Brewing coffee is as much of an art as it is a science. The concept of brewing coffee is to maximize the extraction of the flavors of the roasted beans, while minimizing the extraction of undesirable flavors and components.
Everybody we know go to coffee shops. They buy their favorite drink, enjoy it and move on with their day. However, the biggest problem people seem to face with coffee, is how to brew a quality cup from the convenient confines of their own homes. It's not as difficult as many people are made to believe, although some experimentation is required.
Everybody we know go to coffee shops. They buy their favorite drink, enjoy it and move on with their day. However, the biggest problem people seem to face with coffee, is how to brew a quality cup from the convenient confines of their own homes. It's not as difficult as many people are made to believe, although some experimentation is required.
A press pot,
commonly called a French Press, is one of the easiest, cheapest and most enjoyable coffee brewer. When done correctly, press pot coffee feels rich, heavy and syrupy on the palate, coating the tongue with subtleties and flavors that can be lost with paper filters used in other brewing methods. Do not forget the four (4) fundamentals in brewing a great cup: proportion, grind, water and freshness.**Check out my label "Four Coffee Fundamentals" for better understanding on how each fundamental contributes to a great cup of coffee.
1. Heat water to just about boiling temperature and let it sit for a few seconds. Or if you are really technical, the temperature is best at 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place ground coffee in pot. The "Golden Ratio" of coffee to
hot water is two tablespoons of ground coffee (1 Starbucks scoop) to 180 mL of hot water (1 cup). Although this is the general rule, I encourage you to experiment according to your personal taste. But then for a more flavorful cup, I would suggest that you stick to these proportions.
3. Pour the water
liberally over the grounds in the bottom of the press pot, making sure that there are no dry clumps of ground coffee. The extraction process begins as soon as coffee comes in contact with water. Depending on the freshness of the coffee, you will notice a half-inch to an inch thick pocket of brown-colored foam developing as you pour over the grounds. This is the coffee letting off carbon dioxide.
4. You will most likely
notice a crust of ground coffee forming at the top of the press pot after you are done pouring your water. This is good. At one minute into the brewing process, take a spoon and break that crust by slowly, ever so slowly, stirring the grounds in order to ensure that the extraction is uniform. Also, as you are breaking the crust, get your nose down in there and smell the scents coming off the coffee. This is the best time to smell coffee as you introduce oxygen to the brew by stirring and these scents are released into the air.
5. After you are done stirring, place the lid on top and let it steep for four (4) minutes while slowly and carefully pressing the plunger down but only up to the light-brown foam just on the surface. This is to trap the heat coming from the brew, making sure that even after the brewing process your coffee is still hot.
6. After four (4) minutes, press down the plunger, straining out the coffee grounds. You should feel some resistance as you are pressing but it should not be too much because that would mean that your grind is not appropriate for the press pot.
7. It is best to serve your brewed coffee within minutes after you are done pressing. If you keep the coffee on the press pot, it will continue to extract, making it bitter over time. The quicker you get it out, the better it will taste! Also, coffee from a press-pot holds it flavor best for only about twenty (20) minutes. The reason behind this is because of the oil coming from the coffee. Although the true flavor of the coffee comes from its oil, this oil also causes the coffee to spoil easily. If you're thinking of reheating your coffee in some other way, don't! Always remember the seven (7) pillars of coffee crewing wisdom.
2. Place ground coffee in pot. The "Golden Ratio" of coffee to
hot water is two tablespoons of ground coffee (1 Starbucks scoop) to 180 mL of hot water (1 cup). Although this is the general rule, I encourage you to experiment according to your personal taste. But then for a more flavorful cup, I would suggest that you stick to these proportions.3. Pour the water
liberally over the grounds in the bottom of the press pot, making sure that there are no dry clumps of ground coffee. The extraction process begins as soon as coffee comes in contact with water. Depending on the freshness of the coffee, you will notice a half-inch to an inch thick pocket of brown-colored foam developing as you pour over the grounds. This is the coffee letting off carbon dioxide.4. You will most likely
notice a crust of ground coffee forming at the top of the press pot after you are done pouring your water. This is good. At one minute into the brewing process, take a spoon and break that crust by slowly, ever so slowly, stirring the grounds in order to ensure that the extraction is uniform. Also, as you are breaking the crust, get your nose down in there and smell the scents coming off the coffee. This is the best time to smell coffee as you introduce oxygen to the brew by stirring and these scents are released into the air.
5. After you are done stirring, place the lid on top and let it steep for four (4) minutes while slowly and carefully pressing the plunger down but only up to the light-brown foam just on the surface. This is to trap the heat coming from the brew, making sure that even after the brewing process your coffee is still hot.
6. After four (4) minutes, press down the plunger, straining out the coffee grounds. You should feel some resistance as you are pressing but it should not be too much because that would mean that your grind is not appropriate for the press pot.7. It is best to serve your brewed coffee within minutes after you are done pressing. If you keep the coffee on the press pot, it will continue to extract, making it bitter over time. The quicker you get it out, the better it will taste! Also, coffee from a press-pot holds it flavor best for only about twenty (20) minutes. The reason behind this is because of the oil coming from the coffee. Although the true flavor of the coffee comes from its oil, this oil also causes the coffee to spoil easily. If you're thinking of reheating your coffee in some other way, don't! Always remember the seven (7) pillars of coffee crewing wisdom.
What You Are Looking For In A Press-Pot Coffee:
Press-pot coffee is coffee brewed without paper filters. What results is a largely unfiltered cup of coffee: a cup whose syrupy coating, depth of body, and heavy feel on the tongue is second only to shots of espresso. You will notice the coffee in the cup will be murkier. Sediment will settle at the bottom of the cup. It is coffee at its simplest, finest and purest.
Food Pairing
We are so accustomed to using sugar, syrups, milk and other sweeteners to our coffee that we tend to disregard appreciating its boldness and natural flavor. There are other ways to enjoy your coffee besides tainting it with packets of brown or white sugar or Splenda. In order to enjoy your coffee to the fullest, it should be paired with its complementary flavors. How would you know that, you may ask. Again it's quite simple. If you know the origin of your coffee, you would automatically know it's complementary flavors. For example, if it came from Latin America, pair your coffee with something nutty or fruity. If it's from Africa, it's perfect with berries and anything citrusy. Asian coffee can be complemented with pastries that have cheese, butter, or oats. Explore. Ask questions. Get to know your coffee more. It's all about enhancing your coffee experience. Don't settle for anything less.
The coffee that I just brewed is Cafe Estima Blend. In my previous post, I noted that this coffee is a multi-region blend and that its complementary flavors are nuts, cocoa, and caramel.
That is why I'm pairing it with a box of Black Russian Cookies (courtesy of The Russian Cookie House in The Podium for only P180). It has nuts in it, coated with a thick layer of dark chocolate. Yummy! Then of course, your food pair doesn't have to be pricey. A piece of chocolate dipped doughnut would do just fine.
1. Take a sip from your cup but don't swallow it immediately.
2. Take a bite out of your food pair.
3. Take another sip of your coffee and slowly mix it with the food in your mouth.If done using the right complementary flavor, the food will highlight the subtle flavors of your coffee which is exactly the purpose of food pairing. Always remember that your food pair should not overwhelm the flavor of your coffee. Enjoy!
How To Clean Your French Press
I can't stress this one enough: a clean French Press is vital to good tasting coffee. Fortunately, cleaning a French Press isn't difficult and only takes a few minutes. There are only a few pieces to worry about - just make sure you pay attention the first time you take it apart so you'll know how the parts go back together once they're clean.1. Instead of throwing the used grounds in the garbage or in the sink, pour them directly into your pots for your plants. These grounds are excellent fertilizers.
2. Disassemble the lid and plunger. Simply unscrew the plunger screen and put all the pieces into your dishwasher.
3. Wash the pot and each plunger components with soap and rinse well.
4. Make sure that there are no coffee residues left in your pot and plunger screen before you put them all back together.
5. Dry all the pieces and store your clean French Press.
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