A Guide to French Press Coffee

A French press, also known as a cafetière, cafetière à piston, caffettiera a stantuffo, press pot, coffee press, or coffee plunger, is a coffee brewing device that was created by two French inventors (Mayer and Delforge) patented in 1852 a forerunner of the French press.

HOW DOES A FRENCH PRESS WORK?

When brewing coffee using a French press, always start with freshly roasted quality coffee beans. This form of brewing allows the coffee time to bloom and release flavour profiles, so using freshly roasted, quality coffee is a must.

When preparing to brew coffee in a French Press, freshly grind the right amount of coffee needed depending on the capacity of the French Press using a good quality grinder. At King Carlos Coffee we recommend using burr grinders as they "slice" the coffee beans consistently at rapid speed allowing the coffee to stay at an appropriate temperature and grinds the coffee evenly allowing the brewing process to bring out the tasting notes as they are intended. Single origin and blended coffee is perfect for this brew method and you can order your beans through our online store, selecting the option to have your coffee freshly ground to order specifically for French Press (there is an dropdown option on the product page).

Add the coffee grounds into the French press carafe adding hot water and replace the lid ontop and allow to sit for three to five minutes. Slowly start putting pressure on the lid pushing the grounds down through the strainer and voila, your French Press coffee is ready to drink.

French Press coffee tastes unique to other brewing methods. You will be able to appreciate the aroma better and view the oils from the coffee bean float on top. When you drink your French pressed coffee, you will taste the tiny bean particles ... perfect for coffee aficionados.

WHY USE A FRENCH PRESS?

Many people believe the French Press method produces the best coffee. These are some reasons why.

Paper filters can take out flavour and oils. The same as when eating good foods, the flavour in coffee usually exists in the fats and oils. Paper filters in drip machines absorb much of the oil in your coffee grounds, while a good French Press doesn’t soak up flavour and adds tiny bits of coffee grounds in the coffee that percolates flavour.

French press allows for steeping. When you get a good cup of tea, you use bulk tea that steeps for several minutes depending on the type of tea. The end result is a mouth-watering cup of tea. The same is true for coffee brewed through a French press. Because the grounds steep instead of filter, the coffee tastes better.

Everything is in the cup. Using a French press means that everything except the ground coffee is in the cup. You taste all the flavours, which adds to the full coffee experience.

You get complete saturation of grounds. The French press does not allow you to miss any of the grounds. This means you are getting complete saturation of the coffee and oils. The saturation gives the coffee a different flavour than what you get from a drip machine or pour over.

It’s the right temperature. French press maintains the correct water temperature throughout the process, which makes a difference to how the coffee is brewed. Some pour over methods can often heat up the water quickly and cool down just as fast – meaning the right temperature only happens during the middle of the process, instead of throughout the whole brewing cycle.

KING CARLOS' TIPS FOR USING A FRENCH PRESS

• Use a course grinder or let us grind the coffee for you.
  Weigh your coffee and water because coffees have different densities. For instance, African coffees tend to be thicker than South American coffees. The density difference means that a volume measurement will not be as accurate as a weight measurement.
• Wet the coffee grinds first because you can eliminate carbon dioxide in the grinds. Avoiding any sour taste to the coffee.
• Stir it after a minute of processing because the grounds will float to the top and not be in the water.
• Brew for four minutes to get the best taste from the coffee. Use your kitchen timer to count the four minutes.
• Purchase a good French Press! We cannot stress this enough. Purchase a well known, reputable brand. Here at our roastery we only use Bodum French Press, industry leaders and WELL tested by us.