Help me fine tune my coffee making via french press

Cafe Society
1

I have a 20 oz. glass press
I use 4 tbsp burr ground (med-coarse) fresh locally roasted organic coffee (I have one of those awesome coffee bean vac containers)
I use 195° filtered water out of our temp-controlled water dispenser (it’s as hot as I can get it out of there)
I swirl until I get bloom
I let sit for 4+ minutes

…and it seems like it’s not quite “bold” enough for me. Even when I pour it into the cup, it looks blonder with light coming through the stream than coffee I brew in my drip pot.

Tomorrow (no time today) I will measure the temp of the water after I pour it into the beaker- I suppose it could be that the 195° water that my dispenser tells me I’m getting (it has a temp readout as the water heats and cools) isn’t actually 195°…

Is there anything else that seems amiss here? Should I let it steep for longer? Less coarsely grind the beans? (however if I do that, we’re getting close to the grind I use for the drip pot, which seems incorrect…)

2

Use more grounds? I use a French press to make decaf Vietnamese iced coffee, and I find I have to use plenty of grounds to get it strong enough for my taste - about 4 tablespoons for a little 3/4 cup press.

3

Buy unroasted beans and roast them directly before grinding.

4

I’d agree, you probably need more coffee. IIRC, the general rec is for 2 TBSP per 6 oz cup, so for your 20 oz press, you’d need around 7 TBSP.

5

If this is true, I’d be kinda bummed—I use 6 tbsp for 3/4 pot of drip-brewed coffee. I get 3+ mugs of coffee from that, and only 1 2/3 mugs from the press pot.

My reason for going the press pot route is because I’d love to drop $250 for a Technivorm coffee maker but I’m told press pot coffee is equal in quality.

If I’m using expensive beans and I’m using more for press pot coffee, then my argument against the Technivorm is weakening! :smiley:

6

A finer grind of coffee might help. I use a coffee plunger (french press) all the time, and using medium or coarse ground beans makes the coffee too weak for my taste.

7

I recently splurged on the Technivorm (and it’s a very very fine coffee maker), but coffee made via French press is different than that made from the Technivorm. Depending on your taste, it’s not necessarily better, just different. To me, the coffee has more body and depth of flavor when made in the press, but my wife prefers the Technivorm.
I’ve been roasting beans for some time now, and I regard the press as the “Gold Standard” when I want the full impact and taste of a freshly roasted coffee.

To the OP, I would only suggest that you do check the temp of the water - that’s critical.

Also keep in mind in a press, the grind must be fairly coarse to avoid sediment. It’s possible to use a much finer grind in a filtered drip machine and a finer grind may allow better extraction and stronger coffee.
That last is just a guess, but it seems logical.

8

While I was doing my french press research, I googled “how to make perfect french press coffee” and the first return had this as its first step:

And upon further googling, I found this repeated in many places (one such article). I already struggle to keep my LDL at a healthy level…:frowning:

9

Buh. Does “unfiltered coffee” include espresso? I suppose it does. Damn!

10

I attended a lecture by Dr. Joe Vinson, a researcher UPenn Scranton and expert on antioxiants, coffee, chocolate, etc. He said that the French Press is the singly worst (health-wise) way to get your caffeine, and that instant crap in a can through a Mr Coffee is the single best.

sigh

11

Oh, well. We’re not giving up our French press.

We boil our water, then let it set for 15 seconds before pouring it over the grounds. We also don’t grind the beans (we use the coarse setting) until just before we make the coffee.

re: the article, it says drinking six cups of unfiltered coffee a day raises your LDL. I would submit if you’re drinking six cups of coffee a day, you have other issues to worry about.

12

Nope, I drink 2.5 cups a day, religiously. Hope that means I’m safe!

13

I add one additional step when I make mine. I take the lid off and give it another stir at the two minute mark.

14

Serious coffee enthusiast chiming in (I exclusively alternate my home beans between Hawaiian Kona, Jamaica Blue Mountain and Kopi Luwak): In my opinion, thermal (insulated) presses are far superior to glass alternatives that let the heat out over the course of the 4 min.

15

xiix, I do hope you’re doing a demo at my house tomorrow morning! :smiley:

16

I don’t have a fix for you, but I love my french press. After pairing it up with a Thermos, I hardly ever bother with coffee houses anymore - except to buy beans. I really like having my classic green Stanley thermos on campus when everyone else has their paper cups.

17

Kopi Luwak? Even knowing how it’s “processed”, I still want to try it. Where do you find it?

18

Frazzled: Indeed I am familiar with the unique ‘processing’ of Kopi Luwak, but I have read that ultimately Kopi beans have on average less bacteria than your average bean from Starbucks…cite (University of Guelph study): http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/archives/005780.html

I get my Kopi (and all other beans) from Coffeeholic in Toronto
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/coffeeholic-toronto . They also brew individual cups of Kopi ($20 a shot) and use an interesting ‘hand-drip’ method which involves meticulously pouring water over the freshly-roasted grounds in a slow concentric pattern for a few minutes per cup. If you have trouble finding Luwak locally and don’t wish to purchase off the web I’d be happy to speak to the owners and help arrange a small purchase via courier.

19

May I ask what kind of french press you use and if you use it every day?

I have broken three (different brands) in a year. The screen thingie usually detaches from the plunger rod thingie, or goes sideways or just breaks off. I’d love to find an industrial strength french press that can take my kind of (apparent) abuse.

20

I use a Bodum Chambord nearly everyday, and it’s held up just fine. I’ve heard that if your grind is too fine it can be rougher to plunge - maybe that could lead to wear and tear.