A cafetière, a press pot, and a coffee plunger. They are all other ways to describe a French Press, which you may be more familiar with.
A French Press is a popular coffee brewing device. I'm going to show you how to make French Press Coffee with this staple household appliance.
What's the Best Type of Coffee for French Press?
As always, high-quality and freshly-roasted beans should be your top choice. A popular option is medium-roast beans with a fruity and bright body.
Of course, everything boils down to personal preference. Why not go for trial and error until you can French Press to perfection? You'll soon be an expert and will figure out the best coffee for French Press.
A French Press relies on evenly-sized coffee particles. They should be medium-sized, as small grains will seep through the filter. If the particles are too big, they can clog the filter. To achieve this, I'd suggest using a burr grinder before brewing.
How to Make French Press Coffee
54% of all adult Americans drink coffee every day and the French Press is the most popular method.
You'll be glad to know that you can learn how to make French Press coffee easily. Follow a few simple steps for that beautiful, fresh cup we all want.
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Common Mistakes we make while Brewing
None of us are perfect baristas to begin with - that comes with time. But if you can recognize the brewing mistakes that many of us make, you can avoid them.
A French Press is such a classic, simple tool that it's hard to go too wrong. Although if you want to achieve the best brew every single time, watch out for these common errors.
- Not grinding the beans properly. You already know the importance of grinding your coffee beans to the correct size. Some people bypass the rules when they're really craving that cup of coffee! Ensure your beans have a coarse, even grind.
You'll know if you've messed this up when you plunge. If you experience too much resistance, the beans are too fine. If there's no resistance at all, they're probably too coarse.
- Not using the right quantity of coffee. You may know how to make French Press coffee, but if the ratio is wrong, you're wasting your time. It is an art to know the best coffee-to-water ratio and to get the timing right. In simple terms, 1 gram of coffee to 10 grams of water is a useful guide.
- Not drinking the coffee straight away. So you've made your beverage and you can help yourself when you're thirsty, right? Not quite! If you leave your coffee in the French Press after brew, it will keep brewing. This will over-extract your coffee and give it a bitter taste.
Always grind and brew just what you need. If you want the best coffee, don't make oversized batches.
Importance of Cleaning your French Press Properly
When the brewing is over and you have drunk your cup, there's still more to be done. Cleaning your French Press can be a headache. You have to fit your hand in to scoop out any leftover coffee. Removing clumps of wet coffee grounds from the filter is even harder.
I promise you, the effort will be worth it! Clean your French Press on a regular basis or old grounds will stick around forever. They'll affect every cup of coffee you make and give it a stale, bitter taste.
You should get rid of all coffee grounds and leave the French Press to soak in some soapy hot water. Use a small sponge to scrub the carafe, filter, and plunger. Then leave all parts out to dry.
Health and Nutrition benefits for French Press Coffee
Health Concerns
There is some discussion around health concerns for French Press coffee. But why is it different to other types of coffee?
The main concern lies around cholesterol. There are compounds in coffee that can raise bad cholesterol, and they're found in coffee oils. These oils are trapped in filtered coffee but not in French Press Coffee. This means that there's a chance that too much unfiltered coffee can raise cholesterol.
However, unfiltered coffee is only a small culprit in affecting your cholesterol. More major factors are foods that are high in fat, and smoking.
Health Benefits
Those oils that are found in your cup could actually offer some nutritious value. You can even buy green coffee extract as a health supplement to help you feel more energized.
All types of coffee are full of positive compounds, such as potassium and magnesium. It contains antioxidant properties that help prevent cell damage and can reduce fatigue. Caffeine can also help improve memory function and alertness.
The bottom line
Now you can answer what is a French Press and you can use one like a pro! As long as you follow the steps properly and avoid those common mistakes, you can't go wrong. A French Press is a convenient and simple tool, and looks super stylish on your kitchen top, too!
So call your friends over for some coffee and you will not disappoint!
