Say yes to the press! Your favorite coffee in 4 minutes
Of course, a machine with pods is great and easy, but it’s also pretty expensive, and sometimes it’s simply not quite the strength or flavor you want. That’s when it’s really nice to fall back on an old-school appliance that never disappoints. Enter: the French Press.
Press pot
The French Press is one of the best-known and also one of the most old-fashioned methods of brewing coffee. The appliance was invented in France in the mid-nineteenth century. You may also come across it under various names: melior, cafetière, plunger coffee and the somewhat comical name: press pot.
The great thing about the French Press is that you don’t need much to make delicious coffee. And it’s ready in just 4 minutes, at your own favorite strength.
How to make coffee with a French Press
1. Place the pot on a dry, flat surface.
2. Add the desired amount of coarsely ground coffee. Vary the proportions to adjust the coffee completely to your own taste. For example, try it with 8.5 grams of coffee and 120 ml of water.
3. Slowly pour part of the appropriate amount of hot (not boiling) water over the coffee. A temperature of around 92 degrees is ideal. If you don’t have a thermometer, use this rule of thumb: the water should have been off the boil for at least 1 minute. Now calmly pour some water onto the coffee (but not all of the water!) and stop when all the coffee is wet. This is also called ‘blooming’, a process that allows the coffee to release its gases.
4. Wait about 30 seconds, then calmly pour the rest of the water over the coffee.
5. Stir well (with a wooden spatula).
6. Place the plunger on the pot but don’t press it down yet.
7. Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes, giving the water time to draw out all kinds of flavors from the coffee.
8. Press the plunger down slowly and, above all, straight, separating the ground coffee from the brewed coffee. Use both hands: one on the lid of the pot, the other on the plunger.
9. Pour and enjoy!
10. Coffee left over? Pour it into a thermos, because coffee cools quickly in the pot itself and the extraction process stops, meaning the coffee’s flavor is no longer affected.
Make an impression
We fell head over heels for Leopold Vienna’s copper French Press. It’s available via bol.com and fonq and costs € 39.95 (including a small milk jug and coffee spoon). You can make 3 to 4 cups at a time with it. The glass is dishwasher-safe; rinse the rest of the parts with water after use and dry them thoroughly.
Read also:
