the world.
Wondering if the french press is right for you? By the end of our guide, there won’t be a doubt in your mind—you need a french press!
Hold up!
Before you dive into the world of french press coffee, it’s important to understand the difference between pour over and immersion brew methods. Otherwise, you may approach brewing a french press with the wrong strategy!
The french press is an immersion brew method.
To brew coffee with this process, immerse the coffee grounds in water.
Sounds simple, right? Wrong.
While it’s easy to execute, knowing when to stop the immersion process is the key to producing the full-bodied, intensely aromatic, and rich flavors the french press is known for.
Other immersion brew methods include:
The pour over brew method involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds and relying on gravity to pull the liquid through a paper filter.
The result is a bright, flavorful coffee with a mild to crisp acidity, often with a light to medium body. Those who may not enjoy the intense flavors and heavier mouthfeel of french press coffee will appreciate the softer and vibrant tastes from a pour over coffee.
Knowing the function of a brew method, such as the french press, will help you fine-tune your brewing variables to produce the tastiest coffee possible. What works for one method may not work for another.
Later on, we’ll share a few helpful brewing tips so you can make french press coffee at home.
A french press is a staple in every coffee drinker’s home. Trust us, you’ll want one after you read this!
Are you starting to explore the wonderful world of specialty coffee? If so, start your journey with a french press.
This mighty little coffee brewer is ideal for understanding the basics of brewing including:
And, with different recipes and brewing hacks to discover, you’ll learn something new every time you brew coffee.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press Coffee Lover Should Know
The french press tends to also be a more forgiving brew method than a pour over or espresso shot, making it the ideal brew method for beginners.
Coffee is a deceptively complex beverage.
On the surface, it may seem like coffee grounds + hot water = deliciousness!
In reality, coffee can be complicated. Between adjusting the grind size, experimenting with coffee-to-water ratios, and introducing all types of brewing gadgets, making your morning cup of coffee can turn into a science experiment right before your eyes.
It’s not hard to see why people gravitate toward convenient coffee brewers like pod machines. But we all know that pod machines do not brew great-tasting coffee.
When you want a simple brew method that makes outstanding coffee, you can’t beat the french press. It’s easy, convenient, and most of all, tastes out of this world.
Remember, a french press is a versatile brew method!
You’re not limited to hot coffee. There are a ton of other drinks you can whip up with your french press like:
You don’t need to invest your life’s savings into fancy brewing equipment to drink great coffee at home.
With a burr grinder and a french press at your disposal, you’re primed for extraordinary coffee every morning.
A typical french press costs around $30. And, you can get a FREE manual burr grinder right here!
Save your money and drink delicious coffee at the same time by brewing with a french press!
French press coffee is known for its intense aromas, deep flavors, and rich mouthfeel.
The superfine micro-grounds slip through the mesh filter and aid in bolstering the coffee’s body or mouthfeel. And, since the french press does not use a paper filter, the natural and flavorful oils from the coffee grounds are imparted into the final drink, creating a sweet, rich coffee.
No matter what coffee beans you choose, you’re bound to get a delightful coffee when you brew with a french press.
Remember, there’s more to brewing delectable coffee than meets the eye. Keep our french press coffee tips in mind the next time you brew french press coffee at home.
See? You need a french press. Between the rich flavors and the simple brewing process, it’s a great addition to every home.
But, you can’t have delicious french press coffee without the right coffee beans!
Our whole bean, specialty-grade coffee is expertly roasted just two hours before being shipped to your home, ensuring the freshest flavors for your french press coffee.
And, when you try JavaPresse coffee, we’ll send you our #1 rated manual burr grinder for free. A perfect match for your brand new french press!
]]>Cleaning your french press isn’t hard at all, but it’s essential to brewing balanced, delicious coffee. Here’s why:
Read: 5 Common Beginner French Press Coffee Questions Answered
We’ll first look at how you can clean your french press effectively and quickly after each brew. Then, we’ll move onto the deeper cleaning you should be giving your press every few weeks for maximum flavor balance and filter efficiency.
You can clean your french press before or after you sit down and enjoy your mug of rich coffee, but I prefer to take care of it beforehand. Letting the coffee sit for a moment allows it to cool and the flavors to become more pronounced. It also helps me get this step out of the way so I can enjoy the coffee without having to think about cleanup.
If your kitchen sink has a built-in garbage disposal that can handle minor food waste, you’re fine to throw the used grounds down the sink. If your sink has a bad habit of getting clogged even with a disposal, however, I’d just avoid doing it this way.
Read: Metal VS Glass: Which Type Of French Press Should You Buy?
Once the coffee is poured out, add a small amount of water to the grounds in the press, give it all a swirl or two, and dump it down the drain (water and disposal turned on). Do this again to collect any final straggler grounds.
For the filter, slightly unscrew the bottom filter to open up some space between the pieces. Run water over and through these pieces to knock out any stuck grounds.
I highly suggest you do not dispose of grounds in your sink if you do not have a grinding disposal for food waste. A little bit of coffee is fine, but throwing down a ton of grounds every day will clog the drain eventually.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to French Press Coffee
Here are a few options for what you can do instead:
This takes a little longer, but it’s better in the long-run for your kitchen. Plus, if you keep the leftover grounds, you can use them for a variety of DIY self-care and cleaning products. Rinse the filter well and then you’re finished.
And that’s about it for regular cleaning. Quick, simple, and effective.
Giving your french press a deeper clean is just as easy as your regular daily cleaning—if not even more so. We suggest going through this process 1-2 times per month to keep your brewer working good-as-new.
Read: Why You Should Ditch Your Drip Coffee Pot For A French Press
There are several directions you can go here, but they all aim to accomplish the same thing: break down the most resilient oils and remove them from your press.
Each of these methods works well, and you likely already have all the ingredients you need for at least one of them.
Read: 8 Amazing Things To Do With Your Used Coffee Grounds
The steel or chrome frame that comes around your french press doesn’t need soaking in these solutions, nor does it need to go into the dishwasher. It’s an exterior piece that really only needs a good rinse and wipe with a rag. The same goes for the lid portion of the french press.
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A good cleaning routine keeps your brewer functioning at peak condition, keeps it looking brand new, and ensures your coffee is as pure and untainted as it can possibly be. The steps outlined in this guide are quick and easy to implement—a small cost for better coffee and a happier french press.
A clean french press is a stellar match for our Coffee Club. We send you specialty-grade coffee beans that were roasting just two hours before being put in the mail, which means you get to experience the beans at peak flavor and freshness.
A dirty press will hide the best flavors behind a mask of oils from previous coffees, but a clean press provides a clean slate for stellar brewing.
Want amazingly flavorful and fresh coffee delivered to your door? Check out our Coffee Club!
]]>Hot, foamy milk is what turns a shot of espresso into a cappuccino or latte. It’s creamy, sweet, and adds some texture to your otherwise normal brew. And you can make frothed milk in your french press—it’s so simple.
In this quick guide, I’ll show you…
Let’s jump in!
Many websites use these two terms interchangeably, but as a coffee pro and former barista, I can assure you: there is a very real difference—and it’s worth learning about.
Here’s what the processes have in common: they both aim to give the milk a foamy layer that can complement the coffee’s flavor and texture. They both do this by injecting air particles in-between the milk’s protein molecules.
Read: Single VS Double Espresso Shots: What's The Difference?
This works best with hot milk, because the protein molecules unfold and more easily ‘trap’ air as they cool down and curl back up. That being said, frothing cold milk does work for iced drinks—it just won’t be as creamy.
It’s also easier to do with 2% or whole milk, because there are more proteins and fats in the milk, increasing the creaminess of the foam.
Now let’s take a deeper look at the differences:
So, basically, steaming is the more difficult way that baristas go, but frothing is far more approachable for home brewers who don’t want to put down a load of money on an espresso machine with a steam wand.
Read: Brewing Tea In Your French Press: Everything You Need To Know
This process is sooo simple and easy. In fact, I think it’s the most effective and easiest way to make frothed milk at home. Here’s what you need:
Seriously. It’s that easy.
Let’s take a look at the process step-by-step.
Step 1: If you have a standard size french press, fill a mug ¾ full with cold milk. If you have a small 3-cup press, only fill the mug ½ up with milk.
Step 2: Microwave the milk for 35-45 seconds. Alternatively, you can heat the milk on the stove on low-medium heat, stirring constantly. The microwave’s easier.
Step 3: Carefully pour the hot milk into your french press and attach the plunger/lid.
Step 4: Rapidly raise and plunge the fine mesh filter of the french press to force air particles into the milk’s proteins and fats. Do this for 10-15 seconds, or until the foam has added 50% or so to the milk’s total volume.
Step 5: Take off the french press lid, then pour or scoop out the frothed milk into your drink of choice.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press Coffee Lover Should Know
It can take a few times of doing this to find out exactly how much milk you need to use. If you accidentally froth too much milk, just drink it or pour it into oatmeal. You’ll get better at producing less waste as you get more practice.
There are dozens of drinks you can make with your frothed milk, but we’ll show you three of the more basic applications that most people will want to try out.
What’s your favorite way to use frothed milk at home? Drop a comment below with your favorite recipes and drinks!
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While frothing isn’t quite as precise or refined as steaming, it’s an effective and simple way to give yourself the pleasures of foamy milk at home without breaking the bank.
And, if you’re starting out with specialty-grade, freshly roasted beans, you’ll find that the milk can enhance each coffee a little differently. You can stay stocked with stellar beans that are roasted the same day they’re shipped via our Coffee Club. Check it out for yourself!
]]>In this mini-guide, we’ll show you how you can make delicious, full-flavored french press coffee at home without breaking the bank. And we’re not going to suggest you use janky equipment that only half-works—we’re talking strong, effective gear that’ll serve you for years.
In fact, we’re going to show you how you can accomplish with $55 or less. Not bad when you consider the immense upgrade in coffee quality you’ll get by brewing with a french press, as well as the mental benefits you get by enjoying coffee you made by your own hand.
Read: Why You Should Ditch Your Drip Coffee Pot For A French Press
Let’s get started.
Making coffee with a french press is not complicated, and, thus, doesn’t require a ton of extra gear to do well. There are really only two pieces of equipment that are non-negotiable:
You don’t need a special pouring kettle. You don’t need a bunch of filters. And you don’t even need to use a coffee scale (though you may still choose to—more on this later).
The other little accessories you do need, you almost certainly already have:
If you cook anything at all, you should have measuring gear—and your phone can act as your timer. Beyond that, there’s nothing else that’s essential, which is why brewing with a french press is especially great for people on a budget.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to French Press Coffee
There are french presses for all budgets, from $15 to $150. The cheapest of these are functional, but we don’t actually suggest going for the cheapest model you can find.
Inexpensive french presses are cheap—and not just when it comes to price. To lower costs, knock-off brands use cheap plastic and thin glass. While this makes the price tag more appealing, it’s actually a disservice to you.
Glass is fragile. Breakage is a risk you face with any press. However, these cheap glass carafes in low-cost presses are not borosilicate (will shatter if you pour hot water directly into them) and are usually pretty thin (more prone to cracking with small taps).
Instead, you should find a french press with the following build:
A quality press may be more expensive (~$30), but it’ll save you money in the long run on glass carafe replacements (often $10-20 each).
A grinder is a non-negotiable with french press coffee. Normal pre-ground coffee from the store is too fine for the french press’ filter, and getting beans ground at your local coffee shop destroys all their fresh flavors in a matter of minutes.
Grinding your own coffee is the only way to ensure your grounds are fresh and the right size.
Read: Why You Should Never Grind All Your Coffee At The Same Time
Just a few years ago, if you wanted a high-quality coffee grinder that would produce uniform grounds, you had to be willing to pay $50, $100, or more. These days, however, the options are much more budget-friendly.
Manual burr coffee grinders are effective, yet still cost-efficient. Sure, you have to put some elbow-grease into the process each morning, but it’s not difficult. Actually, in some ways, it’s better than using an automatic grinder.
There are electric grinders for less than $25. They are called ‘blade grinders’, and you want to avoid them at all cost. They don’t grind your coffee beans—they just chop them. The inconsistent grounds you get from these low-grade grinders brew imbalanced coffee and are definitely not what you want when using a french press.
Get yourself an efficient manual burr grinder and your french press coffee with thank you—as well as your wallet.
We often suggest using a kitchen scale to help you brew coffee with precision and consistency. It allows you to use the exact same amount of coffee and water every time, which eliminates a lot of guesswork. However, because of the french press’ simplicity, you can actually get by without one pretty well.
Read: The Golden Coffee To Water Ratios
The golden coffee to water ratios are 1:15 to 1:18, and it’s here that coffee is super balanced. Usually, this means we use 1g of coffee beans for every 15 to 18g of water. But to measure grams, you need a scale. Let me show you how you can use these golden ratios without a scale.
Grab your tablespoon and your liquid measuring cup.
See? No scale required. You don’t have quite as much precision as you would with a scale, but you’re much more precise than you would be just ballparking it with “a few scoops”.
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There we go: an effective, delicious, budget french press setup for just $55.
With just a french press, a burr coffee grinder, and those simple measurement tools, you have everything you need to brew rich, balanced french press coffee.
And, of course, remember that it’s not the brewer that creates the flavor—it just pulls out what’s already in the beans. If you’re starting with super dark or stale beans, you won’t enjoy all the potential that your french press is offering you.
Instead, buy yourself some specialty-grade, freshly roasted coffee beans. We send our Coffee Club subscribers beans harvested from some of the best farms in the world. They’re passionate about flavor, passionate about sustainability, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer these coffees to you.
The beans are so fresh, in fact, that we ship them to you just two hours after they’re roasted. You then get to experience them at peak freshness and flavor, with your french press at your side.
Want to experience coffee as it’s meant to be enjoyed? Check out the Coffee Club for yourself!]]>Let’s walk through the similarities, discover those important differences, and figure out which one will be better suited for your lifestyle and taste preferences.
Both the french press and the clever dripper are what we call “immersion” brewers. Essentially, the coffee grounds and water are forced to interact for a period of time.
Unlike with pour over devices that allow gravity to pull the water through the grounds, immersion brewers don’t filter the brewed coffee from the grounds until you do something to initiate that filtering.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to French Press Coffee
Both methods follow the same basic steps:
It’s fairly straightforward, doesn’t require a special water pouring technique, and it’s user-friendly. Because there’s prolonged coffee-water contact, immersion coffee has a full, balanced flavor. However, here’s also where our first big difference comes to light.
The french press is known for its metal filter. This filter allows coffee oils, as well as micro coffee grounds, through to your final mug.
The natural oils are very aromatic, adding another layer of flavor depth. They also give the coffee a smoother, creamier mouthfeel. The micro grounds are also aromatic and flavorful, giving the coffee a more ‘full’ flavor, however, the grounds also diminish the intensity of the coffee’s acids—which causes the coffee to seem bold, but not bright or acidic.
Read: The Differences Between Paper, Cloth, And Metal Coffee Filters
In the end, french press coffee is generally bold, full-flavored, and full-bodied.
Clever coffee can also seem full-flavored, but it’s usually less intense. The paper collects all the grounds, even the microscopic ones. It also absorbs a good portion of the aromatic oils. So, while it still has a very balanced flavor, it’s not as bold, rich, or heavy feeling as french press coffee.
Many people love the boldness of french press coffee. Other people would like something a little more gentle and balanced. Many people love the heavy body of french press coffee. Other people get tired of drinking tiny coffee grounds every sip.
Ultimately, you can’t make a wrong decision here when it comes to quality. Both brewers brew fantastic coffee.
Want the bold, fullness of french press coffee, or does the well-rounded and clean body of the Clever sound more up your alley?
Read: How To Taste Coffee Mouthfeel
This is the part that gets a lot of people. The french press, as amazing as it is, is not the easiest brewer to clean up. Grounds get stuck in the filter, you have to shake the carafe over the trash a few times to get the stuff out, and—while it’s not hard—it can take a couple minutes.
For some, adding a full 90 seconds of cleanup time to the morning routine just isn’t an option—especially since they’re already investing a small bit of time to make french press coffee.
On this front, the Clever is the clear winner. All you have to do is lift the paper filter, toss it in the trash, and give the device a quick rinse. It takes no time at all.
Read: The Easy Guide to Coffee Bean Storage
Of course, this does introduce the element of paper waste. If you’re determined to reduce your carbon footprint by whatever means necessary, you’ll want to stick with the french press. If you think you can spare a filter or two a day, the clever will allow for a quick cleanup.
Taste and cleanup aside, brewer aesthetics do matter. A lot.
Nobody in the world has ever looked at a french press with disgust. The glass walls are crystal clear and beautiful. They give you a full view of your coffee while it’s brewing and they create a visual coffee experience as much as a flavorful one.
The french press is the quintessential relaxed coffee brewer. It’s the classic coffee maker of vacations, slow Saturday mornings, and coffee with friends.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press Coffee Lover Should Know
The Clever, on the other hand, doesn’t really have much going for it visually-speaking. The BPA-free plastic is safe and fine, but it’s just not that pretty to look at. It doesn’t display your coffee mid-brew and it doesn’t really inspire wanderlust or any particular relaxed feeling. It’s functional, but not visually striking.
But the Clever’s visual weakness is also a strength. The material used to make the Clever is extremely durable.I know of cafes that have been using the same Clever drippers for years—but they’ve gone through quite a few glass presses.
This isn’t to say that the french press is fragile or unreliable, but it’s important to realize that the gorgeous glass is breakable and needs to be handled with care.
Visually, almost nothing beats the classic french press. But when it comes to durability, the less visually-pleasant Clever takes the cake here.
Read: How To Brew Better Coffee By Adjusting Your Coffee Grind Size
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Two brewers, two flavor profiles, two cleanup routines, and two design strengths.
Which is a better fit for you? I can’t say, but you should have a pretty good idea which one will fit your lifestyle and flavor preferences more by this point.
You can’t go wrong with either brewer - but you can go wrong with the coffee you put in them.
Don’t waste your brewer’s potential by using them to make stale, low-grade coffee. Let your french press or clever shine with coffee that’s ripe with flavor, rich in aromatics, and super fresh.
Our JavaPresse Coffee Club sends you specialty-grade, freshly roasted beans right to your door every other week. They’re all great fits for both of these brewers - much moreso than anything you’ll find at your local supermarket.
Check out the Club!]]>I hated the grittiness.
Sediment in french press coffee serves a purpose, but it tends to get on our nerves. If only there was a way to still get the benefits of it without having to choke it down…
In this blog, we’ll look at why you want some sediment, but also five different ways you can reduce the french press sediment in your final mug
French press sediment is essentially tiny coffee ground particles. These particles don’t dissolve, which is why they feel grainy and gritty. They actually accomplish a few things that make french press coffee special:
Read: The Ultimate Guide To French Press Coffee
The sediment isn’t all bad. But I agree, it’s not very fun to drink (though I do know some people who think otherwise).
Let’s look into some ways you can reduce your french press coffee’s sediment while still enjoying the benefits it provides.
Probably the biggest cause of too much sediment is poor grind uniformity. When you grind lazily or with cheap tools like a blade grinder you end up with grounds of many sizes. The smallest of these grounds—”fines”—slide right through the filter.
Read: 5 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Manual Coffee Grinder
By following some best practices (and using a burr grinder), you can cut down on these unnecessary fines for a bit of a smoother cup.
When you swing your device around while grinding or hold it at an angle, the beans don’t funnel in smoothly, which creates inconsistency in the grounds. Similarly, if your burrs are coated in leftover coffee oils or just dull from a year of use, they won’t perform nearly as well as they should.
I suggest starting here. Care for your grinder, and it’ll care for you.
Here’s a way to take out a lot of the sediment at the end of the brewing process without compromising the actual brewing.
Read: How To Taste Coffee Mouthfeel
When there’s only 15-25 seconds or so left of the brew, grab two spoons, hold the scoop ends next to each other, and slowly skim the surface of the brewing coffee.
By skimming the surface, you take away many of the micro-grounds that are suspended at the surface in the foamy area. Now, when you press down the filter, those surface-level fines won’t immediately go through the filter because of the pressure you’re creating.
Note: be very careful about your spoons. Metal spoons can crack or chip glass french presses.
It’s certainly possible that you’re actually grinding a little more fine than is necessary with a french press. Try a coarser setting and see if that helps reduce the sediment some. However, I’d be willing to bet that it’s more likely that you just need to revisit the grinding best practices instead.
Keep in mind that if you coarsen the grind setting, you’ll probably need to increase the brewing time slightly to produce the same level of extraction. Adjust how your taste buds tell you to, but I’d imagine that 10-15 seconds longer should be enough for 1-2 settings coarser.
If the steps above just aren’t working out like you want them to, here’s an idea: use a second strainer. Fine mesh strainers can be found at your local kitchen supply store or online, like this one.
When you pour your french press coffee into your mug, slow down the pour intensity and pour through this strainer. The mesh will catch a good portion of the micro-grounds, but it’ll also take a second to drain the coffee, so don’t pour very aggressively.
The nice thing about this strategy is you get a fine mesh strainer out of it that can be used for cooking, tea brewing, or a whole bunch of other things.
Micro-grounds, even though they do float, are ultimately more dense than the brewed coffee. This means that, given enough time, they will settle at the bottom of your mug or press. However, if you agitate the grounds by stirring or moving quickly, they’ll float up again.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press Coffee Lover Should Know
Here are the two ways you can use this physics fact to your advantage:
This step is particularly easy and something I suggest whether you have a lot of grit or hardly any at all.
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There you go! Surely one or two of these tips will reduce your french press coffee’s sediment dramatically. Try out a few different ones and see what you like and which ones don’t really fit with your style or routine.
And, of course, don’t forget that your french press coffee can only be as delicious as the beans you use with it.
Get specialty-grade, freshly roasted beans delivered to your door via our JavaPresse Coffee Club. We don’t just send you beans off the shelf, we send them to you just hours after being roasted. This means you get to enjoy the coffee while it’s at peak freshness and flavor.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Check it out!]]>But I was afraid to ask the local baristas questions. They weren’t exactly the friendliest folks, especially towards total beginners like me.
I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
So my goal is to answer your french press questions, no matter how silly or trivial, because I want you to be able to brew incredible coffee every single day.
Let’s start with some of the most common questions beginners ask about french press brewing.
I’ll be honest with you: brewing coffee with a french press is not as easy as scooping grounds into a pot and letting it do all the work for you.
But it does make coffee that’s far more delicious and rewarding.
Read: How Manual Coffee Brewing Can Change Your Life
The french press is a manual brewing method, which means you’re not letting an electronic device do everything for you. You get to measure your ingredients, grind the coffee, pour in the water, time the brew yourself, and press the plunger.
Is it more hands-on than using a regular coffee pot? Yes.
Is it difficult, time-consuming, or hard to learn? Absolutely not!
Grinding coffee and boiling water takes about 2 minutes. Brewing takes roughly 4. It’s 6 minutes total of a relaxing, aromatic process. Not bad at all!
But here’s what you get:
Yes, I’d say it’s worth it.
Read: Why You Should Ditch Your Drip Coffee Pot For A French Press
French press coffee is very simple to make and really only requires one other specific piece of coffee gear: a burr coffee grinder. There are two main reasons why having your own grinder is essential to brewing stellar coffee with your french press.
Whole coffee beans are only at peak freshness for 2-3 weeks after being roasted. Once ground, the coffee only has 20-30 minutes.
That’s why it’s always best to grind your coffee just before you brew it.
This preserves the most exotic and nuanced flavors that make your daily mug an incredible experience.
Pre-ground coffee is ground to a size that works well with drip coffee makers, but it’s not so great for french presses (and, of course, it’s almost always old and stale).
The small grounds get stuck in the fine mesh filter - and sometimes they just slip right through. This creates a lot of sludge in your cup and can make it difficult to press down the plunger.
A coarse grind size keeps grounds from clogging or passing right through your filter, while still delivering a stellar cup.
Short answer: don’t worry about it.
Realistically: you can’t avoid it 100%. In a perfect world, all of your coffee grounds would be the exact same size and just large enough to not go through your french press filter.
However, when coffee beans are ground, they inevitably shatter into extra-small pieces (sometimes microscopic) that are tiny enough to get through the filter. We call these “fines”. It even happens with the world’s most advanced coffee grinders.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press Coffee Lover Should Know
But here’s the thing…
A small amount of coffee grounds in your mug is perfectly fine and normal.
Even a large amount won’t hurt you. You can literally eat coffee beans by the handful and be fine (though your teeth may not enjoy the experience).
The issue isn’t one of safety, but one of mouthfeel. If you don’t like the thin layer of sludge at the bottom of your mug, you don’t have to drink it. Easy as that!
Absolutely and always.
Even when you press down the plunger, your coffee beans are still interacting with the water. And that means they’re still brewing, even if very slowly.
That’s bad.
Read: Why You Need To Be Drinking Coffee Black (And How To Start)
Brewing a-m-a-z-i-n-g coffee is all about controlling the variables to achieve a balanced extraction. When you let your coffee keep brewing after plunging, you risk overshooting that sweet spot of flavor bliss.
And that’s why you should always pour out all the coffee once the brewing is complete and the plunger is pressed down.
One thing that seems to confuse everyone (myself included) is why french press makers insist on using “cups” instead of ounces to tell you how much coffee they make.
For example, you’d think that a “3 cup french press” would make enough coffee to fill three cups. But you’d be wrong.
Those “cups” are usually based on smaller European sized cups that are around 4 ounces (100ml), but not based on our somewhat larger American mugs.
Read: 3 Reasons Buying Cheap Coffee Is Bad For The World
It’s confusing, so let me clear some of the fog for you.
Generally, a normal American mug is eight to ten ounces (235 to 295 ml). So take the number of mugs you need to make each day and multiply it by eight to ten. That’ll give you the total number of ounces.
For example, if you need to make three cups per day, you’re looking at about 24 to 30 ounces of coffee. An “8 cup” press will be more than enough to get you coffee.
A 12 cup press will probably be way more press than you really need, but a 3 cup press will limit you with the smaller capacity. That’s why the 8 cup press is the standard size that most people buy.
Read: How To: The Golden Ratios in Coffee Brewing
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Have any other beginner french press questions? We’d love to hear them so that we can help you transform your daily brew into a terrific experience. Shoot us an email!
Of course, a french press is only as good as the coffee you put in it. If you want blow-your-mind coffee, you have to buy freshly roasted, specialty-grade coffee beans.
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Much like coffee, it’s an agricultural product that can be quite fascinating. However, there are some key things that make it different.
The world of tea is rich, diverse, and fascinating, and you can easily explore it with your french press. Here’s everything you need to know to give specialty-grade loose leaf tea a good shot.
Let’s get something straight: tea is the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant.
That’s all. Nothing else is true tea.
Chamomile, pine needles, hibiscus, and other non-camellia sinensis ingredients are what we call herbal tisanes (or herbal teas, according to normal people). But they’re not actual tea.
Read: Metal VS Glass: Which Type Of French Press Should You Buy?
So, even though all real tea comes from the same plant, there’s TONs of diversity. The following tea types taste very different, are made differently at the farm, and have different caffeine levels.
Let me break it down for you.
Black tea is what most Americans consider to be “normal” tea. It’s not actually the “normal” tea, but it is the most common tea type in the western world, so I usually let it slide.
Black tea leaves are fully-oxidized during the processing stage. This causes them to have more caffeine, and less antioxidants than other types, though they’re still a great source of antioxidants.
Black teas tend to feature deeper, darker flavors, such as dark chocolate, spice, earthiness, citrus, and malt.
Water: 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 3-5 Minutes
Caffeine: 20-80 mg
Read: The Incredible Journey Of The Coffee Bean (Seed To Cup)
This tea type is a very large category, comprising of teas oxidized 8-90%. Yeah, lots of room in this category for flavor diversity!
Teas on the lighter end of oxidation are called “light oolongs”. These teas feature flavors closer to green tea with floral, citrus, and nutty notes. They can be very sweet and pleasant.
Teas on the upper end, called “dark oolongs”, tend to feature flavors closer to black tea with earthy, fruity, and woody notes. They’re also complex and pleasant, but often not as sweet.
Water: 180-195 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 2-4 Minutes
Caffeine: 15-60 mg
Green tea is growing in popularity in the Western world, but it’s the #1 type in the East. In China, green tea is the “normal” tea.
These leaves are less oxidized, between 2-8%, and are more delicate. They need a lower water temperature and shorter steeping time to bring out best flavors without over extracting. Those flavors include herbs, flowers, nuts, earth, and citrus
Water: 170-180 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 2-3 Minutes
Caffeine: 15-40 mg
Read: Why Gratitude Makes You Happy
White tea leaves are only 0-2% oxidized. They’re as close to freshly picked leaves as we get in America (unless you live on a tea farm in Hawaii or Florida). They’re even more delicate, requiring very low water temperatures and short steeping times.
The flavor profile is also delicate, featuring gentle notes of flowers, herbs, and some light fruits such as peach.
Water: 160-175 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 2-3 Minutes
Caffeine: 10-30 mg
Herbal teas aren’t really teas since they don’t come from the camellia sinensis plant, but you can still brew them in your french press. This could literally be anything - herbs, barks, flowers, leaves.
Most steep well with something like this:
Water: 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 5-10 Minutes
Caffeine: Depends on the ingredient steeped
Find the tea type that best suits your flavor and caffeine preferences. You’ll find there’s a lot of diversity within the categories, so try out several teas of each type to get a good idea of the flavor possibilities.
Read: Why Fresh Coffee Is The Best Coffee
Now, let’s move onto how to brew them in your french press.
Before you even get close to mixing water and leaves in your press, clean that french press thoroughly. Seriously, don’t skip this step!
Wipe every inch of it with a clean paper towel afterwards to get those most stubborn coffee oils. Trust me, you DO NOT want aromatic coffee oils to taint your tea’s flavor. So, if you can smell coffee in the press, keep cleaning.
Also, it’s very important for great tea that you stick as close to the temp suggestions as possible. If you pour boiling water on green tea, you’re going to end up with a bitter mess, and your perception of green tea will be way off.
I strongly suggest using a thermometer to monitor your water temperature. Bonus points if you have a variable temperature kettle.
Read: The Perfect Water Temperature For Coffee Brewing
Generally, I suggest using about 2.5g of loose leaf tea leaves per 8 ounces of water. This is a balanced amount that gives off flavor without being overpowering.
2.5g usually equals 1-2 teaspoons, but I strongly suggest measuring by grams instead since all tea leaves are different sizes, shapes, and weights.
Teaspoons just aren’t that consistent. 2 teaspoons of a rolled oolong may weigh 6g, but 2 tsp of a white tea may be 1g. Measuring by grams gives you consistency and precision every time.
Alright, let’s get to the step-by-step guide!
Start warming your water on the stove. Watch the water temp and pull it off the heat once it gets to 180 degrees.
Weigh 2.5g of your favorite tea. For this example, we’ll use green tea.
Pour the leaves in the french press, then pour in 8 ounces of hot water. Start a timer for 2 minutes.
When time’s up, pour out the liquid tea through a strainer and enjoy.
For subsequent steeps, add 30 seconds each time.
Simply double the tea leaves or half the amount of water. You’re going for tea that’s x2 as strong so that you can still taste it when it’s diluted by ice. When the brewing’s finished, pour the extra-strong tea over ice.
Hot or iced, tea brewing is easy!
Read: Iced Coffee VS Cold Brew: What's The Difference?
If your tea isn’t quite right, there are a few things to try
If your tea is not the right strength, adding or taking away tea leaves is the easiest solution. You can also add or take away some steeping time, as well as increase or decrease the water temperature slightly.
If your tea is too bitter, it’s likely that you over extracted from the leaves. Try either reducing the steeping time or using a lower water temperature.
If nothing seems to make the tea taste good to you - it’s okay. Some teas may just not jive with your taste buds.
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The world of tea is rich with interesting flavors. Everything from sweet fruits to dark chocolates to smooth flowers. Even if you’re a die-hard coffee fan, tea is worth exploring.
To begin your tea journey, I suggest buying specialty quality tea leaves from these sources:
And, just like with coffee, fresh is best!
Also, get yourself a french press if you don’t already have one, of course!
Happy tea brewing!
]]>Even if you’ve been brewing french press coffee for years, it’s likely you haven’t completely perfected your process or realized the full potential of your coffee maker. I want to empower you to brew the best coffee you can, so let’s see if there’s anything you’ve missed.
Let’s dive into a few common flaws, a couple helpful tips, and some alternate uses so you can get the most out of your beloved french press.
For this article, I’m going to assume you already understand the basic coffee brewing principles and how they apply to your french press.
You know, things like coffee to water ratios, freshly grinding coffee, and, of course, how to use your french press. Brushing up on these fundamentals from time to time is a great way to keep your coffee tasting delicious.
Now, onto even better french press coffee!
Not really fond of the muddy sediment that often finds its way into your mug from the french press? Here’s an easy trick to reduce the amount of sediment. Using a paper or cloth filter is the only way to remove 100% of it, but this helps quite a bit.
When you’re about 15 seconds away from a finished brew, grab two spoons - preferably not metal if your press is made of glass. Take the spoons and slowly skim the surface of the brewed coffee to collect and dispose of the floating grounds.
Read: How To Taste Coffee Mouthfeel
You don’t want to take more than 15-30 seconds for this trick, since those grounds that have sunk to the bottom of the press will still be releasing flavors into the water and you don’t want them to over extract.
Though you can’t collect all the grounds this way, removing a decent portion of them by skimming helps reduce sediment when you finally pour the liquid coffee into your mug.
Cold brewing coffee brings out unique flavors that you can’t produce any other way. The resulting cold brew concentrate can be cut with water and ice to make refreshing iced coffee. It can also be used to make creative drinks, such as cold brew coffee mocktails.
If you already own a french press, you already own a cold brew coffee maker (and maybe the best cold brew coffee maker). With a few adjustments to your brewing technique, you’ll have rich cold brew coffee in just about twelve hours.
Yes, twelve hours.
Cold water takes a lot longer to pull out all the flavors we like in coffee beans than hot water, so you may have to plan ahead a bit to make cold brew.
Here’s how it works:
This concentrated is brewed at a 1:7 ratio (with 100g of coffee and 700ml of water). To turn it into iced coffee, cut it with an equal amount of cold water and top with ice. This brings it to a more normal concentration of 1:14 (normal hot coffee is brewed at a 1:15-17 ratio).
It’s easy, tasty, and refreshing.
Check out our complete Ultimate Guide To Cold Brew Coffee for more information on cold brewing with your french press.
I’ve seen it over and over again.
The timer beeps. The barista reaches for the lid and plunger. He presses down carefully and begins to pour the coffee into a mug. It’s almost full, but he still presses the plunger into the squashed grounds even more to squeeze out every last drop possible.
Bad. So bad!
The good flavors (the bright acids, sweet sugars, aromatic oils, deep notes) extract during your normal french press routine. The point of the four minute brew is to stop the brewing before all the bitter tannins extract into your mug to create over extracted coffee.
Read: How To Taste Coffee Bitterness
That last squeeze doesn’t just you a few more drops of coffee. It literally forces a bunch of bitter tasting things out of the grounds and allows them to drain into your mug. Yes, it actually makes your coffee taste worse.
A heavy price to pay for a few extra drops.
Many coffee shops serve french press coffee still in the press. You pour some into a mug and have to leave the rest behind. When you pour the second mug, you find that it doesn’t taste as good as the first.
Here’s why.
Plunging the filter, even though it separates the grounds from the liquid coffee, doesn’t actually stop the brewing. There’s still a small amount of water interacting with the grounds, which means those grounds are still releasing acids, oils, bitter tannins, and such.
Read: 5 Things That Ruin Your Coffee
By the end of a regular french press brewing process, all the good flavors are already in the liquid coffee. The only things left in the grounds are dull, bitter compounds that you don’t want.
When you leave some liquid coffee in the press after you plunge, you allow it to extract more, causing the coffee to become more and more bitter.
Instead, you should always pour out all of the coffee immediately when the brewing is complete.
If the world of tea calls you to explore it, you can easily use your french press as your vehicle on the journey. Teapots typically use a metal strainer that essentially works the same way as the french press filter, so you’re ready to dive in.
Just make sure to clean your french press extremely well first. Those natural coffee oils can be a bit stubborn, and trust me, they don’t blend with the more subtle, sweet notes of tea. At all.
Read: The Incredible Journey Of The Coffee Bean (Seed To Cup)
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There’s always something new to learn about the french press. It’s a simple brewer, but it has so much to offer. Do you have any special tricks or ways you use your french press? We’d love to hear about them!
Though your french press is a tool for brewing incredible coffee, it’s not the source of rich, balanced flavors. Great coffee always starts with great coffee beans.
Get freshly roasted, high-quality coffee beans delivered to your door every two weeks with our JavaPresse Coffee Subscription. We carefully source beans from the best coffee farms in the world, roast them in San Diego, and ship them to you the very next day.
There’s no better way to explore the vibrant flavors of freshly roasted coffee. Check it out for yourself!
]]>A metal or glass french press. Which one should you buy?
I’m familiar with the decision you’re trying to make and have helped dozens through the process. The trick to a confident, researched position is to break down the advantages and disadvantages and take a good look, rather than trying to decide from a bird’s eye view.
Let’s walk through the differences between metal and glass french presses together. I’m confident the best option for you will be very clear by the end of this article.
Read: Why You Should Ditch Your Drip Coffee Pot For A French Press
The glass french press is the quintessential french press. We’ve all seen pictures of a brewing french press on the beach or by a window with a great view. It’s classic, beautiful, and well functioning.
As long as it’s made with high borosilicate and heatproof glass, the carafe won’t break easily. I’ve knocked my french press against doorknobs, counters, and mugs countless times, but it’s still brewing like a champ.
But, to be frank, chances are high that you’ll eventually crack your french press carafe at some point. Thankfully, these are easily removed and replaced, making glass french presses a buy-it-for-life brewer.
Avoid cheaply made and sold french presses. If you find one for $18 or lower, it’s not the kind you want. There are plenty of those, but the glass is thin, the filters fall apart, and the frames break. Trust me, you won’t be using that same french press five years down the road.
Read: The Ultimate Guide To French Press Coffee
One major advantage of the glass french press is the ability to see what’s happening during the brewing. We eat and drink with our eyes (not literally), so being able to see the coffee brew allows the coffee experience to begin even before the coffee is brewing, which elevates coffee time to a new level.
High-quality glass also does a great job of maintaining heat for long enough to brew a french press. I’ve heard many people express concerns over this, but unless your recipe requires a 20 minute steep, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Glass looks incredible, feels goods, and makes coffee brewing a visual experience as much as a tasting one. There’s a reason glass french presses are the preferred type of home decor specialists and designers.
Read: 5 Things Every French Press Coffee Lover Should Know
The metal french press is a durable powerhouse. Many bustling cafes opt for metal presses instead of glass to reduce the risk of smashing things together and creating messes. But unless your kitchen has three baristas making dozens of french presses per day, I doubt you’ll really need to take the precaution of a metal press.
Coffee shops can get away with metal french presses because customers don’t often see the brewing process. They only see the final mug delivered to them. You, however, miss out on the visual aspect of french press brewing when you go with a metal french press.
You don’t get to see the swirling of the coffee grounds in the brewing liquid. You don’t get to see the rising and falling of grounds as they release aromas and flavor into the water. It’s a bit of a shame and the cost of improved durability.
Read: How Manual Coffee Brewing Can Change Your Life
Metal french presses are also buy-it-for-life brewers, but once they’re dented, they’re extremely difficult to un-dent. They’ll serve you for decades, but they won’t always be in prime condition.
One minor downside to large stainless steel brewers is that they need to be preheated before you start brewing your coffee. It does preserve temperature better than glass once it’s heated, but if you don’t preheat, you run the risk of your brewing water being too cool to produce a balanced cup of coffee. Preheating isn’t hard at all, but it is another step to consider.
Metal french presses are strong, sturdy, and are more easy to travel with. However, if you’re looking for a stellar travel coffee setup, I suggest you check out the Aeropress.
The differences between glass and metal french presses aren’t major, but they’re just big enough that one of them will suit your lifestyle and personal preferences more than the other.
Glass french presses are perfect for most people. They brew great coffee, the add in the visual element of brewing, and they’re fun and rewarding to use. You may break the glass eventually, but the mental rewards of being able to see your handiwork being created makes it worth it.
Read: 5 Ways To Up Your Coffee Game
Metal french presses are great for people who are on the extra clumsy side or live in an environment where things can easily be broken. This style press is also great for people who love to take french press coffee on the road.
I can’t make the final call for you, but you now have all the information you need to narrow down your search for the perfect french press. In the end, no choice is the wrong one. Both carafe materials will brew great coffee.
Happy french press brewing!
]]>It’s a symbolic gesture that shows you’re moving on from “regular” and choosing “incredible”. It’s a practical way to take control of something that’s important to you and make it yours.
The french press brews coffee that drip coffee pots can only dream of. It provides a sensorial experience that’s richer and more satisfying than drip pots in every way.
We spend enough time and money on things that don’t really make us happier or better people. Your coffee shouldn’t be one of them. Great coffee energizes, focuses, and satisfies. If you want your coffee to enable you to thrive, take control of it.
It’s time to stop settling for mediocre coffee from a mediocre brewer. It’s time to take control and reap the rewards with a french press.
Read: The Ultimate Guide To French Press Coffee
Unfortunately, drip coffee pots are usually poorly made. The wires break down, the plastic parts wear and tear. They are built to break, and most people go through several coffee pots per decade. When it comes to most of these brewers, it’s all about sales.
A carafe, a frame, a lid, and a filter. That’s a french press. It’s simple, it’s lasting.
Most people use their french press for life. The only thing that can break is the glass carafe, which can easily be replaced.
Try fixing a shorting wire or a broken spring in a drip coffee pot - they’re not made to be fixed. They’re made to be thrown away and replaced. But french presses don’t suffer from this underlying motivation. They are buy-it-for-life items.
Read: 5 Things That Ruin Your Coffee
With the exception of a few high dollar brewers and commercial machines, drip coffee pots are plagued by a variety of design errors that significantly impact your coffee’s flavor and cause it to plateau at a low level.
Most don’t bring the water to ideal temperatures for brewing (195-205 degrees F), even though the ideal temps are common knowledge. There’s no excuse for that. Most use a shower head that cannot evenly distribute the water over the coffee grounds. This is also a notorious problem that coffee pot manufacturers seem to not care about.
Simply put, most drip coffee pots are not made to brew incredible coffee. They’re made to conveniently brew coffee that’s “good enough” for the sake of sales. Compared to french press coffee, drip coffee from home coffee pots is often thin, monotone, and on the boring side.
French presses don’t suffer from these design and engineering flaws because they are manual brewers. You boil the water on the stove yourself, so you have complete (and painless) control over the temperature. You also time the brew yourself and have control over the brewing length.
Read: 5 Ways To Up Your Coffee Game
With a french press, you have complete control over the things that drip coffee pots fail to do correctly - and with hardly any more effort or technique (how hard is it to put a pot on the stove and start a timer with your phone?).
By being able to easily control these variables, you can brew coffee that’s rich, balanced, and satisfying. The stainless steel filter that french presses use allows some of the natural oils and micro grounds to slide through to your cup, producing coffee that’s full-flavored and full-bodied.
Brewing blow-your-mind-coffee with a french press is easy.
Brewing blog-your-mind-coffee with a drip pot is usually impossible.
Read: What Makes Specialty Coffee So Special?
When was the last time you felt a sense of personal satisfaction from your drip coffee pot? I’m guessing you never have, but with a french press, it’s a daily experience.
Firstly, brewing with a french press is a visual experience that drip pots cannot rival. Seeing the water and coffee interact (especially the bloom) reminds you that coffee is complex and beautiful, which elevates the experience from its beginning.
Secondly, the aromas that rise from fresh coffee are rich and available like never before. Sure, drip pots create aromas, but they don’t let them get to your nose like a french press does.
Thirdly, manual brewing generates gratitude, focus, and satisfaction. The mental benefits of brewing coffee by hand are shocking. Though it takes a hint of effort and care, the joy of creating something (instead of letting a machine do it for you) gets the day started on the right foot by providing a moment for focus, calm, and a job well done.
Read: How Manual Coffee Brewing Can Change Your Life
French press coffee brewing is about more than the coffee. Every step of the journey, from grinding the coffee to cleaning the press, is part of the rich experience. Trust me, you’ll never want to go back to drip pots once you’ve felt the pride of crafting your coffee by hand.
Once you know the satisfaction of doing something you care about with intention and focus - even though it’s just a small thing - you’ll start approaching other areas of life in the same way. Before long, you’ll be finding gratitude and peace in other everyday tasks and moments. That’s the way to live.
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I could go on for hours about why french press coffee is better than drip coffee, but I’ll stop here. The joys of french press coffee are real, and I’ll let you find the ones I didn’t mention on your own.
Empowering you to brew great coffee and live a grounded, rich life is our primary mission. As part of our effort to accomplish that mission, we created a french press of our own. The JavaPresse French Press is made with heat proof glass, chrome plated steel, and uses a double filter system. It’s simple to use, forgiving, and brews incredible coffee.
Check out the JavaPresse French Press for yourself!
Happy brewing!
]]>Instead of considering the instructions or looking up a guide, I went for it completely blind. You can imagine how that turned out. Maybe you don’t have to imagine.
It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels for the french press and the coffee it produces, despite a rough start. I have acquired many coffee brewers over the years, but my french press holds a special place in my heart.
Whether you’re a veteran of french press brewing or a newcomer to this exciting world, this guide will have something (or a hundred things) you can use to brew better coffee.
Look no further. The ultimate guide is here.
The origins of the world-famous french press are mysterious, but documents from the 1800’s suggest that early versions of the device came from - I bet you didn’t see this coming - France. The device didn’t explode in popularity until 1929 when Italian designer Attilio Callimani patented the design.
The french press is a very simple coffee brewer that is essentially made of two parts: a carafe for holding the coffee and water, and a rod with a fine metal filter attached to the bottom. With the filter placed over the coffee and plunged down, you can pour out the liquid and filter it at the same time.
While there are many variations to the simple design, the most effective french presses almost always include three elements.
A Strong Glass Carafe
Seeing the color of the water change as your coffee brews is an incredible sight and never gets old. More practically, glass is easy to clean and maintains temperature well for optimum flavor. The best carafes are made with heat resistant borosilicate glass.
Quality Filtration Systems
Poorly made filters often break and result in a mug of coffee filled with grounds. High-quality filters are strong enough to keep most of the grounds out but still allow for that classic full body that a french press offers. This is the most important part of your french press.
A Classy and Durable Frame
Trust me, you don’t want to grab the glass when your coffee is brewing. This is why french press makers case the glass carafe in a frame. We use industrial grade chrome for our frame, but there’s a lot of leeway for personal choice here. Make sure to choose a frame that you can proudly show off because french press coffee is meant to be cherished and shared.
Materials
The simplicity of the french press is one of its greatest strengths. There are no wires or screens to break or explode, just a few durable materials. While some of the highest rated automatic coffee makers are prone to malfunctioning and complicated setups, I can assure you that those fears can be put to rest with a french press.
Process
The process isn’t complicated either. You add ground coffee and hot water, plunge after a few minutes, and pour the brew into a mug. Many people fear that brewing coffee manually will be too difficult or time-consuming, but the french press method is very easy and doesn’t require any more effort than an auto drip pot.
Size
Most french presses are built to be able to brew several cups at a time. This is great for serving guests, but the glass frame will cause issues when traveling. If you’re a frequent traveler, check out our preferred brewer to deliver fresh coffee on-the-go.
The Brew (The Important Part)
Extremely fine micro-coffee grounds are able to pass through the fine mesh filter, which gives your final mug a full bodied feel, rather than a light, tea-like one. These, along with the coffee oils that slide through the filter as well, produce an incredible amount of flavor
To a few, the full bodied, full flavor coffee made in a french press is overwhelming or just too strong. Understandable, but most people find they truly enjoy the full realm of flavor that french press coffee has to offer.
Even if you aren’t completely sure whether the french press is your ideal coffee brewer, I’m pretty confident it’ll convince you it is once you’ve used it and tasted its glory.
Fresh Coffee
Coffee beans tend to decline from peak freshness about two weeks after being roasted. Ground coffee loses its freshness in a matter of hours. Do yourself a favor and don’t buy pre-ground coffee. You will be amazed at how much better your coffee will be when you grind it a few minutes before brewing.
Coffee:Water Ratios
Using too much water will brew weak and bitter coffee. We call this over extracted coffee. Too much ground coffee will result in an acidic, overpowering cup. We call this under extracted coffee. We want to aim right for the middle, where everything is balanced and flavorful.
To achieve that satisfying balance, you’ll want to use a range of coffee to water ratios. If you use 1g of water and 1g of coffee, your coffee to water ratio is 1:1. For best results, stick between 1:15 and 1:17.
The recipe I’ll show you in this guide uses 50g of coffee and 850g of water, a 1:17 ratio.
If you would like to brew a different amount of coffee, just take the total amount of water you’ll use and divide it by 17 to find the amount of ground coffee you’ll need. Easy!
Learn more about the golden coffee to water ratios.
Use Delicious Water
I live by a simple water rule: if I don’t like how it tastes on its own, I don’t brew high-quality coffee with it.
Most coffee lovers agree that the best temperatures for brewing coffee fall between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. I agree with most coffee lovers. Water just off the boil should be fine if you don’t live at sea level. If you do, just give it a minute or two to cool down before beginning to brew.
Use a Consistent, Coarse Grind
Fine coffee grounds extract quickly. Coarse grounds extract slowly. Since the coffee and water will be sitting together for a few minutes, you want to use a coarse grind so the coffee doesn’t extract beyond that point of perfect balance. As a reference, your grind should look like heavy kosher salt.
Important point: Consistency is everything. Using electric blade grinders often leads to uneven chunks of beans in your grounds, which will lead to significant variances in extraction. Burr grinders are essential to achieving a consistent grind. If you don’t feel like spending hundreds on an electric version, our manual burr grinder is inexpensive and just as capable. It takes a minute or two to grind the coffee, but having uniform coffee grounds is one of the keys to finding flavor balance in your brewing, and our grinder will get you there every single time.
Assemble your ingredients and tools and you’re ready to brew some delicious coffee.
Weigh out 50g (about 10 tablespoons) of coffee and grind it coarsely with a burr coffee grinder.
Place your french press on a kitchen scale and pour the coffee grounds into it. Tare the scale so it reads zero. Begin a timer for four minutes
Slowly pour 850g (850ml) of hot water over the coffee. Saturate all the grounds.
After one minute has elapsed, use a spoon or paddle to submerge the top layer of coffee grounds (we call it ‘the crust’). This helps all the grounds brew for the same length of time, which contributes towards that balance we’re after. Go ahead and place the filter and spout on the french press to conserve heat.
After all four minutes have elapsed, slowly plunge the filter down and trap the coffee grounds at the bottom of the french press. Then pour immediately into mugs or a separate carafe to avoid any continuous brewing, which will lead to bitter coffee if left too long (8+ minutes).
Extra (Optional) Step: If you occasionally find yourself in the mood for a cleaner, thin bodied cup, you can always pour your french press coffee through an additional filter before it lands in your mug. Our stainless steel pour over dripper is perfect for just that.
This is also a great option for when you’re taking your coffee to go. Even those small bits of coffee grounds can slowly continue to brew, so the extra filtering helps keep coffee at its peak flavor and balance longer.
I make mistakes when brewing coffee with a french press every once in awhile - and I’ve been doing it for years. There’s no shame in it, and thankfully, making adjustments for a better brew next time is easy.
Read: 5 Ways To Up Your Coffee Game
Here are a few common problems you may face and their solutions.
The Coffee Doesn’t Taste Right
Is the coffee dull and bitter? You’ve got a classic case of over extraction. Essentially, the coffee brewed too much. Your options are to reduce the brew time by thirty seconds or so, or grind your beans at a coarser setting.
Is the coffee acidic and sour? It is probably under extracted and needs to brew a little more next time. You can increase the time a bit, or fine the grind setting next time. Be careful about going too fine, or you’ll run into the next problem.
It can take a few brew cycles to really hit the sweet spot with these small adjustments, but the reward is perfectly balanced coffee and the satisfaction of success.
The Filter Won’t Plunge
This may not actually be a problem. Since you’re plunging down a filter, there’s always a chance that the coffee grounds will simply just get in the way. An easy way to solve this is to lift up on the filter a bit, then continue to press down.
If this simple fix doesn’t resolve your problem, you may have used a grind setting that was too fine. Try coarsening it up next time so that the grounds are less likely to get lodged into the holes of the fine filter.
Read: 5 Things That Ruin Your Coffee
When it’s all said and done and you’ve had a few sips of your precious coffee, it’s time to clean the french press. My favorite method is to tap the filter rod on the edge of a trash can, launching any attached grounds into the trash. I then give the french press carafe a good upright shake, turn it over, and shake a little more over the trash can.
You can also dump all of the grounds into a strainer and dispose of them from there. It all depends on where you are and what’s available.
There are bound to be a few leftover coffee grounds after the shaking. I just wash them down the drain with plenty of water.
While a soap scrub isn’t necessary after every brew, I suggest a more thorough cleaning by hand every few weeks. Use plenty of warm water to get all the soap off the filter and the carafe. I’ve had soapy coffee, and I don’t recommend it.
Here’s an in-depth video that goes over the basics of cleaning your french press after use.
My french press has been a faithful friend and has carried me through many sleepy days. It is reliable, easy to clean, and delivers quality coffee. It was my first coffee brewer, and it will likely be the last.
I often use my french press for more than hot brewed coffee these days. I’ve made many batches of cold brew coffee and tea, and have mixed some cocktails in there too. The range of uses is deep and wide.
Now it's your turn. Grab your own french press and brew coffee that you'll never forget!
Happy brewing!
Raj Jana
Chief Brewing Officer
JavaPresse Coffee Company