Better to brew single cup?

mrl10024

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Apr 2, 2023
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New York
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I have a 3-cup French press and a 1-cup. I've noticed that I make better coffee in the 1-cup, even though it's a cheap one that I picked up only for the rare occasions when I only need a single cup. (The issue isn't that the coffee sits for a while in the 3-cup. The coffee from the 1-cup is better than the first cup I pour from the 3-cup.) Is there a general rule that less is better? It would be a pain to brew three single cups for the three that I need every morning, but it may be worth it if the quality is better.
 

JeffD

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Jan 27, 2022
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Upstate New York
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All else being equal, I haven't noticed a big difference.

If there is a general rule, it is due to a specific reason. For example: If you french press three cups, the second third cups are sitting with the compressed grounds on the bottom while you finish the first cup, cooling off. If you could pour the entire three cup french press coffee into a separate (prewarmed) thermal carafe, I think that might be a little better.

Don't discount psychological impact. I know I need that first cup more badly than the second or third, so it generally tastes better, just because of that. ;)
 

baristaraimo

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Jan 20, 2023
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Millburn, NJ
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I have never heard something like that before! Could you please share with me your coffee-to-water ratio? Normally, the standard for French press coffee is between 1:12 to 1:10. Just to let you know, the quality of coffee technically has nothing to do with the size of the brewing device you use.
 
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