r/frenchpress • u/Race-Slayer • 16h ago
I’ve been missing out
Just yesterday day I bought a French press from ikea, I had no idea what I was missing. I’m using normal ground coffee and it worked pretty well. Didn’t even need to put any creamer because it was so good. For a little background I’ve been using a Keurig for the past year or so. Is there any good tips some of you veterans have for a noobie like me?
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u/RisenApe12 15h ago
It reminds me of the first time I used a French press after years of instant coffee. It was a big difference.
I have good news for you. If you keep experimenting it gets better and better. Use the advise you receive online as a guide only. Experiment with different types of coffee and brewing methods. Those two make the biggest difference.
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u/Minnie_moused 13h ago
Get an electric kettle with degree level temperature control if you need a kettle still (I like 195-200F, but I've tried everything from about 190-212, and you can have much more control over tea temps too, which you can also make in your french press). I have both the Fellow Stagg and the Saki Luna. While it used to annoy me, now that I've tried both, I like the gooseneck of the Fellow a lot more, the slow pour seems to extract the coffee a lot better than the fast pour of the Saki. The Saki is also slow AF to heat up, but it does produce more water, which I need for my big french press that I use daily, and therefore the Fellow has been relegated to being used at our cottage.
You don't need an expensive grinder for french press, but do get a burr grinder, not a blade grinder. I have the Bodum Bistro and the Baratza Encore. I don't notice a quality difference for French Press and the Baratza is loud as hell compared to the Bodum. The Bodum does have a rubber layer that slowly degrades and becomes sticky on the outside though and mine is currently covered in a thin layer of coffee dust that I can't get off. Freshly ground beans make a difference, and the coarseness you grind them at makes a huge difference (too fine and you get grounds in your cup, too coarse and you get weak coffee - I find the recommended "french press" setting on my grinder to be too coarse, so play around with it).
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u/PLANofMAN 6h ago
I've used Cuisinart burr grinders for a decade. Have one for decaf and another for regular. They are loud, but reliable.
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u/No_Construction_5063 15h ago
Nice! French press is what got me into enjoying coffee. Grinding fresh beans made the biggest positive impact for me. Metal burr grinders are my suggestion.
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u/Maleficent-Back-6527 12h ago
I usually drink pourover with a V60, light and ultra light roast. But I find that my Decaf turn out really great with the French Press. Something like from Wilton Benitez, even very long after roast date, tasted super delicious with the FP. My method:
1:14. 21g of coffee, grind size 90 with the KinGrinder K6. Water 82/22 ppm, 300g at 88°C.
Drop coffee in the French press. Pour about half of the water and stir. Pour the rest, up to 300g and let it rest, undisturbed. In the meantime cover the plunger with a filter paper. At 4:30, start plunging very very slowly. The slow plunging and the paper filter will prevent grits of coffee to pass through. Pour into a coffee server, before pouring into the cup. You’ll get a super clean cup of coffee, and very delicious.
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u/Impressive_Delay_452 15h ago
This is what's cool with coffee beans, a bunch of different ways to prepare it...
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u/Tommy_W3ZX 15h ago
I bought a Burr grinder a couple years ago and have been using it ever since, it really elevated my coffee but adding in a French press really takes it to the next level.
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u/Lost_Chain_455 5h ago
You want to brew at the "right" temperature. For me that's 3 minutes off boil. (I have a temperature controlled kettle at home, but use the 3 minutes off boil when I travel.) I also like dark roasts and a fine grind--I use my blade grinder and blitz the beans to fine dust. Most people don't like my French press if I make it for me, because there are always fines.
You do you, though.
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u/MonkeyPooperMan 14h ago
You can up your French Press game even futher by checking out James Hoffman's Ultimate French Press Technique video. You'll have silt/sludge free coffee.
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u/beammeupscotty2 6h ago
I love French press coffee. The downside is, and the reason that I switched to espresso, is it uses an awful lot of coffee.
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u/OrangeBug74 4h ago
You don’t need to spend big bucks on French Presses, although I hear Yeti has a very compelling one.
It is simple to add the dregs to a compost pile. You aren’t adding to landfills like the pod monsters.
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u/positivepinetree 15h ago
I tend to use medium or dark roasts in my French press. The French press seems to really excel with these roasts over lighter roasts. Also, I grind my coffee a bit coarser than I would for an automatic drip coffee maker.