If coffee’s your thing, you’ll find there are quite a few choices available. You can opt for a high-priced Starbucks’ or an espresso, or a cheaper yet equally delicious alternative in the form of drip or French press coffee. It’s all up to you!
Today, though, we’ll focus on the French press. Why does a growing number of coffee aficionados prefer it to other methods?
The Inner Workings of the French Press
According to Coffee Break Essentials, a coarse grind is the way to go when brewing in a French Press. Still, blade grinders aren’t recommended since they produce warmer, unevenly-ground beans that take away from the coffee’s flavor. Use a burr grinder to grind your beans or simply have them ground at the store.
Once you have your coffee grounds, add them into the carafe with hot water and wait for about four minutes. Then, push down on the grounds using the plunger and pour yourself a delicious cup.
If you’re used to having your cup of Joe differently, then the new flavor may take some getting used to. Still, you may appreciate the aroma and its suspended oils. The feel of tiny bean particles usually accompanies every sip of a French press coffee. This is a quality many coffee enthusiasts love. You can find more on French Pres on coffeehow.co.
Why Is French Press Coffee Better?
Many believe the French press creates the best-tasting cup of Joe. Whether or not you agree with this, there’s significant proof to back this claim.
1. No Paper Filters
Unlike drip and pour-over methods, the French press doesn’t employ paper filters. These filters tend to take out much of the flavor and oils from grounds, leaving you with a less flavorful cup.
Aside from not soaking up the flavor, the French press also adds bits of grounds into your cup to enhance the flavor.
2. Allows Steeping To Take Place
Steeping refers to soaking something in liquid to extract its flavor. This allows you to produce something filled with the influence or quality of a substance. The French press excels particularly in this area, which is why it can consistently brew the most mouthwatering cup of coffee.
Instead of filtering, the French press method absorbs all the flavor and quality from the grounds so that your tastes better.
3. Holds All the Magic in One Cup
The French press method doesn’t leave any of the good stuff behind. It extracts grounds for all they’re worth, leaving you with the complete experience. The only thing it does leave behind is the ground particles, which is a good thing because too much can turn your coffee muddy.
If you want coffee that can tickle all your five senses, go for the French press.
4. Gets Rid of Impurities
Impurities can show up in your cup when you use a certain coffee brand with a particular brewing method. This is because impurities can come from the manufacturing or the method being used. For instance, Folger’s coffee is known for having impurities, and drip machines are known for storing dirt and grime.
You don’t have to worry about either of these scenarios where the French press is concerned. The process absorbs all the deliciousness from grounds while leaving behind the impurities. Also, since the French press is easy to clean and washed after every use, there’s little chance for dirt to gather in its inner workings. Thus, it keeps your cup of coffee pure.
5. Complete Saturation
In a French press machine, grounds are saturated completely. It’s a method that doesn’t allow users to miss any grounds. Thereby allowing you to saturate the oils and coffee fully.
This isn’t what happens in drip machines and percolators. Using these methods, you don’t quite get the flavor you expect from your coffee. On the other hand, the French press soaks and absorbs everything and gives it to you right back.
6. Ideal Temperature
Temperature, brewing time, and grind size are the three main factors that determine the outcome of your cup of coffee.
While brewing time and grind size remain mostly within your control, the water temperature can be a little bit tricky to get a handle on. This is because temperature consistency is also dependent on the method or machine used.
Percolators and drip machines often quickly reach soaring temperatures and cool down just as fast. They produce inconsistent temperatures that lower the quality of the resulting cup. As such, they can only achieve the right temperature somewhere around the middle of the brewing process and not for its entirety.
Making the Best French Press Coffee
Nothing’s better than French press coffee made correctly. Here’s how you can do it in four steps:
Step #1: Weigh Your Coffee and Water
The density of coffee varies. For instance, beans coming from Africa tend to be denser than South American coffee. This difference in density means weight measurement is more accurate than the volume measurement.
Step #2: Wet the Grinds
Wetting the grinds allows you to get rid of carbon dioxide from the coffee. As a result, you won’t end up with a sour-tasting cup.
Step #3: Stir Your Coffee
After one minute of processing, stir the coffee. If you don’t, the grounds won’t mix with the coffee and float to the top.
Step #4: Brew for Four Minutes
Four minutes of brewing helps ensure that your coffee turns out great. You should be able to do this easily using a kitchen timer.
And the Winner for “Best Coffee” Goes To…
When pitted against percolators and drip machines, which produce fairly similar coffee, many would say the French press stands as the clear victor. However, at the end of the day, your coffee choice will still depend on taste and preference.
If you’re more an espresso aficionado or would rather order a venti from Starbucks, that’s because your taste lies there. In fact, not even the most delicious-tasting cup of French press coffee can sway you if it’s not the kind of taste you’re after.
