Brew Guide, revisited: French Press
FRENCH PRESS
Though it is not clear whether the French Press’ origin is indeed from France or Italy, the first record of this brewing method was documented in 1852 by two Frenchmen, Mayer and Delforge.
It was not until 1928 that this brewing device was patent registered in Italy by Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta.
Today, the French Press, also known as a cafetière, is a kitchen staple in homes across the world. It is easy to use, able to brew a single serving at a time, and yields a rich full-bodied cup.
Coffee is ground medium-coarse and then fully immersed in water for four minutes. Then it is plunged with a mesh metal filter to “press” away the grounds from the brewed coffee. The result is a full-bodied cup of coffee, as it retains more of its oils than other brew methods.
Try this at brew method at home. The variables are easy to adjust, such as grind size, water temperature, and brew time.
Brew Method: Full Immersion
Type of Brew Produced: Full bodied
What You’ll Need:
French Press
fresh coffee, 2-10 days off roast
timer/watch
spoon or stirring paddle
1. Bring about 800g (about 28 oz) water to boil.
2. Pour about 100g of hot water into the french press and 100g into the mug to pre-heat them. Pre-heating the french press will help maintain the right water temperature while the coffee is brewing, and pre-heating the mug helps keep your coffee hotter for longer (no microwaving here)!
3. Weigh out 36 grams of coffee and use a medium grind (kosher/coarse sea salt). Add the coffee into the press *be sure to empty out the pre-heating water*.
4. Pour 100g of water into the middle of the bed of coffee. Stir to ensure all the grounds are saturated.
5. Allow the coffee to bubble up for 1 minute (this process is called “degassing”, allowing a more even extraction of grinds)
6. Slowly pour the remaining 500g of water, making sure all the coffee is saturated.
7. Allow the coffee to brew for an additional 3:00 minutes.
8. Add the plunger to the brew and slowly press.
9. Pour and enjoy!
PROTIP If you cover the plunger with a paper filter, you can grind finer and brew faster (as fast as a 1 minute brew at a fine/espresso grind)! This will also remove some of the oils in the coffee. Bonus: You also won't have to take apart your plunger and get grounds out.