How to make coffee in a French press?

Nothing beats the rich, rich aroma of coffee or the deep taste of freshly brewed tea. And although today coffee machines and sachets from sachets are increasingly being used to make drinks, you can get excellent taste and rich aroma in a simple device called a French press. Being gourmets, the French appreciated the simple and convenient way to brew coffee and began to call it “bistro”. To get a really tasty drink, no special skills are required. Today we will tell you how to make coffee in a French press so that the drink really succeeds.

to contents ↑

What is a French press?

A French press is a device designed for instant coffee and tea. The device was invented by the Milanese designer Attilio Kalimani in 1929. In the same year, the Italian received a patent for the piston coffee machine he developed, and the French company Melior launched the French press for the first time in serial production. Therefore, its name “french press”, the coffee maker received, thanks to the country of origin. The coffee maker immediately gained popularity among Europeans, because:

• preparing a drink takes only a few minutes;
• Despite the brewing speed, the taste of the drink is rich and of high quality.

Important! In our country, a French press is used to make tea, but Europeans use the device only for making coffee.

Device

The device consists of the following elements:

• Glass flask. On some models, the bulb may be metal or plastic.
• A metal piston that moves freely in a bulb.
• Filter in the form of a mesh. The item is located at the bottom of the device.
• A pen.
• Removable cover. It can move along the entire length of the piston.

Important! All parts of the device are easily disassembled for easy washing.

The volume of the flask of the device can be different:

• 200 ml.
• 250 ml
• 350 ml. This is the best option for making coffee ..
• 500 ml Perfect for brewing tea for one or two people.
• 1 liter. Ideal for brewing tea in a large family.

Important! A moving filter (plunger) is designed to separate the liquid part of the beverage from the coffee grounds by pressing the latter to the bottom of the flask. If coffee is brewed correctly in a French press, ground grains, insisting in the device, more fully reveal their taste and give the finished drink a rich, unique taste.

pros

Today the piston coffee maker takes on a new life, thanks to the following advantages:

• Durability and practicality.
• Affordable price.
• Compactness. Thanks to a small complete set, it is convenient to take a zvar with itself.
• The possibility of brewing not only coffee and tea, but also cocoa, as well as herbal infusions.
• You can use any grinding of grains.
• The ability to add any spices during the preparation of the drink.
• Proper gentle and gentle brewing allows you to most fully and accurately reveal the taste of a fine coffee.
• The ability to adjust the strength of the drink by adjusting the brewing time.
• It does not pass most of the heavy oils and sediments, thanks to a metal filter.
• The device is capable of whipping both cold and hot milk. In the French press, you can make an excellent foam for cappuccino or latte.The foam is homogeneous and dense.
• Ease of use. The coffee pot is quite easy to disassemble and wash.
• A wide variety of models makes it possible to choose the best model for any customer.

Minuses

Among the disadvantages of the device, the following can be distinguished:

• Lack of automation.
• Mandatory availability of a device for heating water.
• Danger to children.
• The fragility of the flask. Particular attention when choosing a device must be given to the quality of the bulb and the possibility of its replacement.
• Using the device for long-term storage of the drink is not recommended.

The French press is a fairly simple and convenient device for brewing coffee at home, no special skills are required to make a drink, but still you need to know some nuances and tricks to get a clean and tasty drink. How to make coffee in a French press will be discussed further.

to contents ↑

How to brew coffee in a French press?

To make great coffee the first time, use the following step-by-step instructions and our recommendations.

To make a drink you will need:

• Ground coffee 17 g (3 teaspoons with a slide). It is best to take coarse coffee, as fine grinding is much harder to push with a piston.

Important! The size of the grinding does not affect the taste of coffee. For a piston coffeepot, an Ethiopian medium roast monosort is best suited.

• Water 250 ml. It is better to take bottled water, but not mineral. You can use filtered water. Such water will reveal the taste of the drink best.
• Kettle.
• Clock or timer.

Important! Take coffee at the rate of 7 g per 100 ml of water. But remember that with the same weight, the taste of the prepared drink can be either more or less pronounced. It all depends on the degree of saturation of the coffee. If this dosage is not suitable for you, then feel free to change it.

Step-by-step instruction:

• Rinse and dry the device thoroughly before use.

Important! A flask closed with a lid is able to retain odors for a long time, so it is better to rinse and wipe it before using the device.

• Boil water in a kettle.
• Turn off the kettle and wait a couple of minutes until the water cools down to 90-95 degrees.
• Pour some boiling water into the appliance, stir and pour water. French press walls are always recommended to be warmed up before use.
• Pour ground coffee into the container.
• Slowly fill the flask with 100 ml of water from the kettle. Coffee should be completely covered with water. Stir the coffee with a wooden spoon.
• Wait 1 minute and carefully fill in the remaining water. Try not to damage the foam.

Important! Please note that water should not rise higher than 2 cm from the edge of the flask.

• Close the vessel with the lid, placing the filter in the upper position.
• Track 3 minutes.
• The coffee is ready. Remove the lid and mix the drink. Put the cover back in place, and only now gently and smoothly lower the piston to the end. If the piston is tight, lift it slightly and lower it again.

Important! Never push the piston with all force, as the appliance may spray you with a hot drink and burn your hands.

• Warm up a cup of coffee for a little while and enjoy a drink.

Important! Coffee must be immediately poured from the coffee machine, otherwise - the taste will be oversaturated and become too strong.

Useful Tips

To make the drink even tastier, listen to the following tips on how to make coffee in a French press:

• Use freshly roasted coffee beans and grind them just before brewing. The most delicious coffee is one that is roasted no later than 3-4 weeks and ground immediately before cooking.
• At the brewing stage, spices can be added to the drink to taste: cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg. Milk, chocolate and alcohol are best added to coffee after preparing the drink.
• The strength of the drink directly depends on the time of contact of the grains with water. The strongest Turkish coffee should be brewed for 6 minutes. Such a rich drink invigorates in the morning.Further along the fortress - filter coffee, which is brewed for 5 minutes, the weakest drink is brewed in a French press for 4 minutes. Espresso, which provides the least amount of caffeine, comes in contact with water for only about 30 seconds.
• If the drink has cooled, do not heat it, as it will not taste good. To prevent the product from cooling, it is better to place the finished drink in a thermos.

Important! Do not put sugar and other sticky products in the flask, as they can settle on the filter, which complicates its subsequent cleaning.

If you did everything right, then a light foam of bubbles of carbon dioxide should be present on the surface of the drink. Only in this case, the coffee will have a bright and unique taste. Lack of foam may indicate a low quality of coffee or that you used water at the wrong temperature.

to contents ↑

How to make tea in the device?

To enjoy the exquisite taste of herbal drinks, proceed as follows:

1. Remove the piston with the cap.
2. Pour boiling water over the flask.
3. Pour the tea leaves at the bottom of the container at the rate of 1-2 teaspoons per 200 ml of water. The larger the grinding, the more tea leaves you need to take.
4. Fill the tea leaves or grass with barely boiling water. Do not use boiling water, as tea may lose its flavor and give bitterness.
5. Cover the flask.
6. Let the drink brew for 3 minutes.
7. Gently and smoothly lower the plunger to the end so that the tea leaves can separate from the water.
8. Tea is ready and you can begin to enjoy its amazing taste.

Important! If you want to make green tea, brew it twice: drain the first water, but the second brew can be consumed. In this case, the delicate taste and aroma of the drink will be more saturated.

Brewing tea in a French press is quite easy and simple, and the taste of the drink cannot be compared with a packaged one.

to contents ↑

French Press Care

After each use, the appliance must be washed thoroughly. The persistent smell in the flask can spoil the aroma of an invigorating drink. In addition to the flask, it is necessary to rinse off coffee particles with a filter (in the mesh and under it).

Like any other tableware, the French press must contain all the rules of care, namely:

1. After brewing a drink, it must be whole and immediately pour without residue.
2. Pull out the piston and discard any remaining tea grounds or tea leaves.
3. Thoroughly clean the piston of any residual grounds or teas.
4. Rinse the walls of the glass flask under running water. Remove yellow deposits with a soft sponge.
5. Rinse the case outside under running water.
6. Wipe the cabinet with a waffle towel and assemble the device.

Advice:

• Disassemble the appliance periodically to clean the filter parts. You can unscrew the filter from the plunger by turning it counterclockwise.
• Keep the device in a dry place away from chemicals and detergents so that the teapot does not absorb odors.

Making coffee and tea in a French press is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to date. In order to prepare an aromatic drink with a great taste, it is enough to have high-quality coarse coffee (tea) and the brewing device itself.

How to choose a French press, so that the taste and aroma of exquisite varieties of coffee is revealed most fully - we will tell below.

to contents ↑

How to choose a French press for coffee?

Today, the market has a huge selection of French press. And if, facing a variety of models of devices, you are wondering how to choose a French press for tea and coffee so that it meets all your needs, then listen to the recommendations of specialists:

• You should not get the cheapest models. Even despite the fact that the prepared drink in such devices turns out to be tasty, cheap models are of lower quality, and therefore will not last long.Do not give preference to too expensive models, as elite French presses have a higher price only thanks to the eminent brand or the original design. In practice, such models do not have real advantages over models of the middle price category. The choice always remains with the buyer. So decide for yourself which French press is better. It's all about preferences and financial opportunities.
• Since the flask is the most vulnerable spot in the device, it is better to choose models with a capacity of heat-resistant glass. Most manufacturers use the heat-resistant glass of the French company Pyrex to make the flask.
• When choosing a model, pay attention to how the bulb “sits” in the holder. It must be securely installed in the metal holder. It is best to choose a model with a spare bulb.
• For the convenience of caring for the device, choose models that are easy to disassemble, so as not to wonder further how to assemble a French press after washing. Everything should be simple, easy and clear.
• The mesh for the filter should be metal or plastic. When choosing a model of the device, give preference to filters made of metal. They are more durable and more environmentally friendly compared to plastic counterparts. Buy a filter mesh with medium-sized holes. Such holes will pass water well and retain tea leaves.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

To prepare your favorite drink in the French press is not difficult at all. If you listen to our tips and tricks, you can always quickly and efficiently brew aromatic coffee or gourmet tea!