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Brewing: The French Press

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The main advantage of brewing coffee in a french press is that the brewing process allows for the oils in the coffee beans to remain present in your cup of coffee.  Paper filters, while convenient, filter out many of the oils that make up the richness and complexity of a coffee’s flavor.  So, to enjoy the true depth of a coffee, brewing in a French press is a great option.  Here are a few tips for brewing in a French press.

1.  Grind your fresh coffee to a relatively coarse state (not as fine as you would grind it for a drip brewer) and place it in the French press.  Finely ground coffee will get through the mesh of the press and make for a potentially chalky coffee (inevitably you will have some fine grounds in the bottom of your cup).

2.  Use water that is “off boil.”  Once the water comes to boil, turn off the heat and allow it to slightly cool.

3.  Pour the water over the coffee.  Stir the coffee once.

4.  Wait 4 minutes, press down slowly (as to avoid spraying hot coffee everywhere) and enjoy.  Make sure to appreciate the complex aromas and flavors of the coffee.  If you are brewing a freshly roasted coffee, the flavors evident in the cup should reflect the freshness, depth and complexity of the roast/coffee balance.

Please comment with tips and suggestions for brewing in a French press.  Have you experienced that the French press brew has flavors lost in a different brewing method?  Thanks -Tom

Free Yourself From Coffee Slavery – Step 1: Get a Roaster (Roasting with a Popcorn Popper)

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Roasting coffee at home is not for everyone, but it is by far the most inexpensive way to drink the highest quality, freshest coffee.  It is relatively easy and with a minimal investment anyone can begin to roast.

The best way to get started is to buy the right kind of hot air popcorn popper. Only models with a certain design work and some of those work better than others (see below). You can stalk your city’s thrift stores for one of the recommended models or buy one new. I ended up purchasing my first popcorn popper at CVS on clearance for $10.   Recently I came across the coveted West Bend Poppery II at a local thrift store for $4.99 (and it’s amazing).   A minimal investment can yield tremendous results when it comes to roasting your own coffee.

A popper with the recommended design for coffee roasting will have a flat metal bottom in the roasting chamber with vents along the side of the chamber that blow the coffee in a rotating motion.  The rotating motion allows for an even roast and keeps the coffee from scorching.

Home roasters have found that the following models work for roasting coffee (see the forum at Sweet Marias for updated information):

and more…. the important thing is that the popper should have the design features mentioned above.

Have you roasted using a popcorn popper?  Whether it’s one of the models listed here or a different one, leave a comment describing your experience including tips, suggestions and warnings.  Thanks -Tom