Brewing with a French Press is one of the most accessible ways to make coffee at home, and these devices can be found in kitchens all over the planet.
Invented in 1923, many are surprised to hear that an Italian who came up with the original concept for the French Press and that it was initially designed as a tomato juicer!
Generations of coffee drinkers since then have grown to love the strong, textured brews made with a French press.
With a French press plunger, coffee and hot water, you can make a great-tasting cup of coffee using a simple immersion method in only four minutes.
Let’s get started by looking at the equipment you will need to begin making French Press coffee.
Gathering the Right Equipment
Compared to other at-home brewing methods, it is pretty simple to brew with a French Press. You will only need the following:
- A complete French Press, including the carafe and plunger.
- A kettle or other means for boiling water.
- A scale for measuring coffee and water.
- A spoon or other instrument for stirring.
- Coarse, evenly ground coffee.
- A carafe to decant the brewed coffee into.
- A cup of your choice.
Once you have gathered your equipment together, it is time to brew some coffee, and the method really could not be any simpler!
Brewing a French Press Coffee
If you follow the below method, you will get a perfect cup of coffee from your French Press every time! Let’s get started.
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Boil Your Water
Start by setting your water to boil. In the time this takes to finish, you will be able to prepare everything else.
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Add Your Coffee to the French Press
Take out your scales, and weigh out the amount of coffee you need for your desired yield of coffee. You will brew at a 1:12 ratio of coffee to water. So for 700ml of coffee, you will need approximately 60 grams of coffee.
Once you are comfortable with the process, you can experiment with this ratio to find a strength that best suits you and the coffee you are using.
There is no need to be too precious about how the coffee is added. Place it in the bottom of the process and give a little shake to make an even bed of coffee.
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Bloom Phase
Place your carafe on the scales, and start your brew with a ‘bloom’ phase to get rid of any gasses that can cause additional bitterness in the final cup.
At this stage, you should add twice the amount of water by weight as you have coffee. So if you are using 60 grams of coffee, then add 120 grams of water. Gently stir the coffee and let it sit for 30 seconds before moving on.
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Add Remaining Water
Add the remaining water up to the desired ratio and place the plunger on top of the brewing carafe. Allow the coffee to steep for four minutes.
Once four minutes have passed, depress the plunger slowly and evenly. If you meet too much resistance, it is a sign your grind is too fine, and if plunging is too easy, it means your grind is too coarse.
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Serve
The final step is to serve the coffee. If you are drinking it all immediately, serve the coffee directly from the French Press.
If you plan to drink the coffee over some time, it is better to decant the coffee into a new clean carafe to stop the problem of over-extraction.
Choosing the Right Coffee for a French Press
The ideal grind size for a French Press is coarse, similar to raw sugar in appearance. If you have your grinder at home, it would be best to grind from freshly roasted beans, but purchasing pre-ground coffee is also acceptable.
Buying your coffee from a speciality roaster, such as Belvico is an excellent way to ensure consistency and quality. The team at Belvico supervises every step of the growing and roasting process to create high-quality coffee.
When you choose from the extensive range of quality Vietnamese coffee at Belvico, you are sampling the very best coffee that the Central Highlands region has to offer.
Try Belvico’s Amazing Range of Vietnamese Coffees
Head over to the Belvico online store and see the stunning range of specialty coffee on offer for yourself. Choose from the premium Arabica and Robusta beans on offer and find your favorite!
