What would you pay for French Press coffee?

[arkestra]

I'm a big believer in the vacuum (also known as syphon) method of brewing coffee. It makes a great cup, is easy to use and beautiful to watch. Hario is a well known maker:

Hario vacuum coffee

There's a cafe in West L.A. (Cafe Balcony) that offers vacuum brewed coffee. They used to offer about 8 different varieties of coffee (including Blue Mountain for about $5 or $6 if I'm not mistaken), but I think they cut back on their offerings.

Cafe Balcony

Edited September 16, 2003 by arkestra (log)

[MGLloyd]

Of course, one of the fine characteristics of French-press coffee is the beauty of the apparatus itself at work.  A nice French press pot is a thing of great aesthetic value

Insulated presses are about as sexy as a percolator pot.

Absolutely correct. I still dig out the Bodums when I make press coffee for company. The unbreakable steel press is for my everyday use, since I no longer try to impress myself.

[hillbill]

Also, since I don't have the wherewithal to be buying and grinding super-fresh beans such as you mention I am trying to make the best possible cup of coffee I can from what I can purchase at the local supermarkets (or is "good coffee" and "supermarket" an utter oxymoron?)  Do you have any recommendations about what's best of what is available in a supermarket?  I've been buying brands that say they are 100% Arabica, but I still find that the coffee is usually bitter, my biggest complaint with mediocre coffee (which is why I thought I'd try the French Press, I heard that it makes better tasting coffee.)

When you say you don't have the wherewithal, what do you mean? Is the issue that you live somewhere with no good resources? If so you can order all kinds of great stuff by mail. Is it a money issue? Unless you live in Alaska, the shipping charges won't be prohibitive. You may even save money if you can find a really good source -- I'd have to crunch some numbers and get back to you.

Thank you for the advice. I live in Staten Island (which may or may not be as far from quality consumables as Alaska!)

When I said I didn't have the wherewithal I meant that I had very limited economic resources, and that purchasing more expensive coffee at the supermarket instead of whatever's on sale is a big splurge and already at or above the top-end of what I can afford regularly. I also meant that the whole idea of considering the relative quality and taste of foods and beverages (as opposed to consuming whatever's cheapest, easiest, and quickest) is a relatively new and radical concept for me. To even consider purchasing a French Press and more expensive, better quality coffee at the supermarket is a big deal and I thought it would be a reasonable and affordable(?) way improve the quality of what I consume.

[phaelon56]

There's an italian menu oriented cafe in the mezzanine above the lobby of the AMC 42 movie theatre on 42nd Street - called Times Square Cafe. They sell thermal press pot coffee in a handful of varietals and IIRC it's about $4.50 - each pot yields about three cups full - I'd guess perhaps 24 oz or so.

Stumptown Roasters in Portland OR, a local microroaster, serves ONLY press pot coffee. Their baristas make 32 oz press pots all day long and refill the airpots with them. Their coffee really rocks (as does their espresso) but keep in mind that they run a tight ship with great quality control. I don't recall the prices exactly but I'm thinking it must be about $1.50 up to $2.25 depending on size of cup. They're a microroaster with multiple cafes and also a good wholesale market for their beans - bean cost for them is way lower than most independent cafes but Portland is a fairly representative market for what prices tend to be outside of Manhattan.