You know that there are many methods for preparing a cup of coffee , whether using traditional methods or those offered by technology every day. Recently, the "French press" has become very popular. It seems that it was in France in 1852 when the first design appeared, very different from the one known today, as it lacked a seal around the filter, allowing ground coffee particles to pass through into the drink. Also known as a plunger coffee maker, the current French press, in its exterior form, resembles a piston or plunger that slides over a cylindrical glass or plastic surface. It also has a handle for pouring the contents. The plunger has a kind of nylon or aluminum filter that allows water to pass through without any coffee grounds or residue.
Returning to the initial point, the French press is one of the most popular coffee preparation methods today, thanks to its ease of use and excellent cup. If you're one of the many consumers who currently has a French press at home, you should know that to prepare coffee in this popular coffee maker, although it's easy to use, it's important to follow a series of steps. These steps will lead you to an excellent cup of coffee, full of flavors, where you'll taste a mild acidity and sweetness, along with a bitterness and full body that will give your cup of coffee personality and complexity.
How the French press works
This method of coffee extraction is known as "total immersion," meaning the coffee is immersed in hot water throughout the entire extraction process. The coffee grounds are placed at the bottom of the container, and then hot water is added. After four minutes, the plunger is lowered and the coffee is filtered.
French press coffee preparations
I want you to know five basic recipes for preparing coffee with a French press, but first, you should know the essential ingredients for this process. You should have a scale to weigh the coffee and water, or you can also use a measuring spoon. You should use an electric heater or your stovetop. A timer will help you keep track of time, and a grinder will allow you to grind the coffee beans just before brewing, resulting in a better brew.
Recipe number one (light intensity)
- Coffee: 13 grams, that is, two tablespoons.
- Grinding: coarse.
- Water temperature: 95ºC.
- Water: 235 milliliters.
- Ratio: 18.1 (one gram of coffee per 19 milliliters of water).
- Pre-infusion: no pre-infusion.
- Extraction time: four minutes.
Procedure:
- Heat the water to 95°C or after boiling, turn off the heat and wait a minute.
- Weigh 13 grams of coffee beans and grind them (coarsely). If you don't have a scale, use two tablespoons of coffee.
- Preheat your French press, thoroughly wet the sides and bottom with a small circular motion, then discard the water.
- Place the coffee at the bottom of the press.
- Slowly pour the 235 milliliters of water, and once the water comes into contact with the coffee, it starts to take time. If you don't have a scale, use an eight-ounce container.
- Stir slowly in a cross shape with a spoon so that all the coffee particles are moistened.
- Wait until the timer reaches 3:45 seconds and slowly lower the plunger for 15 seconds to complete the total time of four minutes.
- Serve in your cup and enjoy.
Recipe number two (to experiment with pre-infusion and a more intense flavor)
- Coffee: 15 grams.
- Grinding: coarse.
- Water temperature: 95ºC.
- Water; 235 milliliters.
- Ratio: 16.1
- Pre-infusion: with pre-infusion.
Procedure
- Heat the water to 95ºC, or remove the container from the stove at boiling point and wait one minute.
- Weigh 15 grams of coffee beans and grind with coarse grind.
- Preheat your French press.
- Place the coffee at the bottom of the press.
- Slowly pour in 30 milliliters of water for the pre-infusion, making sure to thoroughly moisten the ground coffee. Stir with a spoon and then pour in the remaining water.
- Wait until the timer reaches 3:45 seconds and slowly lower the plunger for 15 seconds to complete the total time of 4 minutes.
- Serve in your cup and enjoy.
Recipe number three (balanced recipe that aims to have a clean and pleasant cup)
- Coffee: 13 grams.
- Grinding: coarse.
- Water temperature: 95ºC.
- Water: 235 milliliters.
- Ratio: 18.1.
- Pre-infusion: no pre-infusion.
- Extraction time: four minutes.
Procedure
- Heat the water to 95ºC, or remove the container from your stove at boiling point and wait one minute.
- Weighs 13 grams of coffee beans and grinds with coarse grinding.
- Preheat your French press.
- Place the coffee at the bottom of the press.
- Slowly pour in the 235 milliliters of coffee.
- Stir in a cross shape with a spoon.
- Wait until the timer reaches 3:30 minutes and use two spoons to gently stir the ground coffee.
- Slowly lower the plunger. 9. Pour into your mug and enjoy.
Recipe number four (Juan Valdez)
Items
- French Press: Juan Valdez.
- Gramera: optional
- Pot or kettle.
- Thermometer: optional.
- Spoon.
- Coffee: Juan Valdez.
Preparation
- Heat water to 94ºC, or bring to a boil.
- If you have a scale, weigh 20 grams of coffee beans, or use two tablespoons of ground coffee.
- Remove the press from the gram.
- Add water to the container to preheat the method.
- Remove the water and place the method on the grate.
- Add the coffee.
- Now add water to moisten the grind.
- Stir until you have 200 grams or the equivalent of one cup.
- Stir again.
- Close the method and push the plunger.
- Serve and enjoy homemade coffee.
Recipe number five (for three servings)
Requires
- 36 grams of coffee and medium to coarse grinding.
- 660 milliliters of water heated to 93.5ºC.
- Additional water at 93.5ºC for preheating.
For each additional serving, add 12 more grams of coffee and 220 more milliliters of water, but make sure your press is large enough.
Start by preheating the French press with the additional hot water. Discard this water, then add the coffee. For best results, grind the coffee just before brewing. Start the timer and pour 540 grams of hot water into the carafe, completely saturating the grounds. Replace the lid without lowering the plunger.
After two minutes, lift the lid and gently stir the coffee. Add the remaining 120 grams of water, then skim off the oils and grounds that float to the surface of the brew.
Replace the lid, wait four minutes, and then slowly press the plunger all the way down. Pour and serve the coffee.
Finally, it's important to keep in mind that several factors can influence the quality of your coffee . These factors include grind size, water temperature, filter choice, water quality, coffee-to-water ratio, and stirring intensity. Knowing how to play with these factors will lead to interesting changes that will be reflected in your cup of coffee.