#888 French press coffee is so easy to make

A French press, also known as a press pot or coffee press, is a simple coffee brewing device patented by Italian designer Attilio Calimani in 1929.

The french press makes a better cup of coffee since it lets the ground beans steep in the hot water longer, allowing full, even flavor extraction. The coffee retains the beans’ oils, a key component to the taste of the final cup, since there’s no paper filter.

According to HowToBrewCoffee.com the coffee is brewed by placing the ground coffee in the empty beaker and adding near-boiling water, in proportions of about one ounce of coffee to 15 ounces of water. Or whatever your preference is really. Start out by adding around 1/3 of the water to the grounds already in the beaker and stir it slightly then let it “bloom” for about 30 seconds. Next, add the remaining 2/3 of the water, pouring it gradually over the entire surface of the floating grounds. Cover with the lid and plunger assembly and let brew. The total brewing time from beginning to end should be somewhere around four minutes. After the time has passed press the plunger down to separate the grounds and hold them at the bottom of the beaker. Now pour yourself a delicious cup of coffee.

Sure, this may sound like more work than your automatic coffee maker but believe me, it is worth it. Also, a French press requires coffee of a coarser grind than does a drip brew coffee filter, as finer grounds will seep through the press filter and into the coffee.

There is a video here at Espresso Planet to show you just how easy it is.

I remember vividly the first time I had coffee from a French press. I was sitting at a cafe near the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England with my friend David. We ordered a pair of coffee and after a few minutes the young lady brought us a French press. I was about 25 years old at the time and had never seen such a thing. David explained to me how the press worked and a few minutes later the girl returned and pressed the plunger down and poured our coffees. It was a fun learning experience and I must have had that look of a baby discovering something for the first time as David and our server had big smiles watching me observe the routine.

Should you get a French press? Well, it is not for everyone but since you can get one for pretty inexpensive at IKEA, Walmart, ASDA or wherever, why not give it a try? Plus, maybe it is a little better for the environment in that it does not require the use of coffee filters. So it has that going for it as well.

If you make desserts like tiramisu that contain coffee you might as well use good coffee right?

What about you? Do you ever use a french press to make your coffee? Share your thoughts in the comments. Would love to hear from you.

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