Brewing 101 French Press
Welcome back to our Brewing 101 mini blog series. This week will be highlighting the French Press brewing method, which has become a common way to create rich, bold cups of coffee right at home.
History
The French Press tale has its roots in the 1850s. While waiting to boil water for coffee, a Frenchman realized that he had forgotten to add in, of all things, the coffee! He took a chance and added the grounds to the boiling water and instantly the grounds rose to the surface. The Frenchman then used a piece of metal screen he bought from an Italian merchant who was in the area. The two men tasted the coffee, and were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the brew became! The true origins of the French Press are unknown and have been claimed between both French and Italian over the years.
The actual French Press design had been patented over and over under different descriptions by French and Italian companies well into the mid-1900s. By 1958, an Italian named Faliero Bondanini patented the classic design called Chambord which was ironically distributed by a French company Martin S.A. Now under the Danish Bodum Holding company, the Chambord is a popular French Press design used across the world, a perfect blend of the legend’s roots.
Process
The French Press method involves brewing coffee grounds directly into hot water then, using a plunging method, straining the coffee grounds and leaving a rich, tasty coffee behind.
Fun Fact: when coffee brews, the oils on the beans, called diterpenes, are released. Diterpenes, including cafestol and kahweol types, are natural fatty substances which, unless filtered, end up in your cup of coffee, which is the result from the French Press. Paper filters are the best at filtering out most of these, but these molecular fats still end up in all coffee at some point. French Press retains all of the natural fat found in coffee, which is another important part to keep in mind if you’re watching your diet or have health issues.
Equipment:
Coffee beans
Coffee grinder
Kettle (any will do!)
A coffee scale, or coffee scoop.
A French Press (which includes the carafe and the plunger)
How to Brew: French Press
Measure your coffee. Usually, French Press uses a standard 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio. This is about six tablespoons of ground coffee for every 16 ounces (two cups) of water. If you grind your own beans, opt in for a coarser setting since fine coffee will result in a bitter taste and potentially clog your filter. The grind should be chunky since the coffee is in contact with the water for a longer duration than other methods.
Heat water to 200°F. You do not want to use boiling water as this may burn the coffee. If you do happen to boil the water, remove from heat and wait 30 seconds to a whole minute to allow it to cool down.
Heat the carafe with a bit of the warm water so that it's not cold. At this point, if applicable, you can set aside the lid/plunger.
Add the ground coffee to your carafe then pour in all of the hot water. The coffee will rise to the surface of the water and “bloom” or “crust”. Stir to break the crust and allow the grounds to sink back down. Wait about two to three minutes for coffee to brew.
Place the lid/plunger back on and gently - gently - push the plunger all the way down with even pressure.
Once the plunger is pressed down, the coffee is strained! Serve immediately or transfer to another pot, if the coffee sits in the grounds, it will become bitter!
Remember to always clean your French Press after every use, making sure to remove all of those potent oils which will cake onto the filter and inside of the carafe overtime. The French Press is an easy method to make your own - finding your own ratios for smaller or larger quantities can easily be done and oftentimes, your press’s manufacturer will have tips on how to brew (and clean) your equipment. Be sure to check them out too!
And there you have it, your second cup of coffee made with the French Press! This rich cup of coffee is sure to impress your guests - and to think it's simple and quick to create! Please make sure to sip on our social media and look out for new updates to the cafe and roastery! Have you shared your cups of French Press yet? Remember to tag us on your Instagram or Facebook posts - we love seeing what you all come up with!
Do you have a suggestion? Make sure to comment on our latest Brewing 101 post!
Madison Kapisak
