A coffee press could perhaps be called one of the most versatile coffee-making tools. It is suitable for both making tea and frothing hot milk. Therefore, you don't necessarily need an espresso machine with a steam wand in your home bar to make a successful cappuccino.
The parts of a pressure cooker are a glass jug, a lid and a plunger. The plunger has either a metal, nylon or plastic filter mesh. Spare parts are also available for pressure cookers (at least for those made by Bodum). There are many sizes of pots and this same preparation method applies to all sizes of pots.
Making coffee with a coffee press is simple. However, there is an important preparatory step involved: while the water needed to make the coffee is boiling, it is a good idea to preheat the coffee press. This can be done with very hot tap water.
Basic instructions for a French Press
Here's how to make four cups of coffee with a press:
1. Pour 24 grams of semi-coarse ground coffee into a preheated press pan
2. Pour 200 grams (2dl) of hot water over the coffee and mix it with the water.
3. After mixing, pour the remaining water into the pan and mix again.
4. Replace the lid and leave the plunger on the surface of the coffee, do not press down yet 5. Let the coffee brew for 4-6 minutes
6. When the time is up, calmly press the plunger down
7. Tadaa, the coffee is ready to enjoy!
Choose soft, chocolatey, and low-acid coffees to brew with a press (for example, Muukko or Lauritsala ). Those who want a real kick can boldly choose more acidic or citrusy African coffees (such as our Top Shelf selection ). Medium-roasted or dark coffees work better than light roasts.
A good starting point for coffee dosage is 6 grams of coffee per 1 cup of water. The coarseness of the coffee used in a press should be between filter coarse and pan coarse. Sometimes people talk about “presso coarse”, but others use the term semi-coarse. You can also try using filter coarse coffee to start with. Here too, you can only find the result that suits your taste by experimenting.
In a press, the ground coffee is immersed in hot water and is not poured or filtered through a filter paper. This is called full immersion. As a result, coffee made with a press is more sedimented, perhaps a little thicker in the mouth and “greasy” than, for example, regular coffee made with a filter coffee maker, where most of the coffee grounds and fat settle on the filter paper.
The ideal water temperature would be 90–96 degrees. First pour half of the required amount of water into the jug over the coffee and mix the coffee and water together. After mixing, add the remaining water. Mix once more to make sure all the coffee is wet and in contact with the water. Then place the lid on the press pot, but do not lower the plunger below the surface of the coffee, so that the coffee can extract freely.
Depending on the coffee and your personal taste, the ideal time for brewing with a press is 4-6 minutes. Keep the plunger in the up position throughout this time.
When the desired time is up, you can stir the coffee once more. So take the lid off and give it a few swirls, perhaps with a spoon. Then put the lid back on and press the plunger down. Press as with the Aeropress: slowly and not too much force. If you press too quickly, the coffee will burst out of the jug.
When pressed, the plunger presses the coffee grounds to the bottom with the filter mesh so that they do not end up in the drinker's cup. A little sediment may appear at the bottom of the cup. When the plunger is pressed all the way down, the coffee can be poured into a cup for consumption. Remember to clean the pot thoroughly after emptying it. Keep the equipment clean and you will get delicious coffee day after day!
Text: Juuso Viljanen