If you want a great cup of coffee at home you need to learn how to make coffee. Of the various methods available is the use of a French press. This method results in more flavor from the fats and oils in coffee which are filtered out when paper filters are used. The best cup of coffee comes from using the best arabica coffee. But, by learning how to make French press coffee anyone can enjoy the best of the best coffee in the world every day at home.
How Does a French Press Work?
The French press method of making coffee uses a cylinder-shaped coffee pot, usually glass. It has a screen made of a wire mesh for a plunger. One puts the coffee grounds in the pot first and then adds hot water, near boiling temperature. This mixture is allowed to steep, like tea, for several minutes. Then the mixture is stirred just a few moments. After that the plunger apparatus is attached to the cylinder and the plunger gently pushed down through the brewing coffee. This process separates the bulk of the coffee grounds from the brewed coffee but not all of them resulting in the rich and earthy taste typical of French press coffee. The coffee is immediately ready to drink at this point.
Who Invented the French Press?
The French press method of making coffee has been around since the middle of the 19th century. It was invented by a Frenchman, Jacques-Victor Delforge. Thus folks in the United Kingdom and United States have always called this device a French press. Australians, South Africans, and New Zealanders call this device a coffee plunger for making plunger coffee. Meanwhile, the French, Italians, and Irish refer to this device as a cafetiere. No matter what people call it, the French press, plunger, or cafetiere is the same device and works the same everywhere.
Making French Press Coffee
It is difficult to get a bad cup of coffee using a French press but the best results will come from correctly following a few simple steps starting with the correct proportions of coffee and water. For best results start with twelve parts water to one part coffee and then adjust for taste.
Start by making sure that your French press cylinder and plunger have been properly cleaned after the last use. Then put the French press cylinder on a dry and flat surface with the plunger removed.
Use a medium to coarse grind for your coffee with a heaping tablespoonful per 200 ml of water to get the twelve to one ratio to start with.
Heat your water to boiling and then allow it to cool to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit or about 93 degrees Celsius. Then pour the hot water over the coffee grounds, stir briefly and not too forcefully, and allow to rest for three to four minutes.
Now attach the plunger apparatus and push down gently and steadily. At this point the coffee is ready to serve.
When you are done use mild detergent and water to wash the plunger and cylinder of your French press. Rinse well and then make certain that it dries completely before the next use.