There are a lot of awesome ways to brew coffee, but the coffee pot is not in our top 10! Around the house, we typically will use the Abid Clever Dripper, or the french press. Here’s my current favorite method for the Clever Dripper Method
Check out all these BREWING METHODS (whoa!)
Different techniques and equipment will provide vastly different tasting experiences.
Here are our current ideas on the french press. French press is pretty easy to make at home, and you can be assured of proper extraction and water temperature . . . typical places where the automatic coffee pot misses the mark.
You’ll need a grinder (we suggest a burr grinder) and a french press. Here’s how to do it!
1. Use coffee roasted within the past two weeks! Try to store your coffee on the counter in an airtight container!
2. Freshly grind your coffee before you put it in the french press. Ground coffee begins losing flavor within minutes, so grind the coffee as your water is heating up. Use a grind setting that provides coarseness; think of coarse sand or sea salt.
3. Boil your water. We like to boil ours first, then dump it into a Pyrex measuring cup, and then dump immediately into the french press. When the water hits the room temperature measuring cup, it is cooled from 212 to about the ideal of 200 degrees. Alternatively, you can take the kettle off the heat for 20 seconds, and your water will cool to about 200 degrees. We like to use the following proportions:
1/3 cup ground coffee, 13 Ounces water
or
2/3 cup ground coffee, 26 Ounces water
4. Set a timer for four minutes! Really, the timer is a great idea. Put the grounds in the press, and then add the water, and hit start on the timer. The fresh coffee will “bloom” as gases are released. After a minute, gently stir the bloom with the end of a utensil. This is just to break up the top a little, so no need to stir the whole pot . . . just the one or two gentle stirs on the top. Place the plunger just above the grounds and wait.
5. Ding! It’s done. Press the plunger down, slow and steady. Pour immediately and drink! Sadly, if it sits for more than four minutes, it will get yucky. So seize the day, and drink the drink!