Today we’ll talk about how to make coffee. The easiest and most convenient way to brew this drink at home is to use a special device called a French press.
What it is?
How to use such a device and what is it? The name itself is quite interesting. The device is actually very simple. French-press - a glass vessel with a filter for coffee. It was invented to make a drink by infusion and wringing.
In stores, equipment was put up for sale in the early twentieth century. The first French coffee pot was nothing more than a glass vessel with a piston in the form of a net, when pressed, the liquid separated from the thick. The principle of its action has not changed to this day. And apparently the first models are not much different from the current ones.
They say that the French press was invented by the Frenchman somewhere in the early nineteenth century. Then the coffee was brewed in the simplest way. As always, the invention itself happened completely by accident. The story goes that a person boiled water, and then added ground coffee. He naturally surfaced. Trying to clear the drink of impurities, the Frenchman decided to use a strainer to crush ground coffee to the bottom. Of course, later the design of the device was finalized.
How is it arranged?
The design is very simple. The device itself consists of a flask, which is usually made of glass. This is done in order to make it convenient to observe the brewing process. In addition, the device has a piston with a small handle and a filter mesh. The French press no longer has any ingenious devices. How to use it, the instructions will tell in detail. The main thing is not to forget to turn on the electricity. The device works due to the fact that the piston lowers when pressed down and thereby rams the coffee to the bottom of the flask. And on top is a clean drink, which is poured into a cup. In this case, all unnecessary particles remain at the bottom of the French press. Here is such a fairly simple and ingenious device.
Does the taste of a French press drink differ?
Coffee brewed in a French press has its own special taste. To feel the difference with drinks prepared in other ways, you just need to try this coffee and understand whether you like it or not. After all, taste is a very individual matter. The indisputable advantages of a French press include its low price, small size (unlike coffee makers), and the simplicity of design. You can also brew tea in this appliance. This is also very convenient.
The taste and consistency of French press coffee is very different from a coffee or Turkish drink. It is not so thick at all, and there is no bitterness. Coffee has a true smell and taste of the beans themselves. This method of preparing the drink is very gentle, which allows it to fully reveal its aroma. In addition, coffee prepared in this way has the least amount of caffeine. For some drink lovers this is a very important indicator.
As a rule, coffee is brewed no more than five minutes. This is quite enough. However, for fans of a strong drink, you can advise a little longer cooking time. But remember that this will increase the caffeine content. Initially, the French press was invented specifically for brewing coffee, but it is often used to make fragrant tea, various herbal and berry infusions.
How to make coffee in a French press?
This is a very simple process. For cooking, we need:
- French press;
- ground coffee;
- boiling water;
- long stick or stirring spoon.
First you need to boil water and grind coffee. Grains are crushed precisely after boiling water so that they do not lie in the open air and do not lose their properties. Coffee is laid to taste. This is usually a spoon in a cup of water.
Ground coffee is poured into a French press and evenly poured with hot water. You need as many fluids as you expect cups. In order for coffee to give the maximum amount of its taste, you need to mix it with a liquid - only very quickly. Next, the drink needs to be given time to insist (about two to five minutes). Then you need to evenly and slowly lower the piston with the filter down to the bottom of the bulb. This must be done carefully and evenly so that there is no tilt of the mesh. Otherwise, coffee may get on top of the vessel.
What grinding of grains is preferable for a French press?
How to make coffee in a French press? This is easy enough to do. But, as in any business, there are some nuances that you need to know in order to get a good drink. Of course, the best coffee can be made only from quality beans. But here the quality of their grinding also plays a role. French press coffee should be ground evenly. A cheap coffee grinder, which will give you a mixture of small and large particles, will not work at all here.
Grains should be ground large or medium, but most importantly, very uniform. To achieve this effect, you need to get a good millstone grinder. In general, if we talk about how to make coffee in a French press, then we need to say that there are a number of important nuances. For an ideal result, you need to have three things: freshly ground high-quality coffee, a good French press, and a millstone grinder. These components will ensure the preparation of the best drink.
Why do you think coffee should be taken only for grain? The answer is simple. Ground coffee immediately begins to lose its properties in the air: the more it lies, the less odor and taste will remain for the drink. Once again, we want to emphasize that you need to choose a coffee grinder with millstones - it grinds the grains more thoroughly and evenly. A machine with grinding blades is not suitable, it gives a lot of dust and small particles. Such a mixture is not suitable for a French press. Here, homogeneity is very important.
Which French press is better to choose upon purchase?
Let's dwell on how to choose a good french press. First of all, pay attention to the fastening of the glass bulb: it must be strong enough. An indicator of the quality of the device is the glass itself. It should not have scratches, bubbles or cracks. Otherwise, it may crack during use. And the bulb, as you yourself understand, is the main part of the device.
There are also metal french presses. They will be more practical because they are more difficult to break. But then you will not be able to observe the brewing process itself. As for the filter in the device, it should fit snugly against a glass or metal flask, while moving smoothly and gently, without tilting or jerking. This will provide a good drink. And even medium-ground coffee will remain at the bottom of the flask and will not penetrate the top.
Proper appliance care
It’s not enough to know how to make coffee in a French press. You must also be able to care for the equipment. Like any kitchen utensils, it must undergo a certain cleaning. It should be noted that coffee cannot be stored in a French press. The drink gets a bad taste and smell. It must be consumed freshly. Moreover, the device itself can absorb an unpleasant odor. Therefore, as soon as the drink is brewed and infused, it should be poured into cups, and the French press should be disassembled by removing the piston from it and washed. Carefully you need to treat the walls of the flask with a soft sponge; over time, a yellowish coating of coffee or tea appears on them. The filter also needs to be washed well.
Which grade to choose for a French press?
How to choose a coffee? It is no secret that a good drink can be obtained only from high-quality grains. So, you need to choose coffee for the French press wisely.
It should be remembered that it must be coarsely ground. Fine dust will not work. If you don’t have a coffee grinder or you don’t want to waste your time, you can immediately get ready chopped beans. But for a good taste, we advise you to grind the coffee immediately before brewing, as it quickly loses its properties. Yes, and is able to absorb odors during storage. A good coffee brand will provide you with a great result. It is better to take medium-roasted grains. In general, in the French press you can brew absolutely any grade, even flavored species. You can add your favorite spices.
Varieties of coffee
As you know, it is impossible to cook something good from a poor-quality product. But at the same time, even excellent dishes and drinks can be ruined by inept cooking. The same is with coffee. A delicious drink cannot be obtained from expired or substandard grains. But it’s also easy to spoil the taste with improper cooking.
How to choose a coffee? True connoisseurs know that only the option in grains or in ground form can be natural. And experts even believe that ground coffee also falls short of standards, as it loses in aroma. There are several types of coffee beans. This is arabica and robusta. The birthplace of the first variety is the Arabian Peninsula, the second grows in the Congo.
I must say that these varieties have different properties. Robusta, for example, is never used on its own. This is explained by the fact that it has an unexpressed and completely unattractive aroma. But when mixed with arabica, it gives the drink strength and significantly reduces its cost. Depending on how the beans are processed, where they are grown, they produce several thousand different types of coffee. Earth, sun, water and air in places of growth give the drink its unique taste and aroma.
Varieties of coffee have names, usually based on geographical signs. For example, if it is Brazilian arabica, then it is immediately clear that it grew up in Brazil. The question of how to choose coffee for a French press most likely depends on your taste preferences and financial capabilities. There are a lot of grains. The price of the most expensive species reaches three hundred dollars per kilogram.
For a morning drink, a variety grown in Kenya and mixed with Colombian is great. It has a very bright taste, in which there are milk notes. Such a drink has a tonic property. But for the afternoon, a good mix of Indonesian, Kenyan and Costa Rican coffee. It is good when grains are fried more than average.
Roasting grains
As for roasting, processed grains usually go on sale. Heat treatment can be very different, and this is exactly what gives the future drink different taste and aromatic shades. For example, a brown roast gives the grains a light brown tint. Coffee has a delicate aroma with bread notes.
American roasting gives the drink a moderate light brown tone. At the same time, the grain surface remains dry, acidity remains in the taste. Urban processing lasts longer than American. The seeds begin to crack heavily. With further frying, oil appears in some places on the surface, acidity disappears, and a bright saturation of taste arises.
Viennese processing makes grains brighter. Oil on the surface collects in droplets. A small bitterness appears on the palate. The saturation of this coffee is very strong. When frying espresso, the smell becomes weaker, and the taste has more bitterness. French processing makes the grains almost black. The dominant flavor note is bitterness. And of course, Italian roasting will make the future drink very bitter with burnt hues.
If you prefer to acquire a ground look, then remember: the degree of grinding is very important. Coffee for a French press needs to be taken large or medium. Coarse grinding is also used to make a drink in Turk. The middle one is used for coffee machines, and the small one is used to make famous coffee in Turkish. In general, the choice of coffee is a delicate matter. Rely on your taste.
Lavazza
As an option, when choosing beans, you can stop at the famous Lavazza coffee. It is great for cooking in a French press. This is a traditional Italian brand that has long been on the world market. Lavazza coffee has been pleasing its customers with products for over a hundred years. The company is very attentive to the taste preferences of consumers, taking into account their wishes, directing research to obtain new improved mixtures. In the manufacture of high-quality grades of grains, specialized roasting, as well as sealed vacuum packaging are used, which is very important, since it ensures the preservation of taste and aroma.
Other brands of coffee
In addition, the best brands of coffee beans include Jardin. It is represented by several varieties of varying degrees of heat treatment. Its popularity is explained by reasonable pricing and good taste. Such brands as Paulig, Kimbo, Gut, Gaggia, Malongo, "Live Coffee" have proven themselves well. Excellent quality in EvaDia grains. This brand is much cheaper than Lavazza, but it is not inferior in taste and quality to its competitor, since the manufacturer uses selected varieties to make the best coffee.
All of the above brands are worthy of attention. Their popularity with consumers speaks for itself. In general, those brands that are able to offer lovers a good drink at a reasonable price are considered the best. Try and you make coffee in a French press and appreciate its merits. Perhaps you will become a fan of making a wonderful drink in this way.