Press Pot/French Press Coffee

[phaelon56]

You'll want a slightly coarser grind than that used for drip coffee and much coarser than that used for espresso.

Issues with Illy:

1) If I recall correctly it's ground for espresos maker / moka pot use and will be too fine for a French Press.

2) It's way overpriced

3) You'll never get it as fresh as what you can buy from a reputable local microroaster or what you get from any number of US specialty roaster by buying online. Even with shipping charges you'll likely find the US product to be cheaper per pound or at least no more expensive.

It's just a fact that any coffee roasted and canned in a factory in Italy and shipped here then distributed... cannot get to you within a few weeks of roasting date. More like a few months. t

There's no amount of nitrogen flushing or vacuum packing that can overcome that fact even though Illy offers a better canned coffee product than any other I've tried.

If you're in Italy the Illy or Lavazza coffee you can get in most stores will generally be very fresh and superior to the Illy available in the US.

[azlee]

You'll want a slightly coarser grind than that used for drip coffee and much coarser than that used for espresso. 

Issues with Illy:

1) If I recall correctly it's ground for espresos maker / moka pot use and will be too fine for a French Press.

2) It's way overpriced

3) You'll never get it as fresh as what you can buy from a  reputable local microroaster or what you get from any number of US specialty roaster by buying online. Even with shipping charges you'll likely find the US product to be cheaper per pound or at least no more expensive.

It's just a fact that any coffee roasted and canned in a  factory in Italy and shipped here then distributed...  cannot get to you within a few weeks of roasting date.  More like a few months.  t

There's no amount of nitrogen flushing or vacuum packing that can overcome that fact even though Illy offers a better canned coffee product than any other I've tried.

If you're in Italy the Illy or Lavazza coffee you can get in most stores will generally be very fresh and superior to the Illy available in the US.

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Thanks, I appreciate the info. Was just looking for a mindless way to handle my coffee fix. Thought it would be nice to just drop an Illy canister in my cart as i do my grocery shopping. Have heard good things about Terroir. Would that be a good place to start? I like the idea of fresh product from my local Ozzie's but I haven't been impressed with the variety. Have been tempted to try pods but worry about freshness and expense of buying a machine when I'm not sure I will like it. Has anyone tried Keurig? I get the impression that those keep very fresh and are easy to store. Thanks again

Azlee

[Bubbalicious]

i have just started to use a french press and i hate the clean up but love the better taste of the coffee. i have been buying from a local coffee house that roasts its own but wondered if i can use a brand like illy. if so which grind is best in the press? medium? thanks.

azlee

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Do you rinse the coffee down the drain? I find it the easiest way to dispose of the grounds. I read or heard somewhere that it is good for your drain as well as the grounds would get caught in anything that may potentially clog your drain. The acids in the grounds would then help to break down the prospective clog. I may have dreamt this but I find it a little satisfying to pour out the grounds from my french press. Odd, I know.

On the Illy note: Alton Brown and others say that coffee should be consumed within a week of roasting. But you should do a taste test. I love Illy when it's used in an espresso but I wasn't happy with the Illy beans that I bought at the same shop.

[curlywurlyfi]

Do you rinse the coffee down the drain?  I find it the easiest way to dispose of the grounds.  I read or heard somewhere that it is good for your drain as well as the grounds would get caught in anything that may potentially clog your drain.  The acids in the grounds would then help to break down the prospective clog.

I put my coffee grounds down the toilet - I fear the opposite of what you say is true - that in the narrow soil pipe from my kitchen sink, the grounds would clog the U-bend instantly. Whereas with the bigger soil pipe from the loo... whoosh, and away they go.

[Bubbalicious]

I've been using the sink for...

maybe fifteen years and haven't had a problem yet.

[azlee]

Thanks everyone! I have always heard that grounds down the drain was bad news but maybe it's just an old kitchen wives tale. Will maybe ask a plumber.

Thanks

[jscarbor]

Im pretty knew to coffee. I want the best tasting coffee for me. I am getting a french press soon.

What is the best way to buy beans if you are using a press? In Houston I can go to Central Market and buy beans in bulk. Do I have them roast? Should I tell them a specific way to roast? Like I said, I am a novice.

Edited December 16, 2005 by jscarbor (log)

[dvs]

our coffie maker died & thankfully we have the french press... problem is we have never used one.

it's standard (4 cup?) size. how much beans do we grind? waiting times after adding hot h2o?

help!!

we'll be dying tomorrow w/ out the info

[Carolyn Tillie]

You'll soon learn its variances, but it is entirely subjective depending on how strong or weak you like your coffee. I am one of those that like it REALLY strong and tend to grind about 1/3 of cup of beans (give or take) for four cups. After the hot water is poured in, I wait about four minutes before pressing down.

[Blether]

You want a medium-coarse grind: and purists say it's past it if left sitting in the jug for more than half an hour or so.

[weinoo]

You want a medium-coarse grind: and purists say it's past it if left sitting in the jug for more than half an hour or so.

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I use about 10-12 grams of coffee per 6 oz. of water...(btw, 4 cups in a coffee maker generally means about 20 oz. of water, so you should measure the amount of water you put in and forget about "cups!").

Medium - grind...bring water to just under a boil (around 200 - 205 degrees), pour over grounds, stir gently (maybe stir again after a minute), put the lid on and start thinking about pressing about 3 1/2 minutes in. Press gently and enjoy!

[Della]

Not 100% sure as it's been quite a few years since I used a coffee press but I seem to remember that you don't stir the grounds with a metal spoon. Use something plastic or maybe wooden.

[slkinsey]

Using a metal spoon shouln't make any difference. After, the screen and plunger are made out of metal.

[Alex]

Here's a comprehensive blog entry about French press coffee by a coffee connoisseur. (Scroll down to the entry for November 26.) I've gotten excellent results using her recommended coffee:water proportion and brewing technique.

[rlibkind]

Not 100% sure as it's been quite a few years since I used a coffee press but I seem to remember that you don't stir the grounds with a metal spoon. Use something plastic or maybe wooden.

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It's possible (I know from experience!) to break the glass with a metal spoon.

[Alex]

Not 100% sure as it's been quite a few years since I used a coffee press but I seem to remember that you don't stir the grounds with a metal spoon. Use something plastic or maybe wooden.

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It's possible (I know from experience!) to break the glass with a metal spoon.

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Yes, definitely. I use a chopstick.

[aschbren]

Not 100% sure as it's been quite a few years since I used a coffee press but I seem to remember that you don't stir the grounds with a metal spoon. Use something plastic or maybe wooden.

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It's possible (I know from experience!) to break the glass with a metal spoon.

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Yes, definitely. I use a chopstick.

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You're kidding me... they don't make french presses out of borosilicate glass (i.e. pyrex)?

[Beto]

You're kidding me...  they don't make french presses out of borosilicate glass (i.e. pyrex)?

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They do, but those Bodum presses are easily broken (just ask my girlfriend).

[bluesman13]

I would measure the amount of water your maker holds using a measuring cup. I use 2 tablespoons of course grounds per 6 ounces of water. Let steep for a few minutes, then press.

[phaelon56]

You're kidding me...  they don't make french presses out of borosilicate glass (i.e. pyrex)?

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They do, but those Bodum presses are easily broken (just ask my girlfriend).

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No doubt. I chipped and then later broke my Bodum Pyrex vacuum pot despite careful handling. It's pretty darn thin-walled relative to Pyrex baking dishes and other such items - just not as durable.

[plk]

I have a stainless steel french press that I originally got from REI for camping. I think it's a 3 or 4 cup capacity. It works really well and it doesn't even matter if it gets dropped. Even though I think it's insualted, I don't keep the coffee in it -- it gets extracted for four minutes and then immediately drank or moved to a thermos. If it stays in longer, it gets over-extracted and tastes bitter. I use the Closed Hopper Walnut Zassenhaus mill for grinding. It's cheaper than an electric burr grinder and easy to adjust.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I use a French press every day and have never stirred the grounds...I did not know anyone did ..I have never seen it done here in the coffee bars... I use about 1/3 (heaping) cup of coarse grounds to 12 oz of water pour boiling water in over the grounds and steep for just a few min (really less than 3 min I am sure) while I put cream in my cup ....press and serve that is it ...the only thing I know I like is to really have my water at a very hard boil ..it comes out rich and yummy every time ...I love to use a peaberry with the press ..

[plk]

I stir to help with extraction. It makes sure that I get all I can from the grounds I use and that there aren't under-extracted grounds sitting on top of the water. I think it's the same idea as with brewing loose-leaf tea.

[Chris Hennes]

Does anyone else out there post-filter their french-pressed coffee to get rid of the "sludge"? I have read various comments on eGullet about the relative merits of the sludge, but I'm not a fan, I think it makes the bottom of the cup taste like over-extracted, grainy, nasty, um... sludge. I am using a coarse grind, but with a cheapo grinder, so I end up with a lot of fine particles, so I send the finished coffee through one of those Melitta one-cup filters before I drink it. Do you all enjoy the sludge, or toss the last inch of coffee, or what?

[mkayahara]

Doesn't it cancel out the benefits of using a French press in the first place if you then run the coffee through a filter?

In any case, I'd think that using a better grinder, to minimize fine particles, would help reduce the sludge content. I typically end up dumping the last bit of coffee in my cup, but it's nowhere near an inch.