A Coffee Snob’s Guide to The Best Cup of French Press

I know, I know: that’s one heck of a title, but it’s true! I’ve loved coffee ever since a friend introduced me to some freshly ground good stuff many moons ago, and after experimenting with different brewing methods my favorite, by far, has become the French Press.

After carefully following a few guides, I mixed some of the instructions and even added an idea of my own, and the result is the most robust, serene and wonderful cup of coffee!

First things first: you need a French Press! Quality is key here. I’ve tried a few different brands and styles, and the lower end models always had more silt, and a less robust flavor. Ultimately, that purchase will be up to you but after all the research, trial and error, I settled on this one for myself:

Not your father’s French Press! From the sturdy construction to its ability to retain heat, this one has simply amazed me. It’s best feature, however, is the triple filtered screen. Water is still allowed to pass through, though you do have to apply slightly more pressure than with a typical French Press, but the result is such a minimal amount of silt that I never notice it at the bottom of my cup. It’s by Coffee Gator and can be purchased directly from their website or from Amazon.

Next up, you HAVE to have high quality, fresh coffee beans, because from the moment the beans are ground the clock starts ticking. Every second causes some level of flavor to become lost. Even still, some have said that pre-ground will work just fine, but if they truly loved coffee they’d take that statement and toss it out with their useless taste buds.

*Ahem* Maybe that was too harsh, but hey, I REALLY enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Anyway… There is a MASSIVE variety of beans out there to choose from and some of it comes down to simple preference, but I like to find something from a local store. Look for a roasted date instead of an expiration date. The fresher, the better. Guatamala tends to be my favorite region, for a smooth yet bold flavor profile.

Ok, so you’ve got your French Press and your beans (I’ll assume for arguments sake that you have an at least decent quality grinder and a kettle). Now, it’s time to brew!

While the steps are simple, each is important so it’s crucial that you follow them all to a “t”.

Step 1. Start your kettle. It takes a few minutes for the water to heat, so you’ll want it working in the background. For an easy measurement, simply fill the french press with filtered water only and pour it into the kettle. You can use average sink water if you wish, but the added chemicals can change the taste of the coffee so I always stick to filtered. If you have an electric kettle, I heat the water to 185 degrees.

Step 2. Select, measure (I use 4 TBSP per six cups) & grind your coffee. This is very important, because if the grind is too fine, the press will be difficult to push down, and if too coarse you won’t have much flavor. For the best results, I set my grinder to a coarse grind and “pulse” the beans (grind for 1 second intervals, five to six times). Basically, you want the beans to be broken apart completely, but not finely ground. It might take some trial and error to get them perfect.

Step 3. Add the beans to the press, and (when the kettle is finished) add the water. Then, stir! You’ll want the liquid and beans to be thoroughly mixed so that all of the flavors come out.

Step 5. (Hey Siri), set a timer for 5 minutes. This is less than any other guide, but bear with me: you’re not finished!

Step 6. When the timer rings, take the lid off the press (I do this next to the sink, since condensation tends to build and drip). Get a spoon and do the following: stir first and, while the coffee is swirling and the beans are forced down, remove the foam from the top. The key here is to get rid of the foam, since it can make the coffee bitter, but leave all the beans so that you don’t lose any flavor. Typically you’ll do this two to three times until at least most of the foam is gone.

Step 7. Replace the lid, and set a timer for 10 minutes. This might seem long, and you may wish to adjust this final time, depending on how strong you like your coffee. Me? I prefer it to be on the… Dark Side… 😎

*Cough*

Step 8. When the timer dings, push down firmly, but slowly and steadily on the top of the press. Too quickly and some flavor is lost, too slowly and the flavors aren’t forced out of the beans. It’s a fine balance that might take some practice.

Step 9. Pour and enjoy a perfect cup of liquid heaven.

Step 10. Stop. Sip. Relax. Maybe contemplate the meaning of life… Just remember, with great coffee, comes… a complete understanding of the universe and everything it contains. I jest of course, but if anything could come close, it would be coffee. In any case, I hope that you found this to be a helpful guide to the perfect cup o’ jo!

Copyright © 2018 D.M. Kurtz