by Danelle Karth

Created on: January 29, 2008

The French Press is a delightful creation the provides a simple and effective way of making a great cup of coffee. Using the French Press you can have a bold and delicious cup in a matter of minutes. The coffee will have a rich and full flavor if you follow a few simple steps.

What is a French Press?
A French Press is a coffee maker made of glass (preferably) or plastic (only really good if using as a travel kit or a hiking trip). It looks much like a little pitcher. Then it has a lid with a plunger type of device. This plunger will be used to filter out the coffee grounds.

A Few Notes Before We Begin
Making coffee in a French Press is easy to do. However, you want to make sure you have an coarsely ground coffee. A better cup of coffee will be produced if you have an even grind, with all of the particles the same size. This is important to make sure they are all filter out of the coffee when you use the press. If you have fine particles in the press you will get really thick coffee with coffee sludge in it. This coffee is best when the grounds are freshly ground and used immediately. It has to do with the essential oils and flavors removed from the coffee. An old ground can give a more bitter taste.

You will also want a tea kettle as the easiest way to make coffee in the press. You will heat your water while preparing your press and grounds. That way it will be just slightly cooler then boiling when you add it to the press.

1) Start the water boiling. Grind your coffee.
2) Add one heaping Tablespoon of coffee grounds for each cup of coffee you are making (4-6oz of water is classified as a cup of coffee). Be quick about it so as to keep up as much flavor as possible.
3) Pour your water all over your coffee grounds. You will want to get them all wet. Stirring is optional and will help produce a fuller bodied coffee. Be quick about it stirring 5-10 times. Add the lid with the press portion still raised.
4) Time your brew. If you have a small press making one to four cups of coffee you will want to let it brew for two to three minutes. If you have a large press such as an 8, 10, or 12 cup model you will want the coffee to brew for 4 minutes.
5) Slowly and steadily press the plunger on the French Press. This will move the filter downward trapping the coffee grounds. It is important to go slow and steady. If you hurry you could hurt yourself (the pot tips, the plunger gets stuck).
6) Drink and enjoy your coffee. It is standard for this process to happen quickly. The longer the coffee sits in the pot the more bitter it becomes. Drinking it within 20 minutes of brewing is best.

There are also travel versions of this pot making it a great way to have coffee on the road or even a camping trip. After all, a brew pot isn't the easiest thing to use while traveling (unless it is included in the hotel room!) Some campers versions even let you drink right out of the top much like a travel mug.

This is a great way to enjoy your coffee. It is simple and easy to use. Most French Presses are rather inexpensive, especially if you don't need one that makes eight or more cups (that's a lot of coffee to drink in 20 minutes if there is only one of you or even two of you). Now, all you need to do is sit down and enjoy your great cup of coffee.

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