Brewing coffee is the same as cooking, it needs a proper extraction parameter, and any mistake in one part will affect the final taste you will taste.
If you are fond of coffee, prefer to enjoy coffee at home, and enjoy the process of brewing coffee more, you will try to buy different types of coffee pots and coffee machines. And French press has been popular ever since it was discovered. Simple to operate and easy to use, the coffee maker is not only elegant in design but also convenient to carry around.
If you have always brewed French press that tasted bitter, please read on to share more core tips for you to brew a great cup of coffee!
What are the Preparations Before Steeping Coffee
When you buy coffee powder or see the scale on the coffee grinder that says "Coarse for French Press", please see the photo for the exact grind fineness.
Most of the books or coffee articles out there will say: you need to use the coarseness used in the French press pot, this coffee coarseness also has a name called Coarse, although it is said that the coffee brewed by this coarseness is qualified after we keep testing, found that this coarseness of coffee there are several points to note:
This coarseness can make it difficult for the hot water to release the original essence of the coffee powder, perhaps with too large a particle.
If this coarseness is used, it is also more difficult for the grinder to grasp the average coarseness of the coffee, as we can easily see in the above picture the large average size difference of the coffee grains. This problem stems from the design of the coffee machine itself grinding knife structure.
We can use a slightly finer scale to grind the coffee beans, which also makes the coffee beans come out more even and relatively richer flavor. And the amount of beans used can also be slightly reduced, as with chemistry, the surface area obtained by a smaller coarse and fine will come larger. It is worth mentioning that it is best to grind the beans only when they are in use, otherwise, the surface layer of the coffee will oxidize and lose flavor, making it harder to extract good coffee.
The coarseness of coffee is about the middle to the right coarseness (please see the picture below), some grinders if there is a picture to indicate the corresponding coarseness, you can directly use the Pour-over coarseness, which will be a little finer than the traditional French press coffee powder.
The ratio between coffee powder and water
The coffee brewing ratio is not clearly defined, generally ranging from 10:1-18:1, with an average value of around 15.5:1, which means that every 15.5 grams of water are paired with 1 gram of coffee powder.
Of course, the ratio is different, but the taste of coffee is also different, you can adjust according to your taste.
If you do not have an electronic scale at home, you can use a spoon to measure.
For example:
3 cups of water (12oz): 3-4 spoons of coffee powder
4 cups of water (17oz): 4-5 spoons of coffee powder
8 cups of water (34oz): 9-10 scoops of ground coffee
12 cups of water (51oz): 13-15 scoops of ground coffee
We recommend that you start with 1 scoop of coffee powder: 4oz of water, and reduce the amount of water to 3oz if you feel the taste is bland.
How Long Should You Steep Coffee In French Press?
The most commonly seen saying is that the brewing time for a French press is four minutes, but I think it could be extended a bit more. If we use the coarse coffee powder shown at the beginning, the coffee we get with only four minutes of steeping is not necessarily very good. Why?
For some cupping experts, four minutes is only enough to let the outer layer of the coffee steep away.
- After four minutes of brewing, we can take a spoon and gently stir the surface of the French press to let the coffee grounds settle down.
- Then gently scrape the top layer of coffee grounds or white foam with the spoon, not the Crema, but more the ultra-fine powder to enhance the cleanliness of the coffee.
- Gently press down the handle of the French press pot and pour out the coffee when the coffee has finished settling inside.
During the whole process, the coffee has been extracted in perfect contact with the hot water in the French press for 6-8 minutes, and a total extraction time of about 6 minutes is the most recommended time, instead of the regular four minutes.
Compilation of Brewing Steeps for French Press
Step 1: Go from normal pour-over coffee powder coarseness to medium coarseness and fineness, and somewhere in between.
Step 2: Increase the amount of coffee powder to a powder-to-water ratio of 1:16, and use an electronic scale to measure the ratio of coffee to water!
Step 3: After brewing, wait four minutes for the coffee to combine perfectly with the water.
Step 4: Use a spoon to remove some of the impurities and some white foam from the top.
Step 5: Slowly press down the handle of the French press pot, but do not press it completely to the bottom.
Step 6: Wait for the coffee to settle slowly.
Step 7: Once the coffee has settled, you can slowly pour it out and enjoy!
Remember to steep for four minutes and then use a spoon to remove some impurities, until the sixth step, the overall time should not exceed eight minutes. Yes, do not exceed eight minutes, according to my experience, when to the fifth step, especially easy to forget the time, and it is easy to lead to over-extraction.
Conclusion
The French press maker, which is particularly convenient in terms of price and operation, was an important tool in my early days of learning how to brew coffee. Especially when you are enjoying time alone, or when you are by yourself, unlike other coffee makers, it can quietly accompany you, just like your closest friend.
You can also make good coffee with a French press, trust it. You can also continue to study different roasting levels of coffee beans, different varieties of coffee beans, as well as different water quality, and different ratios, and slowly explore to discover the charm of the French press. Please don't give up easily. Enjoy life, love life, as much as you can at buyreallife!
