French press coffee maker

The best way to make coffee is with a coffee-maker known as a French press.

Many other coffee makers over extract coffee, under extract coffee, or utilize water which is not at an optimal temperature. Paper filters prevent coffee’s flavorful oils from reaching your mouth and can add off-flavors from the filter itself.

First, you need to buy a French press coffee maker, which is widely available at coffee stores, department stores, by mail order and on the web. Choose a style and size which fits your needs and tastes. You won’t go wrong with a brand name like "Bodum", but other manufacturers make high quality units.

Start water boiling in a teapot, kettle or microwave. Remove the plunger part of the unit. Coarsely grind high quality coffee beans. Whole coffee beans should be high quality and freshly roasted (less than two weeks old). As the saying goes, garbage in, garbage out. Use good whole beans when making coffee of any method.

For the most flavorful coffee, use two tablespoons of grounds for six ounces of coffee. For four six-ounce cups of coffee, you will need eight level tablespoons of coffee. This may seem like a lot of coffee because most people don’t use enough grounds when making coffee.

Add the coarse grounds to French press receptacle. By now, the water should be close to boiling. Remove the boiling water from the heat source. Wait a few seconds so that the water is just "off boil" in temperature. Coffee should be brewed at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour the hot water over the coarse grounds. Stir the grounds into the hot water to make sure that the coffee is wetted. A chopstick or plastic spoon makes an excellent stirring device. Add a little bit more water, if desired, so that you have the amount of coffee desired.

Be sure not to fill the press with too much water; otherwise, plunging will cause the coffee to overflow the French press, resulting in a mess. Place the plunger on the top of the unit over the grounds, so that the temperature of the brewing coffee remains more constant.

Wait four minutes. Contemplate the wonderful coffee which will soon be ready for consumption.

Waiting less than four minutes will result in under extraction. Waiting more than four minutes will result in over extraction. Consistent grinding of the beans is necessary for the same results each time.

After four minutes, firmly and slowly push the plunger down through the brewed coffee, leaving the spent grounds below the plunger and the fresh-brewed coffee above the plunger. Don’t force the plunger, if it seems to be sticking. At the minimum, you may end up with a mess. At the maximum, you may burn yourself, break the unit, and end up with a mess. If the plunger seems to be stuck, stir the coffee again, and try to plunge again.

After plunging, pour the coffee into serving cups or mugs. If desired, pour the coffee into an insulated carafe. Leaving the coffee in the plunger with the grounds will result in over extraction.

The coffee is best consumed when warm to hot

and within fifteen minutes. Drink with pleasure!