Making great coffee with the French Press in 8 easy steps

It's easy to make great coffee with this French Press in just a few minutes!

The French press (or cafetiere as it is known in the UK) is a delightfully easy and attractive way to make great tasting coffee.

The presses often look great, combining shining metal and glass in attractive designs.

Moreover, the method for making coffee with this method is relatively straightforward, too.

After all, what more do you want? Just read these easy steps to making great coffee, and you'll be making great coffee just as soon as you step out to buy those coffee supplies.

Making great coffee with the French Press

To make coffee with the French Press, you will need the following items as well as your coffee beans:

1. Freshly ground coffee beans;
2. A French Press;
3. A large measuring spoon;
4. A Timer;
5. Fresh, cold water;
6. Milk, sugar, etc., added to taste;
7. Some nice coffee cups.

A word of caution: Don't ask for coarsely ground for your French press, then use the coffee in a filter coffee maker... it will taste weak and insipid! Make sure you get the right grind for your coffee making method! It makes a huge difference - BELIEVE ME!

It's always a bit of debate about how much coffee grounds you use, but I usually use one heaped tablespoon per cup of water to get coffee of strong enough flavor. It's always easier to add a little more milk or water later to lessen the strength. Of course, some coffees don't suit extra strength well.

Step 1: Grind, baby, grind

That's the first thing, get the grind of the coffee beans right. You will need a coarser grind than you would normally use for a coffee filter machine or drip coffee maker. It matters less what kind of roast you use, though, as the French press is pretty flexible.

Step 2: Boil'n' wait

You will need to boil the water in a separate electric kettle. Once boiled, wait a little because at boiling point, the water is TOO hot to use. Remember you are not cooking the grounds, you are extracting the coffee liquid. Ideally, the water should be between 96°C and 99 °C or 205 and 210 °F.

Step 3: Warm that jug, if you want

Use a little of the hot water to warm the press gently by rinsing it in hot water. Be careful, though, the pot is glass, and can be easily broken. Warming the pot on a cold day will help a little to retain heat from the coffee water that you are about to pour in.

Step 4: It's the Coffee Grounds

Spoon your coffee grounds into the warmed jug. Then pour the heated water into the jug. You can give it a quick stir, then place the lid on the pot to retain the heat. DO NOT press the plunger. It's too early.

Step 5: Stir and sit

After a few minutes, give the pot a quick stir with your spoon to help the water soak through the grounds properly. Cover the pot with the lid, but do not press the plunger! This will retain the heat more effectively. Then wait 3~4 minutes until the coffee is brewed.

Step 6: Take the Plunge, and PUSH!

Finally, after about 3-5 minutes, it's time to press the plunger carefully downwards with an even pressure on the plunger. Do NOT use too much force if it's not easy to push the plunger - the last thing you want is that coffee press and HOT coffee going flying across your kitchen or you! An even, gentle force from your hands is sufficient.

Step 7: Pour out ALL the coffee

When you're ready to drink the coffee, pour out ALL the coffee into cups or a warmed pot to prevent the flavor spoiling.

If you leave any coffee in with the grounds, you will begin to get coffee which retains a bitter taste.

Also, the coffee will go cold fast in the glass pot. In other words, it won't taste good at all!

Step 8: It's time to serve

Serve as you like, adding milk/cream or sugar. And enjoy.

The French Press really makes a great cup of flavorful and great tasting coffee in the morning, and is perhaps the easiest of all the methods.

It doesn't require any additional preparation or materials, is easy to rinse out afterwards, and relatively environmentally friendly as it usually doesn't use any plastic.

One word of warning: treat them gently, it's VERY easy to break them…I've already broken two (or is it three?) presses. But I do love them!

And finally...

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Wherever you are, remember "Only Coffee Beans Make Great Coffee"! And enjoy that cup of coffee!

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