How to make French press coffee [01:12]

Here you’ll find a quick guide about how to make french press coffee, and the products I use!

Hardware [02:58]

Note that all of the products I list here can be found in the links section at the end of this post!

1. French press; I use a Bodum brand press | Click here to get a Bodum press
   

   

2. Way to heat water
   1. I use my Cuisinart coffee maker‘s hot water feature | Click here to get my Cuisinart coffee maker
      

      

   2. Many folks use an electric kettle | Click here to get an awesome kettle
   3. You can also use a pan on the stove!
3. Plastic stirrer for stirring coffee (metal stirrers [e.g., metal spoons] can chip the glass carafe)
   1. I use a reusable straw from a tumbler
4. Digital scale for weighting coffee; I use a Kitchen Gurus scale | Click here to get my scale
   1. Don’t skip out here! Your coffee will be much more consistent if you weigh it!
   2. If you insist on using measuring cups/spoons, I’ll give directions for those as well
5. Optional: Instant-read thermometer | Click here to get the thermometer I use
   1. If you’re heating the water on the stove, this will come in handy!
6. Optional: Coffee grinder for grinding your own beans | Click here to get a great grinder
   1. I don’t do this step.
   2. Many folks recommend grinding your own beans, but I find that storing my grounds in that Oxo container works just as well!
   3. Plus, I get up super early, and grinding my own beans in the morning would wake everyone up
7. Optional: Storage containers for coffee; I use Oxo containers | Click here to get the containers I use
   

   

   1. This was a game changer. It’s so much easier having these containers, and the coffee lasts longer!

Software [10:29]

1. Coffee; My favorite is Starbucks Guatemala blend | Click here to get this coffee
   

   

   1. I have Starbucks grind my coffee in the shop. You need to ask them to grind it for French press!
   2. The grind is very important, as beans ground for drip coffee can clog your press. Also, different grinds can affect the final flavor.
   3. If you ask nicely (***and it’s not busy / during their peak hours***), Starbucks will likely grind whatever coffee you bring in
2. Water
   1. I use tap water ???
   2. Filtered water is generally preferred, though!

Method [13:05]

Here’s the actual method for how to make French press coffee:

1. Get water heating
   1. For my press, I heat 30oz of water.
   2. There’s actually a label on my press, and I just fill to right past that label!
      

      

   3. Water should be heated to 190-200 degrees. A trick here is to boil the water, then let it sit for 30 seconds or so.
2. While the water is heating, weigh coffee
   1. I use 2g of coffee per 1oz of water. So, I weigh 60g of coffee.
   2. Be sure to tare (zero) your scale with the press on it. Makes weighing the coffee much easier!
   3. If you’re using a measuring spoon, it works out to about 10 tablespoons.
   4. NOTE: You use much more coffee for French press than for drip coffee!
3. Once water is at the right temp, pour in about 1/4 of the water. Stir. Let sit for 30-45 seconds.
   1. I read that this helps bloom the grounds
   2. I’ve always done it this way, and it works for me!
4. Then, add the rest of the water. Stir. Put on press.
   1. Rest press on top of coffee! DO NOT PLUNGE YET!
5. Set a timer for 4 minutes
   1. Some folks disagree about how much time, but 4 minutes works well for me!
   2. The bloom from step 3 adds about another minute, so total brewing time is about 5 minutes
6. After 4 minutes, plunge slowly
   1. It’s important that you plunge slowly to create the proper emulsion
   2. Alton Brown (Food Network chef) says that it should take you about 30 seconds to plunge
   3. I take about 15-20 seconds
7. Coffee is now ready! Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy ?

LIFE HACK: How to keep French press coffee warm [20:01]

After I learned how to make French press coffee, I struggled with keeping it warm at first! I like my coffee as hot as when I first pour it, so the second cup out of my French press was always too cold.

I came up with a pretty simple solution for this. And, it’s a double-duty trick!

This hack requires that you have a standard drip coffee maker. My guess is that most folks have one! But, if not, click here to grab the one I have!

1. Before heating the water for your French press coffee, pour 6-8 cups of water into your drip coffee maker
2. Start the coffee maker with no coffee in it. Let it run all of the water while you’re making your French press coffee.
3. When it’s done, swirl the hot water around the carafe. This helps clean the carafe!
4. Then, dump the hot water out and leave the coffee maker on
5. When your French press coffee is done, pour your first cup of coffee into a mug, and then pour the leftover into the drip carafe!
6. Put the carafe back on the warmer

This method will keep your French press coffee piping hot until you’re ready for that second cup!

Also, another possible shortcut here might be to heat the water you need for your French press with the drip coffee maker. I’m not sure what temp the water comes out of my drip machine, so I’m not 100% sure that this would work. But, I bet it’s worth a shot!

If you do try this, let me know! Email me at podcast@wordpress-739001-2510787.cloudwaysapps.com or leave a comment at the end of this post!

LIFE HACK: Make ground coffee in a single-serve coffee maker (Keurig) [23:06]

It’s so much cheaper to buy whole/ground coffee than to get K-Cups! Here’s a quick trick for using that single-serve maker (Keurig) with ground coffee.

Hardware

1. Single-serve coffee maker | Click here to get the Keurig I use
2. Reusable K-Cup | Click here to get the cup I use
3. K-Cup filters | Cclick here to get the filters I use
   1. These are absolutely essential for cleanup!
   2. You can use the reusable cup without filters, but trust me, they’re a huge pain to clean!

Software

1. Ground coffee; I like Guatemala blend from Starbucks
2. Water

Method

1. Put a paper K-Cup filter into the reusable K-Cup
2. Fill the cup 3/4 full with coffee
3. Close the lid on the filter, be sure that the coffee is completely covered
4. Close the lid on the reusable cup
5. Put into single-serve maker
6. Brew!

This makes a delicious cup of coffee, saves plastic waste, and is cheaper! Awesome hack all around!

BOTTOM LINE

1. Use this post to learn how to make French press coffee. Let me know if you do, and if it works out for you!
2. Keep that French press coffee warm in your drip coffee pot
3. Use a plastic K-Cup and a paper filter to brew ground coffee in a single-serve coffee maker