~ Why a French Press? A French press is for people who celebrate their coffee! Take the Plunge: French presses are preferred by many Europeans and are gaining popularity in North America. The device consists of a glass cylinder with a metal rod extending through the center. Protruding from the top end of the rod is a handle and at the bottom end is a filter that fits snugly around the inside of the glass cylinder. Coffee grounds dampened with a small amount of cold water are placed in the cylinder. Boiling water allowed to cool to just below a boil is then poured over the grounds. After they are allowed to steep, the plunger is pushed down, separating the grounds from the beverage. This unique method adds a heavy body to compliment the fine flavour of the coffee beans. Without a paper filter, all the rich oils of the coffee bean seep into the coffee, making for the perfect cup. For a great guide to French Press coffee-making, check out Martha Stewart's French Press Tips. ~ Tips for Decent coffee! Beans: Use a quality coffee that contains only the finest arabica beans. Grind: How you grind influences what you taste. Medium Grind - requires longer water/coffee contact but produces the richest coffee. Don't use too fine a grind, or you won't be able to press the plunger down and too much sediment will be created. Water: Why compromise? For great tasting coffee, use great tasting water. Proper care of your french press: It is very important that you wash your french press coffee pot and filter thoroughly at least once a week -- bitter oils stick to the glass container and mesh plunger. Use plenty of soap. Rinsed and soap washed pots may look the same, but will make different tasting coffee. Every time you use your french press put a couple of drops of liquid dishwashing detergent on the mesh part of the plunger and run hot water into it (unless you are making another pot right away). Let this sit on the counter until you need it agin -- rinse and you are ready to go. This does not replace weekly or twice weekly washing but helps keep it cleaner between washings. Back to Top ~ How to prepare great coffee! 1. While waiting for your kettle to boil, pre-heat your french press with hot water (just like a teapot!) 2. Experiment with all the variables in making coffee, which include coffee beans, grind, temperature of water,proportion of coffee to water, steep time, speed of pour into cup, BUT only change one varible at a time to facilitate a direct path to coffee nirvana! 3. Leave the Decent Coffee Cosy on the french press. Take it off only when cleaning or rinsing out plunger pot. 4. After plunging, wait 1 minute before pouring to allow sediment to settle. 5. Try pouring coffee into cup very slowly. this allows some of the oils on top to slip into your cup! - Enjoy! You deserve it! Back to Top ~
How to store coffee.
Always
store coffee beans in an airtight container. Moisture and air
are enemies of good coffee. Be sure the coffee is not exposed
to light, as sunlight may reduce freshness. "Give me one more cup of coffee for the road / One more cup of coffee 'fore I go..." - Dylan 1976 LP "Desire" (Columbia) |
|||||||||