Using a French Press is very easy and takes the same amount of time as making coffee in a drip coffee maker. The benefits are a better tasting cup of coffee and easier cleanup. You don’t need to buy the coffee cleaners or spend time scrubbing the insides, as the french press is as easy as washing a glass to clean.

You’ll need the following:  good fresh beans, a grinder, spoon, and thermos or carafe if making more than what will be drank immediately. 

The coffee beans can be bought at whatever place you like, your favorite coffee brand or local shop. I personally like Gorilla Coffee in Brooklyn, NY and fell in love with Stumptown in Portland, Oregon. Buy the beans whole and make sure you have a grinder that is a burr grinder, not blades. The reason is so that you have evenly ground up beans which will enhance the flavor and brewing. You want a coarse grind, and not a chopped up bean as many blade grinders do to beans. A chopped up bean means uneven sizes and can make the coffee taste bitter and result in sludge and taste differences from pot to pot. 

After you’ve ground up the coffee, measure 1 tablespoon for every 4 oz. of water. You can adjust this measurement if need be and make sure the french press pot is dry and clean. The water you’ve prepared to use should be heating up and hit a boil before you add it to the press.  Let it sit for about a minute before you add it to the beans.  As you pour the water into the press, make sure you evenly saturate the beans but don’t fill the press up all the way with water.  In a french press, coffee tends to “bloom” and the beans will release gases and expand.  It will result in a froth-like appearance at the top similar to when you pour soda.

Once you’ve added most of the water, watch the clock. It’ll take about 3 to 4 minutes for the brewing to complete and you’ll need to stir the mixture after 1 minutes. You can use a spoon but I’ve seen other instructions that recommend using chopsticks. After the “bloom” has died down, add the rest of the water and wait the remaining few minutes.

After the allotted time, add the top of the french press and begin slowing pushing the filter down. Push down evenly,  keeping the plunger rod absolutely straight. If it becomes crooked, grounds will escape into the upper portion and you’ll have crunchy coffee. You may need to do this twice if some grinds do escape.

Once you’ve finished pressing the grinds down, pour your coffee. It’s recommended you do not leave the rest of the coffee in the press as it can become over-brewed and taste bitter. Pour it into a thermos or carafe to keep it warm. 

It may sound like a lot of steps but it is quite easy and doesn’t take any longer than grinding beans, add them to a coffee maker and then cleaning the pot and filter.  It also will really make a difference in taste.