french press coffee pot

I have a Bodum 4 cup french press (glass beaker, not plastic) and I'm having trouble getting good results compared to my Braun drip coffeemaker with a paper cone filter. I have a Krups blade grinder -- which I know is not recommended per inconsistent grind -- but I've also tried having beans ground coarse at a local coffee roasters place and results are not much better.

I'm not that worried about the sediment (which is a given), more worried about the taste. Right now the coffee is very thin and winey and I'm not getting the usual aroma.

Right now I boil the water in a teapot and then let the water sit for five minutes to cool off a little. I put about 3-4 heaping teaspoons of ground coffee in the press and slowly pour the water in, then stir for about a minute with a chopstick. I put the top on the press and seal it and let it sit for 4 minutes, then press the plunger slowly and serve.

Is there anything wrong with the process? Water too hot or too cold? Brewing time too short or too long?

Also, I normally use light to medium roast beans (not a fan of burnt starbucks style). Is a french press better suited to a darker roast?

Measure the water with a kitchen thermometer. It should be ~205. I take mine off right before it goes to a full boil and I add a dash of cold water from the tap. Your amount of coffee sounds very low. I use much more.

(I just ground some to brew and it turns out to be 1/2 cup appx for my 1 ltr. Bodum. I don't measure, that amount comes from trial and error for our tastes and is #3.5 on our Capresso burr grinder timer set on the middle of very coarse.)

Add water, put the top on, press slightly down so the grounds are all underwater.

Many instructions say to stir 1/2 way through the 4 minutes but I find I like it better without the stir.

4 mins, plunge slowly, enjoy. Note: I am not an expert, I know some here do their own espresso and know more about the process than I.

edit: forgot the last part -- I find it works fine and gives full flavor with a variety of roasts. Current favorite is http://www.ruizcoffee.com/ imported as a Cup of Excellence Panama winner roasted locally by a local cafe.

Originally Posted by greg_atlanta

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let the water sit for five minutes to cool off a little. I put about 3-4 heaping teaspoons of ground coffee... then stir for about a minute

Is there anything wrong with the process? Water too hot or too cold?

Also, I normally use light to medium roast beans (not a fan of burnt starbucks style). Is a french press better suited to a darker roast?

+1 on using more coffee.

Also if you are stirring for a minute and letting the water sit for 5 minutes you might have dropped the temp too much. I just let the water come to a boil and wait maybe 30 seconds then pour slowly into the beaker, stir for a few seconds, then place the plunger on and steep for 4 minutes.

I prefer a stove-top espresso maker to my french press, theyre cheap and work great and leave no sediment. Check it out if you never have:

Originally Posted by TheHoff

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Add water, put the top on, press slightly down so the grounds are all underwater.

So don't let the grounds float on top, right? (push the plunger down slightly after I stir it)

The reason I got the french press is that -- other than trying something new -- I'm trying to cut back on caffeine (and not spend 2 hours drinking coffee and reading the paper). If I'm using the same amount of grounds for 1 mug of french press v. 3 mugs of drip coffee, am I getting the same caffeine content? I suspect the french press method is less efficient at extracting the goodies from the beans.

For now, more heat, more coffee.... will give it a try.

more coffee is my call as well and not too coarse. about 1 1/2 tbs. per cup and just coarse enough not to pass through the screen.

don't let the hot water cool at all. pour it when it is still boiling......

I agree with with other suggestions proposed so far. French press is pretty forgiving as far as brewing methods go. Some quick points:

1. How old is the coffee you are using? If you have a local coffee roaster try some of their freshly roasted stuff. If a good local roaster is not available try mailorder from someone who specifies when they roast their beans. Peet's is not bad for a large chain or try SweetMarias or Intellegentsia. Buy whole beans. Your blade grinder should be adequate for french press. You are probably grinding fine enough but if you are grinding for less than 10 seconds you will get chunks that are too large to infuse properly.

2. I like to use water right off the boil. If the water is not hot enough it will produce watery brew like you describe.

3. Try using more coffee. Bodum's cup measurements are weird. If you have a 16ozs. French Press try using at least 3 full tablespoons.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

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don't let the hot water cool at all. pour it when it is still boiling......

+1.

I don't fuss about adding cold water or when to mix in the grounds. I pour the hot water, mix the grounds till I get that nice creamy foam on top, then put the plunger down and let it sit a few minutes. After the sit, just plunge and pour. It shouldn't be a big hassle. (I've never had a problem with my coffee--it always has that robust, strong French press aroma.)

BTW, I've read that it's better to store fresh beans in the 'fridge and not the freezer. I thought French presses delivered more caffeine or the same as a drip maker.

Thanks everyone. This morning I used hot water a lot more coffee and I got the chocolately foam on top (yum!). The flavor was more intense, but the buzz factor was intense too (I'm more caffeine sensitive than most). I use better than average beans from a local coffee roasters which roasts them in house, I also have some Kona beans from Hawaii and Gevalia I ordered recently. I find most "serious" coffee places roast their beans way too dark for my taste.

I'll try using less coffee and less water to get one good cup instead of trying to fill my mug (which is about 12 oz).

Any recommendations for a sturdy, fashionable burr grinder should I shop for one in the future? Metal preferred to plastic.

I have a Mazzer Mini and I am very happy with it. It may be too much grinder for umm... less obsessed people.

Compared to espresso, french press is a lot more forgiving of grind variations. Sometimes you can get a good deal on one of the Starbucks Barrista grinder when they go on sale. I believe they have plastic bodies though.

If you do plan to make espresso in the future then it makes sense to invest into a higher quality grinder. What is your grinder budget like?

A preliminary comment:

1. You won't get 'espresso' out of a French press, but you can get great coffee out of it. The entire basis for espresso is high temperature, high pressure, short time extraction. So, be happy with what you're getting but look to another tool (even an inexpensive stovetop maker, like the one above) for something more akin to espresso (for *true* espresso you'll need to invest in a serious machine).

Here are my thoughts on getting the most out of a press:

1. Proper coffee amount. 2 tbsp. of freshly ground freshly roasted coffee per ea. 8 oz of water.
- This may vary depending upon personal taste and the kind of coffee you have, but this is the 'benchmark' for 'base strength' coffee

2. Proper temparature. Water @ about 205 degrees as mentioned before -- if it boils consider letting it cool for a minute or add a small amount of cool water.
- I usually bring mine to a boil and take it off the flame while I gring and prep the press for making the coffee (I preheat the empty press with some hot water to get the glass hot).

3. A good grind. You mentioned you don't mind sediment and, as such, I encourage you to try a finder grind with a short extraction period in your press -- this is my preferred method.
- Whether more fine or corse, you need a consistent grind (hence, a good grinder) for good coffee -- end of story.

A good "intro" burr grinder is the Baratza -- this may seem like a lot for a grinder (trust me, they are important and it's a worthwhile investment):
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Baratza/maestro.cfm

As mentioned above, the Mazzers are great, although more expensive.

4. Gold / nylon filter. Consider adding a second "gold mesh" (or nylon) filter (look for a good one that's Swiss) to your press, this will help cut down on sediment.
- Use this in addition to the standard screen (it fits inside the existing screen).

5. Proper time. With a coarse grind, 5 minutes is the general rule for a "medium" press pot, but with a fine grind you'll be able to reduce this to about 3 minutes.
- Experimentation is the only way to pin this down, as it will depend upon the nature of your grind.
- I also stirr the grinds once mid-brew.

6. Proper pour. When the coffee has been plunged wait 30 seconds for the grinds to really settle and pour slowly into a pre-heated thermous (or other container) or directly into pre-heated (again, with left over hot watter from the kettle) mugs. A slow pour will cut down on sediment, and removing the coffee from the grounds as soon as it has brewed avoids the remainder of the coffee from "overbrewing" while you drink your first cut.

Enjoy!

It is tough to get a good grinder for under $100 but the Capresso fits the bill. It is still working well for us after burning through a few crappy blade grinders: http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-Infin...1537413&sr=1-1

Originally Posted by Girardian

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4. Gold / nylon filter. Consider adding a second "gold mesh" (or nylon) filter (look for a good one that's Swiss) to your press, this will help cut down on sediment.
- Use this in addition to the standard screen (it fits inside the existing screen).


Where would I find this gold mesh?


This Kitchenaid grinder looks cool, all metal and glass. The reviews on all the other grinders are mixed at best. For now I think I'll just play with my blade grinder or get beans ground at at coffee shop.

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KPC...1551383&sr=8-4