I want to explain to you a little about which coffee you can use in a french press the next time you need to make a fresh cup of coffee for breakfast.
In this article, I will go over the French press way of making coffee, roasting grades, and give you a few pointers along the way.
Brewing Coffee
Coffee can be brewed in many different ways. So, there will always be people who swear by one or the other brewing method.
Whether you are into regular filter coffee or love the smell of freshly ground coffee in a french press, is a matter of preference.
But if you have the courage to try something other than the usual filter coffee, then the french press is a sensible step up. Both in terms of taste and challenge.
Freshly Ground Coffee
First of all, you have to decide whether you should buy a ground coffee or a bag with whole coffee beans.
Here you should always go for a bag of whole beans if you want a great cup of coffee from the plunger jug.
This solution, of course, requires that you have a proper coffee grinder standing at home. Still, these truly elevate your coffee game to another level. A coffee grinder is indispensable if you need a cup of high-quality coffee.
You can check out our article on the best grinders.
The reason why the whole beans are best is primarily that they hold the flavor best when standing in the bag.
The aroma does not disappear as easily from a whole bean as it does from the ground variant. Thus, you can enjoy the full aroma of the coffee for a longer time.
Also, whole beans allow you to grind the coffee exactly as you want it.
The coffee is in contact with hot water for a very long time. So, with a French press, you get the best results with coarsely ground beans.
Therefore, if the coffee is ground or ground too finely, it can quickly become very bitter, which no one benefits from!
Roast Grade
When it comes to the coffee choice itself, it is generally recommended you choose a lightly roasted coffee. As the quality is usually higher than with the dark roasted. But of course, it depends on personal preference.
A lightly roasted coffee usually tastes better because all the natural coffee aromas have not been roasted completely away. You will be able to taste a clear difference between a light and a dark roasted coffee bean in a french press.
Also, lightly roasted coffee tastes much better because all the natural coffee aromas have not been completely roasted. You will be able to taste a clear difference between a light and a dark roasted coffee bean in a french press.
The roasting and grinding of the coffee beans impact the coffee a lot when it comes to coffee pulling time in a plunger jug.
Some say that the coffee should only last for up to 4 minutes in a French press. But, if you love the taste of coffee, you should leave it in the water for a longer time.
Here you can try out with a draw time of anything between 6 and 14 minutes, where 14 minutes is definitely not a coffee taste for everyone!
Grind Size for French Press
When brewing coffee, many times I am left with the impression that it is an art form, more than anything else.
In regards to brewing French press, you will need to use coarse coffee grounds.
With espresso, you have high pressure, and you will brew a shot in 25 seconds. You need to keep everything very fine, to extract all the flavors in the shortest amount of time possible.
With the French press, you have the exact opposite scenario.
You are using several minutes brewing a pot of coffee. So, you have time to slowly let the coarse coffee grounds develop and develop their taste profile.
Now, you remember I mentioned I feel brewing is a kind of art? Well, this is why.
You see, if you brew with too coarse grounded beans, you lose flavors and end up with a weak cup of coffee. On the other hand, if you grind too fine, when you brew you will block the percolator, and end up with no coffee, and a mess you need to clean.
Therefore, you need a coarse grind for a French press.
Practice Makes Perfect
An ordinary coffee machine is very forgiving when it comes to function. It pretty much always gives a consistent result. A result that coffee fans might be tempted to call boring.
On the other hand, a french press is a slightly bigger challenge. Both the coffee grounds and the brewing time in the water can vary greatly from type to type.
This makes the coffee brewing a little harder to start with. There is simply nothing to do but try again and again. Practice makes perfect, and once you have mastered your french press, you get a world-class coffee experience every time!
Other Links to Check Out
If you want to learn more about the french press then check out our other articles such as which coffees are the best for French Press.
Enjoy your new item from the coffee world!
