Good clarification as you almost got into a fight with me (as well). I have a closer relationship with my espresso machine than most people have with their pets.
As it stands, your post matches my attitute exactly, but it is “unDutch” of me. Most Dutch people grow up with drip, but good quality drip. I think that’s why they tend to prefer the “filter on top of cup” method to French presses. This might be because even if you manage to get your French press coffee grind-free, it still tastes “thicker” than filtered coffee if that makes any sense. I do think this is personable preference, even though my own is closer to yours.
Maybe you ought to have asked which type of drip makers we use before deciding that we’re all heathens. As much as I’d like to blast you into the pit for being such a fookin’ annoying snob on this thread ( ), I have to agree with you on this one. If you’re comparing a French Press to, say, a $30 Mr. Coffee, then you’re on to something. But my Capresso (~$150) makes coffee that is absolutely wonderful, thick and flavorful, manages to keep the coffee at the correct temperature long enough for me to have two or three cups, and I never have grounds in my coffee.
Back when I used a French Press, I had to make my coffee one cup at a time; otherwise it got cold sitting in the pot. Even if you immediately poured it into a thermos, the act of pouring caused enough of a heat loss that I could tell the difference. I also beg to differ on the “never get grounds in the coffee” thing. I’m not a tastebud zombie; I worked hard to get the correct grind and the best press. Regardless, there was sediment and/or grounds in the coffee most of the time.
I have neither of these problems with my Capresso. Nor do I have to worry about less-than-hot coffee when serving a crowd.
Homebrew, stop making the assumption that we’re all coffee novices; in my kitchen, I have a high-end Espresso maker, the aforementioned Capresso drip maker, and I’m currently debating whether to drop several hundred bucks on a high quality grinder (alas, my 5 year old burr grinder is finally dying). I buy my coffee from the local roaster, who roasts several times a week. I grind it myself. I’ve spent lots and lots of time and money evaluating coffee grinders, makers, and beans. I prefer my drip over a French Press. Do I really have to ditch it all and go to instant because I just don’t see the light?!?
I trust your opinions on matters of food and drink, but I have honestly never noticed grounds in French Press coffee. Perhaps it’s because tiny grounds don’t bother me and don’t register (I generally prefer my coffee Turkish, which is chock full of sediment) I’ll check closely next time I use a French press.
Geez, you’re taking my comments too seriously. Chill.
Paper filters remove almost all of the oils and mouthfeel that make coffee so good – IMHO (there, I qualified it, does that make you feel better?). Even the goldtone filters remove much of the oil and mouthfeel. I’ll grant you that some people prefer that. They may want the lighter color and thinner mouthfeel. It is, like you say, a matter of taste. I like red meat and full-bodied wines. Dark ales and dark chocolate. I want intense flavors. To get that requires a French Press.
It’s not wrong to like the the lighter flavor of drip coffee, but the OP asked about REAL coffee in the thread title. The emphasis on REAL indicated to me that the OP was looking for strong, full-bodied coffee. That is what you get with a French Press. Drip makers make a lighter, some call it brighter, brew. But it is undeniably less full-bodied and less flavorful because of the removal of much of the aroma and flavor compounds carried by the oil and sediment. The sediment, undissolved solids, are prehaps what you are calling “grinds” but that’s not what it is. gum, Chef-boy-ar-dee is a brand of canned pasta, like Spaghetti-Os and Raviolis. It’s nasty, low-end food that many kids adore. Like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in a box, it’s cheap, quick and bland.
I love my French Press. They’re easy to use, they are cheap, and I can make just enough for me, since my SO doesn’t drink coffee.
Especially, it’s cheap. I think mine was $15 from Target. And it makes really good coffee.
I’ve used finely ground coffee in it in emergencies, because frankly I don’t mind the grounds, but under normal circumstances I just use ordinary ground coffee because I don’t have a grinder.
Well… it may be objectively better, by YOUR standards. (and mine, although I prefer Staropramen as Czech pilsners go).
My dad, for instance has an entirely different set of standards, and by those, Lone Star is objectively better- it’s not so bitter, which is one of the things he dislikes when it’s extreme in beer. It doesn’t make him wrong to prefer what he does, and liking what you do doesn’t make you right either. Having a preference for something more refined is fine, but when you bash others for not having the same tastes, then it’s snobbery.
I make one cup in my coffeemaker all the time. It’s small - the capacity is only 4 cups (4 tiny cups, which is really only 2 cups). If you’re a poor student, just get the Melita filter thing that sits on top of the cup. I have one of those and it works great.
), I have to agree with you on this one. If you’re comparing a French Press to, say, a $30 Mr. Coffee, then you’re on to something. But my Capresso (~$150) makes coffee that is absolutely wonderful, thick and flavorful, manages to keep the coffee at the correct temperature long enough for me to have two or three cups, and I never have grounds in my coffee.
