Some of you already know the French press. Others know it by the name: plunger pot, coffee press, piston pot or cafetière. It is a simple, straightforward and efficient way of preparing coffee, which requires no extra filters or serving pot. But how is coffee actually prepared in the French press or plunger pot?
A plunger with a mesh is simply pressed down into the freshly brewed coffee and et voilà: coffee. Even Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz once said: “The best cup of coffee known to mankind!” about the French press.
Here we want to introduce you to this wonderful way of preparing coffee, explain what you need to pay attention to during preparation and how you can ultimately enjoy the perfect French press coffee at home.
The history of the French press
Coffee historians assume that the French press was probably invented in France in 1850. Allegedly, a Frenchman forgot to boil his coffee together with water and simply poured hot water over coffee grounds and then filtered the coffee out.
However, the French press was not patented until 1929 by the Italian Attilio Calimani, who had optimized the idea of the French press. But the plunger pot only became truly famous through the Danish brand Bodum, which created a timeless design and thus earned international recognition. Today, the French press is experiencing renewed recognition and a kind of renaissance in households, as it has a simple design, is operated manually and requires neither capsules nor paper filters.
What do you need to pay attention to when preparing French press coffee?
Despite the simple operation of the plunger pot, there are a few things to pay attention to when using this method of preparation. Firstly, it is advisable to purchase a high-quality French press that has a glass vessel and in which generally little plastic has been used. Cheap plastic in particular leads to flavor distortion and, in the worst case, to health risks.
Furthermore, the question naturally arises: How much coffee grounds and what grind do I need to prepare French press coffee? The amount of coffee naturally depends on how large your vessel is. Roughly speaking, about 55g to 65g of coffee grounds are used per 1l of water. This is a guideline and varies depending on the type of coffee and personal preferences.
The grind for the French press is much coarser than for filter coffee, otherwise the plunger with the mesh would let too much coffee through. As a visual guide, French press coffee can be compared to coarse sea salt.
At SIMON&BEARNS, you can easily have your French press coffee ground by us. Simply indicate the desired grind during the purchasing process.
The French press is suitable for specialty coffee and light to medium roasts. It is strongly advised against for espresso preparations!
You are only 5 steps away from the perfect French press coffee!
Step 1:
First, rinse your French press with hot water. This removes coffee oil residues on the one hand and warms up your plunger, to avoid cooling down and over-extraction of the coffee.
Step 2:
Fill your vessel with the amount of coffee you have determined. Generally, it is said to be 55g to 65g of coarse coffee grounds per 1l of water.
Step 3:
Pour about 90 °C hot water over the coffee grounds in circular motions. If you wish, you can stop after a quarter, briefly stir the coffee-water mixture and then continue pouring. However, this is not a must, as coffee and water are already sufficiently mixed by pouring in circular motions.
Step 4:
Place the plunger in the pot and do not press it down. Wait 3 to 5 minutes to give the coffee aromas enough time to properly unfold. Then press the plunger down evenly and slowly. Attention: The plunger must be pressed down straight, otherwise too much coffee grounds will remain in the coffee.
Step 5:
Pour the coffee into a cup and enjoy.
What to do with the coffee grounds from the French press coffee?
As with every coffee preparation, coffee grounds remain at the end. What to do with these?
There are several options, but the drain is none of them. Too much coffee powder can cause clogs and thus become quite disgusting. It is better to dispose of your coffee grounds in the trash, even better in the organic waste. You can also fertilize your plants with coffee residues in moderate amounts.
Cleaning the French press is therefore important to remove coffee oils and coffee residues and thus not distort the taste of the next coffee.
If you still have questions about the preparation of French press coffees or which of our coffees is suitable for preparation, do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to your feedback - whether online or in person in our cafés.
Preparing coffee in a French press / plunger pot
Some of you already know the French press. Others know it by the name: plunger pot, coffee press, piston pot or cafetière. It is a simple, straightforward and efficient way of preparing coffee, which requires no extra filters or serving pot. But how is coffee actually prepared in the French press or plunger pot?
A plunger with a mesh is simply pressed down into the freshly brewed coffee and et voilà: coffee. Even Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz once said: “The best cup of coffee known to mankind!” about the French press.
Here we want to introduce you to this wonderful way of preparing coffee, explain what you need to pay attention to during preparation and how you can ultimately enjoy the perfect French press coffee at home.
The history of the French press
Coffee historians assume that the French press was probably invented in France in 1850. Allegedly, a Frenchman forgot to boil his coffee together with water and simply poured hot water over coffee grounds and then filtered the coffee out.
However, the French press was not patented until 1929 by the Italian Attilio Calimani, who had optimized the idea of the French press. But the plunger pot only became truly famous through the Danish brand Bodum, which created a timeless design and thus earned international recognition. Today, the French press is experiencing renewed recognition and a kind of renaissance in households, as it has a simple design, is operated manually and requires neither capsules nor paper filters.
What do you need to pay attention to when preparing French press coffee?
Despite the simple operation of the plunger pot, there are a few things to pay attention to when using this method of preparation. Firstly, it is advisable to purchase a high-quality French press that has a glass vessel and in which generally little plastic has been used. Cheap plastic in particular leads to flavor distortion and, in the worst case, to health risks.
Furthermore, the question naturally arises: How much coffee grounds and what grind do I need to prepare French press coffee? The amount of coffee naturally depends on how large your vessel is. Roughly speaking, about 55g to 65g of coffee grounds are used per 1l of water. This is a guideline and varies depending on the type of coffee and personal preferences.
The grind for the French press is much coarser than for filter coffee, otherwise the plunger with the mesh would let too much coffee through. As a visual guide, French press coffee can be compared to coarse sea salt.
At SIMON&BEARNS, you can easily have your French press coffee ground by us. Simply indicate the desired grind during the purchasing process.
The French press is suitable for specialty coffee and light to medium roasts. It is strongly advised against for espresso preparations!
You are only 5 steps away from the perfect French press coffee!
Step 1:
First, rinse your French press with hot water. This removes coffee oil residues on the one hand and warms up your plunger, to avoid cooling down and over-extraction of the coffee.
Step 2:
Fill your vessel with the amount of coffee you have determined. Generally, it is said to be 55g to 65g of coarse coffee grounds per 1l of water.
Step 3:
Pour about 90 °C hot water over the coffee grounds in circular motions. If you wish, you can stop after a quarter, briefly stir the coffee-water mixture and then continue pouring. However, this is not a must, as coffee and water are already sufficiently mixed by pouring in circular motions.
Step 4:
Place the plunger in the pot and do not press it down. Wait 3 to 5 minutes to give the coffee aromas enough time to properly unfold. Then press the plunger down evenly and slowly. Attention: The plunger must be pressed down straight, otherwise too much coffee grounds will remain in the coffee.
Step 5:
Pour the coffee into a cup and enjoy.
What to do with the coffee grounds from the French press coffee?
As with every coffee preparation, coffee grounds remain at the end. What to do with these?
There are several options, but the drain is none of them. Too much coffee powder can cause clogs and thus become quite disgusting. It is better to dispose of your coffee grounds in the trash, even better in the organic waste. You can also fertilize your plants with coffee residues in moderate amounts.
Cleaning the French press is therefore important to remove coffee oils and coffee residues and thus not distort the taste of the next coffee.
If you still have questions about the preparation of French press coffees or which of our coffees is suitable for preparation, do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to your feedback - whether online or in person in our cafés.