How do I make french press coffee without the thick layer of

I'd suggest simply using less coffee, or more water. The resulting sludge is directly related to how diluted your mixture can get.

As it is, that's looking more like the result of Turkish coffee--which notoriously still has quite a bit of coffee powder undiluted.

Pour it through a paper filter. That'll suck up all the oil that pools on the top, too.

Use a keurig, you're obviously in over your head.

Speaking of which, why is the mcdonalds kcups more expensive than the Starbucks ones? That's weird, right?

coarser grind

>>8319876
because the target audience of k-cups won't notice the price gouge

seriously though, why are they so popular?
they're not even convenient since you still have to fill it with water and clean it like any other coffee machine.

>>8319929
Simplicity.
I don't have to measure out the right amount, and usually when I make a pot of regular coffee, half of it goes down the drain.
Plus, I like the taste better. I can drink it black and enjoy it, rather than just powering through it like I do with some other regular coffee.

Like all things, it depends on the brand/ type.

>>8319937
>measure out
I dump 2.5 scoops in my coffee maker, there's no thought required.
Also, why are you making more coffee than you're gonna drink?

>>8319941
Force of habit. I work in a restaurant, so I'm used to having a full pot on hand at all times.
And sometimes I drink more coffee than I do on other days, and it's annoying to have to make several quarter-pots of coffee within a couple of hours.

>>8319855
Plunging really slowly and pouring really slowly, adjusting your grind size (if you're not grinding your beans yourself then you're doing it all horribly wrong), getting a better grinder, paying for one of those pricy French presses like the espero one. In most cases you'll still get a little fines in there but it's no big deal.

>>8319855

If you're getting a substantial amount of fine grounds smaller than the plunger mesh, you're just grinding wrong. You should be using a coarse to medium-course grind. A burr grinder won't give a lot of fines, but they still happen. A blade grinder needs to be pulsed in very short intervals to get anything remotely consistent. Even if you stirred down the bloom, you should give the top half of the coffee a little stir after steeping, prior to plunging. I noticed that even though my grounds weren't fine enough to pass through the mesh, they'd sneak up around the sides as they collected under it requiring too much pressure to move. I solved that by pushing down gently, then backing up half an inch, and continuing to push. Don't mash all the way down. Leave a little room so you don't force the grounds up. Let it sit for half a minute after plunging, then pour slowly. The last cup will always have a tiny amount of sediment.

>>8319862
idiot
>>8319875
idoiot
>>8319876
mean
>>8319880
finally, listen to this guy
you need a burr grinder set to coarse
a blade grinder can yeild ok results if you just pulse the button for a quick second a bunch of times, but there will still be a bit of sludge

>>8319855
Jesus fucking Christ you pulled that image off google right? I get a little mud at the end of a pot but that's fucking embarrassing right there.

If you're using a damn Blade Grinder throw that thing in the dumpster. Only use Burr Grinders especially for something that requires Coarse Grind like the French Press.

>>8319855
You need a quality burr grinder. Look in to Feldgrind or Lido.

>>8319855
holy fuck youre not supposed to grind the beans into dust

>>8320508
>not extracting every last bit of flavonoid compound from your beans

If your grounds turn brown when you dump them in fresh water, you're literally throwing money away.