French Press Tips from the CoffeeMeister

5-14-2009 @5:03PM Astin said... This is going to get ranty, so I'll start of with the nice - great tips on using a french press. I've often winced at the poor coffee that's possible from one when used improperly.

Now the rant.

No explanation for why we should toss paid-for blade grinders and drop a hundred on a burr? *I* know the reason why, but as far as an advice article goes, that's just sloppy. On top of that, you offer up the Krups as an option? Is that to make the sticker shock less? Because it's pretty universally panned by coffee snobs for how bad a grinder it is. Reviews like "might as well buy a blade" are common. Perhaps point people to a decent manual burr grinder if you want to save them a few bucks.

On top of that, the Maestro is pretty poor for anything but french press or drip coffee. Will you be doing an espresso post in the future where you tell everyone to toss their $100 Maestro for a $600 grinder so it's fine enough?

You also don't touch on why the beans can only be two weeks old and why the grounds have to be fresh.

Maybe you should have started with a post about grinds and grinders, and then moved to brewing. There's a process to good coffee, and you seem to be providing the tips in reverse. Granted, roast and bean origin might not be crucial for a french press, but grind certainly is.

I see the about.com link, but two things 1.- It doesn't explicitly explain why a burr is key for a French Press and 2.- Why bring in a coffee expert if they're just going to link to another site for the info?
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5-14-2009 @5:15PM craig said... Actually, you don't need a burr grinder. I've always just assumed that I couldn't use a blade grinder and get a good pot of pressed coffee, but it's just not true. My wife picked up a Hamilton Beach Custom Grind blade grinder and it works flawlessly. It has settings for everything from espresso fine to really coarse, and a built-in timer. Set the grind and the amount of coffee, push the button, and it stops when it's done. Sure, it's not perfectly uniform, but in practice there's no difference. Save yourself $75 and use a blade. I'm snobby about coffee and I have no complaints.
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5-14-2009 @5:41PM Monika said... Craig-

I actually have that blade grinder, and used it through my first few years of home roasting and brewing. When using a drip machine (far from ideal), or steeping and filtering, it works just fine. But I saved up and got the Virtuoso (a well-worth-it step up from the Maestro), and every step of the way, the differences were obvious. You could see the difference in the grind, taste it in the flavor, and finally, I no longer had any issues with my french press coffee. No pressure problems, considerably less sediment in my cup.

Perhaps they weaken after a while ... I found that even the coarsest setting on my Hamilton was grinding it way too much, and would have to unplug it to have any control over the grind.

And for those looking into Bodums: If you're just not interested in having to press by the cup, and want to stretch it into 2 or 3, I strongly suggest their double-walled units. No glass / no potential breakage issues, and it keeps it nice and warm.
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5-14-2009 @7:20PM amycray said... Wow, people are so emotional about this topic! I don't mind someone telling me to get a burr grinder because it's clearly superior. That doesn't mean I'll get one, as there's nothing wrong with my cute little blade grinder, which when used creatively (short bursts of power) creates an even enough grind to make me happy. Just as there's nothing wrong with pointing out which extremes one can go to, to make the ultimate cup of french press coffee. Which, if I had the funding, I would totally pursue!

Thanks for the tips.. I tend to get lazy (impatient?) and set the plunger on the top while it's brewing, then once it's pressed will leave the coffee in there until it's gone. Bitter and overcaffeinated, check.

I agree about the Bodum double-walled.. those are dreamy.
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5-15-2009 @8:19PM K1rk said... Illy recommends that you press the coffee immediately after filling the pot. Actually, they say you should cover the grounds with hot water and stir to make sure there are no lumps. Then, fill the pot, stir again, and press immediately.

I was completely skeptical. But, I found that immediately pressing let the lighter flavors come through. I usually press immediately now.

I've also found that the single most important factor in making a good pot of coffee is finding a roast that you like and getting the beans as soon as you can after they are roasted. The first two days after roasting are the best with a steep decline from there to one week. After that, just get your beans from Peets or Starbucks.
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5-15-2009 @7:18PM Brian said... Basic fact: I use a blade grinder, I grind it best I can, and let me tell you the press is better than the drip, but I didn't need a burr grinder to tell me that. It is just a better method. More importantly is using good beans and enough of them.
Don't worry about always having the best of everything, that is one of our societies biggest faults.
Besides, the problem I have always found with expertise is 95% of the rest of life becomes less enjoyable and everything becomes a lot more expensive with a disproportionately less increase in quality.
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5-14-2009 @7:50PM Meister said... Hi, everybody, and thank so much for your comments!

I certainly didn't mean to sound condescending by strongly suggesting a burr grinder as a replacement for a blade grinder, and I really apologize if I came off that way! It's really hard to cram every little nuanced thing into a piece that's 300 words or less. I hope you'll let me explain, and I'm sure if they let me I'll go into more detail over time right here on Slashfood.

Burr grinders are vastly superior to blade grinders because you have so much more control over the size and consistency of your grind. The problem with a blade grinder, especially for making French press, is that they create a lot of what we call "fines," or crushed-coffee dust, which will extract totally differently than the coarse particles a French press calls for. Even if you are super careful with a blade grinder, it will never be as exact as a burr grinder. Honestly, a good grinder is the one thing I suggest people invest in, because it makes such a huge difference.

Also, there are plenty of cheaper burr grinders and I didn't mean to not vary my price points. Not very good investigative work on my part! The one I use at home is a $60 Krups model, and it suits me absolutely fine for making press-pot and drip coffee. I hope that's a little more helpful.

Really what it boils down to is: If you are making coffee one way and it tastes good to you, that is fantastic—stick with it! But if you are the kind of person who is always chasing that elusive perfect cup—I think we all are, though nobody's found it yet—I want to give as much advice as possible from my own experience as a coffee professional. It's just *my* experience, though, not a hard and fast rule. You might be totally different and like completely different things, and that's absolutely great. Makes the world go round!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and thanks for caring about great coffee!
–Meister
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5-14-2009 @8:45PM RJ said... We use our french press to make iced tea....any thoughts or suggestions on that?
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5-14-2009 @10:42PM Bryan Price said... I've had french press coffee at one place. A bed and breakfast for my honeymoon. It came to us without any idea of how long it had been steeping, and waiting for US to press it down.

Horrible coffee. We still had grounds floating in your cups, and it just tasted horrible. Both my wife and I have turned done other french press coffee for that reason. Maybe next time I'll give it a try.
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5-14-2009 @11:51PM Meister said... Hi, RJ, thanks for your comment.

I've never made iced tea in a French press, but that sounds kind of awesome! I honestly don't see any reason that wouldn't work pretty well, since you're just basically substituting tea for coffee. Do you make a sort of concentrated tea, or do you ice whatever you brew?

I would, though, recommend not ever using your press pot for coffee if you're primarily going to use it for tea: Coffee oils are pretty tenacious and might really affect the way your tea tastes. Darned oils!

I'd love to know your iced tea tips: My husband is bonkers about iced tea.

—Meister
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5-15-2009 @12:58AM M said... Wow, more gripping than I would have thought. Burr Grinders are far superior than the traditional blade for a few reasons. First, blade grinders you will get inconsistent grind sizes. Think of it this way... Burr grinders work similar to good pepper grinders. There are basically two plates that rotate into each other. Blade grinders are like spinning knives. You will still have chunks if you chop with your eyes closed. Secondly, blade grinders typically elimate heat. Heat will ruin the oils in the bean giving it a artificial taste, often burnt taste. I personally recommend the KitchenAid Pro Series grinder. Here in Canada it costs anywhere from about $150-$300. This is fully adjustable for the perfect French Press to as fine as a Turkish coffee. Hope this helps!

-M.
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5-15-2009 @10:43AM Alisa said... My hub & I make a pot of french press every morning (and we have a burr grinder - thank you wedding gift registry!) and we love it. It's fast, tasty coffee and we make enough for us each to have a cup.

I like to toss some cinnamon in with the grinds to add extra flavor to the coffee. I'm sure the purists are gasping right now, but as the Meister says - we each like what we like.

happy caffeinating!
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5-15-2009 @12:39PM craig said... I understand the differences. I really do. I just don't think there is a practical difference. Save some money and make a perfect cup of coffee using the right blade grinder. I don't believe the difference is discernible.
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5-15-2009 @1:03PM craig said... @ Monika:
That may be. I'll keep that in mind as our unit gets older. It really does grind really well right now, however. Far better than I expected a blade grinder to perform.
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5-15-2009 @2:03PM Bryan Price said... @meister: I should forward this to my wife. She makes iced tea in our coffee pot. Just brews the tea, and then pours that over ice in the glass. And she wonders why I won't drink it when it tastes like coffee.

We've had arguments over what stains the pot more, the coffee or the tea! :/
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5-15-2009 @4:23PM Ed said... The Chemex makes better coffee than a French Press any day, with a lot less effort and you don't have to be so picky about the grind...
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5-15-2009 @4:42PM Meister said... Hi, Ed!

I'm a huge fan of the Chemex, too, and do think that they make a beautiful cup—much easier to clean, too, thanks to the filter!

I do think, though, that grind size plays a huge part in coffee extraction, no matter what the machine or method. Consistency is also key where that's concerned.

Hopefully I'll get to write about Chemexing sometime soon. What's your favorite coffee to brew up that way?

Best,
Meister
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5-15-2009 @10:22PM tom said... Square Mile has a great French Press video: http://www.squaremileblog.com/2008/11/12/videocast-2-french-press-technique/
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5-16-2009 @8:34AM RJ said... Meister - now that my husband and I make iced tea with a french press, we wouldn't have it any other way. Here is how my husband does it:

1. Get Tazo Black Iced Tea: comes in big box of commercial-sized bags. Rip bag open, empty into tin.
2. Add one overflowing scooper of the loose tea into the press.
3. Add boiling water. Stir with chopstick (and yes, it must be a chopstick..ha ha). Steep 5 minutes.
4. Press and empty into a pitcher half-filled with either ice or cold water.
5. Serve immediately over ice.

Yummy! From your tip, though, about not making coffee out of the press we use for tea, thanks...we are not coffee drinkers but we sometimes have guests that are...so, looks like we'll be getting another press. :-)

Thanks!!
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