I’ve been a closeted coffee guy for a couple years. I go out of my way to order beans I really like (a robusta variety called Indian Parchment), and this might be sacrilege on this board, idk, but I was perfectly happy running a Keurig with reusable cups I’d fill with my own grounds.
Now, I have access to a nice 1.5l french press. I looked up how to use it and it seemed easy enough so I gave it a shot, and sure enough even after my handful of fumbling attempts and some trial and error, my coffee is leaps and bounds better than what the Keurig can produce. So, here’s where I’m at:
I have a weird little antique hand crank grinder that, once I cleaned it up, actually works great and can produce a nice coarse grind. My press is a stainless steel 1.5L variety, can’t remember the brand, was given it by a friend. I like a strong cup so I aim for a roughly 13:1 ratio of water:ground. However, I’m without a food scale so I’m using a calculator to convert to cups and tablespoons. I usually put the grounds in first, then pour boiling water over top. Let it sit for about 3.5-4 minutes, then press, then pour.
I know my first step to really dial in my consistency is a scale, so that’s on the list. Any other tips to step my game up?
I really like James Hoffmann’s French Press technique: Hoffmann’s Ultimate French Press
This guide is the best. I highly recommend it.
I’ll definitely check that out when I get a few minutes, thank you!
The Hoffman video gets passed around a lot, but it’s not gospel.
The main drawback with his method is that at 8 minutes of brew time, it takes too damned long.
I find that a regular brew time between 3 and 4 minutes, depending on the grind size, freshness, and roasting style of the beans, works just as well.
The finer the grind, and the fresher the beans or grounds, the shorter the needed brew time gets.
Medium roasts are more “delicate” and become over-extracted, i.e. sour or astringent with longer brewing time past the aforementioned 3-4 minutes.
Darker roasts are more tolerant of longer brewing and can steep for 5-8 minutes without being over-extracted.