I love the heck out of coffee. Back in the day when I worked at a coffee shop, there was nothing better than waking up early, biking into work and making myself the biggest espresso drink on the face of the earth. Now’a days, I don’t have that luxury (well, not for free anyway) SO I’ve done a little bit of experimentation. What’s the best home coffee? Anything french-pressed. I’ve received questions every now and then about where to being with french press coffee, so here you go: a comprehensive how-to.
1. Buy a french press: Ikea and Target (where I purchased mine for about $20) have great, great deals on awesome presses. Important things to look for— buy a press that has a solid grate (the mesh part that eventually strains the coffee) that comes apart for easy cleaning!
2. Boiling your water: I love my electric teapot I got for Christmas! I’ll admit, I’m spoiled, but I recommend it if you ever get serious about french-pressing your coffee; most have a “keep-warm” setting that helps out IMMENSELY if you’re running around like me in the morning. Before this, I used a regular tea kettle and tap water!
3. Choosing your coffee: Preferential, really. I love trying different brands and flavors, and everything is intensified with a french press which rules. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Make sure you grind your coffee very coarse. I don’t have a coffee grinder at home (I just use the in-store machines) and the 2nd to last “coarse” setting works perfectly. If you grind it too much, you’ll have grounds in your whole pot of coffee!
How-to:
Bring your water to a boil. In the meantime, scoop grounds into your french press.
For every cup you’re making, one tablespoon is plenty (though I tend to find myself doing more at times!). Once your water is at it’s peak boil, pour directly over your coffee grounds to fill up your press.
Add your filter over the top (covering the press) and let steep for 3-4 minutes. After you’re steep time is done, press down the filter until it hits the bottom, making sure you grasp the handle— we don’t want to make a mess!
From here, pour out your fresh coffee and FREAKING ENJOY!
