How To Use A French Press Coffee Maker

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The French press or French pot is the original European home coffee brewer. It is known as a coffee plunger in Australia and New Zealand and a cafetiere in the British Isles. These days, it lost a bit of its popularity, compared to other coffee making appliances.

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Illy, the renowned coffee company says about the French press that is "a cylindrical pot with a plunger and built-in filter screen that presses hot water through ground coffee: that’s the simple beauty of the French press, method of choice for many all over the world, creating an earthy, rich taste in your daily cup of coffee."

Wikipedia's definition: "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, although it can also be used for other tasks." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_press

One of the reasons the press pot is losing its popularity is because it is often used incorrectly. With an incorrect use, the coffee is not that great. When I was growing up I always felt like the French pot didn’t brew good coffee, because my parents used to make coffee using pre-ground beans. But this isn’t the only mistake that can be made. My goal is to show you how to brew this type of coffee properly. I will highlight some of the common mistakes that people make. I will also give you some hints on how to explore new variants that appeal to your taste.

Make sure your plunger and the beaker are clean. Rinse them with hot water, and use soap if needed. Coffee sediments will impart a bad taste to your coffee.

Fill the pot with hot water before brewing; it will help to maintain the brewing temperature during steeping. It will also prevent thermal shock and keep your coffee hot a little longer.

In the meantime, grind your favorite coffee beans with a good quality burr grinder. The grind size should be coarse for a clear cup.

Dump the hot water and put three tablespoons of the ground coffee into the bottom of your beaker.

Pour hot, water, (194-200 °F) into the glass pot. Add just a quarter of the final volume, and stir the water and coffee with a wooden spoon or spatula. Metal spoons can break you glass because of the thermal shock.

Pour the rest of the water and stir again.

Place the plunger on top of the pot and lower it just enough to make contact with the water.

Make sure to turn the lid covers the mouth of the French press to maintain the water temperature.

Wrap the pot with a towel to add insulation; it helps to maintain the coffee hot.

Let the coffee steep for about 4 minutes.

Push the plunger down slowly, all the way to the bottom of the beaker.

Lift the lid to open the spout, and pour.