French Press Tips?

sounds like you like sour + bitter coffee. to each his own i guess

>>7373203
Most normal people haven't used French Press since 1997 or so. Of course I cannot speak for the rustics who just got the new hip new cappuccinos last Tuesday. They with their monin syrups with exotic eye-talian infusions are still going apeshit over the French press, largely because the name "French" makes it sound fancy (French vanilla, French dip, etc).

See also:
>I like the dark roasts
aka French roast (very very fancy)

Anyway there is no way to make it taste good, I recommend adding a generous amount of half & half and granulated sugar to cover up the shit taste of burned beans and sediment.

>>7373203
There really aren't any tips. I've been using a french press for like 12 years. It's the easiest thing in the world. Don't make the water too hot. Find some good coffee. Try some new coffee. Let it sit for a minute or two. Press it. Drink how you like it. I like a splash of baileys sometimes.

>>7373219
Why are you sperging out?

>>7373215
Well, I've never made as good of a cup as the very first one I tried. I'm somewhat sloppy with keeping track of amounts and brewing methods though.

>>7373307
Honestly I use like 3 tablespoons per pot, and it comes out fine every time. According to something I read a while ago you should put more than that but mine is already somewhat strong so I don't bother. Also using more means spending more money.

>Water in the kettle, boil it
>grind coffee beans, enough to fill my electric grinder. Oddly perfect ratio.
>Once it whistles, remove kettle, let it stand a minute or more, lid loosened.
>fill halfway, stir, leave alone for a minite
>fill rest of way, stir, leave for 5 mins, press.

I haven't owned a drip coffee in years.

I get my beans wherever I find some interesting ones. When I went through an unemployment period my local grocery had Gevalia medium roast on sale for $5-$6, which was tolerable.

>>7373356
boiling temp is a little too hot just so you know. makes the coffee a little bitter and 'over-extracted' whatever that means. should be just a little below boiling temp.

but honestly who the fuck cares.

>>7373203
>2 teaspoons
i'm using two tablespoons with as much as i can get on them. other than that i give the water a little toss to get the coffee swimming at the top down and wait 5 minutes.

>>7373362
He knows boiling temp is too hot. He said he lets it stand for a minute or more before pouring.

>>7373365
my mistake. I meant tablespoons.

>steep time

5 whole minutes: stir for 1 minute, steep for another 4.

I've never gotten a sour/under-extracted cup doing this.

>roast

Whatever you want. Usually medium for me.

Coarse Grind, Cold Water, in fridge 24hours+

Cold Brew is amazing

I like to steep for 5 minutes. I wrap the pot in a towel to retain the heat better. I stir again right before plunging. I reduce sediment to near zero by plunging 2", then pulling up 1/2", repeat.

For all you folks who sperg out over french presses, whats a better way to make coffee thats portable

>>7374697
whats portable mean cause drip is just as portable as is moka and aeropress. id say drip and aeropress are smaller too

>>7374697
Pour over. Basic requirements:
a cup
a funnel or cone filter to put over the cup
a paper filter, piece of cloth, or a sock
a wooden stick or any type of spoon
water and a method of heating the water
coffee

Basic technique:
put funnel/cone over cup, put filter in that, put ground coffee in that. Pour hot water over it, stir it in evenly. Pour the rest of the water in until the cup is full. Drink.

Advanced techniques:
Adjust water temperature to how you like the taste.
Adjust coffee to water ratio to taste.
Adjust grind to taste.
Adjust water pouring speed to taste.

Pros:
if you figure out how to do it just how you like it, it makes one of the best cups of coffee possible.
The set up costs almost nothing.
You can make great coffee anywhere, anytime and people will think you're coffee MacGyver or some shit.

Cons:
You have to stand there for a few minutes making coffee.

Heaped tablespoon per mug, fill the mugs with boiling water, wait 2 mins, pour mugs of water into press. Wait about 4 mins, plunge.

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If you like French press, get an Aeropress now and thank me later.

>>7374748
This. Never went back once I got mine.
The inverted method is amazing.

>>7374748
except plastic construction and a paper filter is why i switched to french press

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>>7374736
THANK YOU ANON

I was thinking of making a thread asking about the pour over method. I added a cheap plastic dripper (pic related)...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006IKMUIG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

...to my Amazon basket yesterday and a pack of paper filters to my grocery list. I've been using a French press for years but I'm sick of grounds in my cup, cleaning out a permanent filter every time I have a cup of coffee, and I hear the pour over method makes a better brew. I also don't care about having to babysit the process as I already stand there like a dope staring at my french press as it works.

I do have a couple of questions though:

Is a No.02 cone and filter appropriate for single cup use?

I'll be getting a grinder soon, any advice on which grind is right for a No.02 (or No.01 if necessary)?

Also, I hear the filters are biodegradeable. Can I throw the used paper filter and coffee grounds in the "green" recycling (ie. the food waste bin) or do I have to throw the used filters into landfill?

Thanks again Anon.

>>7374736
I have a pour over setup. If I make a cup with french press and pour over there is no major difference, the press is a little more bitter but nothing to sperg out over.

>>7374886
I usually buy brown (unbleached) no.4 cone filters because they're the same price, but the larger size makes them more versatile. The more hot water you put in the dripping container, the faster it brews due to more pressure from gravity. If you (or a guest) like a more diluted cup, larger filters accommodate this as need be. You can easily use large basket paper filters, too if you flatten it and fold it into a cone. I have also used paper towels, muslin, cheesecloth, a clean t-shirt (which are washable and reusable). They all work fine, though many people rinse some water through bleached white paper filters prior to adding grounds to get possible chlorine taste out. I use a stainless steel kitchen funnel, but you could figure out anything if you're clever. Paper filters are recyclable, and grounds are either food waste or excellent material for your compost bin of you have one. Most people find a medium grind suits their tastes for filtered pour over coffee. Use what you will. I'm not going to encourage grinder snobs. I have used burr grinders, blade grinders (pulse mode), mortar and pestle, and whacked beans with a rolling pin. It's all good if you fuck around enough to get it how you like it.

Is moka pot a good method?

>>7374748
Aeropress is overrated. I want a pot of coffee not just one little cup. It's a novel idea and looks cool but a 1 quart French Press is perfect for my morning intake of coffee.

>>7375125
I use French Press and Moka Pot. I lovingly think of the Moka Pot as the everyman's Espresso Machine because it makes a strong bit of coffee but its small space and the fact that it doesn't cost $1000 makes it far more accessible than a real Espresso Machine.

Just keep in mind you're not going to be getting the quality espresso you're used to if you got to a decent cafe. Yet again it's not costing you 3 bucks or more for a cup.

>>7373307
The big problem with French presses is you can't clean them completely without making yourself insane. So as you found out, the first properly-made batch is awesome, the second is pretty good, and after that it all starts to get more and more funky and muddy as the shit and rancid oils build up in your screen.

>>7375147
I think you just bought a shitty Press honestly. The one I have has a filter that cleans right off with hot water.

>>7373203
>four scoops of decent coffee.
>water 210-215°
>three minutes, 3:15 max
>get the coffee outta there
You don't want the grounds making the coffee more acidic

>>7374886
>I do have a couple of questions though:
Not that guy, but I do have some answers to your questions.

>Is a No.02 cone and filter appropriate for single cup use?
It works fine. I use a #2 size for my stuff, and have for years.

>I'll be getting a grinder soon, any advice on which grind is right for a No.02 (or No.01 if necessary)?
I've started experimenting a little with grind size now that I've got a hand grinder, and the size I like right now is about two steps coarser than espresso, which is on the fine side of normal drip grind. Honestly just go by taste-a grind that's too fine will taste muddy while a grind that's too coarse will taste weak. It's not hard to find the sweet spot for you.
I make 2-cup batches at a time and I've had good results with 15-19 grams of coffee per batch, depending on brand. So 7-9 grams per cup is about the sweet spot.

>Also, I hear the filters are biodegradeable. Can I throw the used paper filter and coffee grounds in the "green" recycling (ie. the food waste bin) or do I have to throw the used filters into landfill?
Yes you can.

>>7375147
I just unscrew the screen thingy, it comes apart in 3 pieces then I just pop it in the dishwasher. Like new every time.

>>7375088
>>7375182
Thanks, both you guys. I'll drink to you when I make my first cup of pour over coffee.

>>7375125
Works for me. I've had mine for over a decade along with my pour-over cone. I tend to use the cone for winter months when I want more hot liquid and the moka pot for the summer when I mix it with milk for a cooler beverage.
It's not "espresso", but it's more than adequate for most espresso applications.

>>7373219
Are you okay anon?

>>7375147
The parts unscrew with every design I've ever seen.

>>7375147
Just soak it in a dish of soap water, damn.

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I like coffee the way I like my women... white
sydney-coffee-nerd.blogspot.com

This is how I usually do it
>French press
>Medium roast
>Fill grinder half way, making about 4 heaping tablespoons coarse
>Let about 50cl boiled water sit for a few minutes until at 93°C
>Pour and stir one minute
>Plunge filter just below surface
>Steep 3 - 4 more minutes
>Plunge, pour, enjoy
I sometimes add 1.5% milk.

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>>7375180
>"water 210-215°"

>>7377819
Fucking weeaboo pedophile cunt

>>7378149
Am I the only one who superheats water in a smooth glass flask in the microwave, then dumps a cup of coffee grounds attached to a 10 foot pole into it for science?

I use 52g of coffee to approx. 950g of water. Coffee beans ground up just prior to serving (currently using electric coffee grinder but looking to upgrade soon). Boiled water gets poured on top, let sit for 4 minutes. I like mine with sugar or honey

my wife accidentaly a french press.
she wanted to buy a mocca cooker.
Will test out this week

>step 1: bring water to 200 F. easiest and most reliable way to do this is to buy an electric kettle that has temperature settings

>step 2: 1.25 tbsp (aka a heaping tablespoon) ground coffee per cup of water

>step 3: pour water in, give it a good stir until all the coffee is suspended

>step 4: cover and let steep. start by steeping 5 minutes, then try a little more or less each time. different coffee beans will taste better with different steeping times

>>7373203

>weigh your coffee. No measuring. I like 15g for a full press
>add the tiniest pinch of salt
>only fill press half way, let sit for 40 seconds, then top it up and let it sit for 5 minutes before pressing
>don't listen to plebs who tell you French press is bad. It is theost superior form of coffee

>>7373203
I do cold brew, it's wonderful with a french press. No filter paper bullshit, it's a bitch to clean afterwards, though.

>>7373219
I like you.

>>7381767
so use a paper filter you dumbass. What's wrong with it?

>>7374362
ive been thinking about trying cold brew recently. any tips?

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>>7384302

Get yourself a Hario Mizudashi jug and some beans and you're good to go.

It's cheap, easy and tastes good with no bitterness.

>>7384302
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WgFkgaoYZM

Just tried it for the first time. Might have used too little coffee grounds. No bitterness, just a mild coffee taste. But I have to say, I like it. Next time I'll put more grounds in.