Gourmet Coffee Shop

Friday, July 15, 2005 -----

French Press

To taste coffee in a whole new light, you may want to pick up a French Press coffee pot. The Austrailians simply call it a "Plunger". The French refer to it as a piston or a melior. In the UK, they call it a cafetiere. What ever you want to call it is fine. What's important to know is that its operation is simple and it produces a stronger coffee than other devices. The great thing is that you absolutely control the amount and temperature of the water AND the amount of coffee grounds... all of which are essential for a great cup of coffee.

Because the coffee grounds are in direct contact with the brewing water, coffee brewed with the French Press captures more of the coffee's flavour and essential oils, which often become trapped in a traditional drip brew machine's paper filters. It is usually stronger and thicker and has more sediment than drip-brewed coffee. Because the used grounds remain in the drink after brewing, French pressed coffee should be served immediately so as to not become bitter from over-extraction.

Coffee for use in a French Press should be of a consistent, coarse grind. The use of a burr mill grinder gives a more consistent grind than the whirling blade variety. The ground coffee should be more coarse than that used for a drip brew coffee filter, and far coarser than that used for espresso.

Give it a try!

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