French Press Size

[savaytse66]

Hi all,

I''m just getting into some specialty coffee, and I decided I want to try a french press. Several stores near me have the Bodum Chambord 8 cup, which seems to be pretty popular. I was wondering what size to get. It''s not unusual for me to have only 1 12- 16oz cup at a time, then another a few hours later. Would I be better off getting a smaller french press, or will I get equally good results just making, say, 4 cups in the 8 cup press?

Also, if I do make a full 8 cups, does the flavor suffer greatly if I let half of the brewed coffee sit in the press for a few hours after I have my first cup? I''m thinking it''s not such a good ides since the grounds will still be in the pot. But maybe because the grounds are compressed, it won''t extract any bad flavors. Any insight?

Thanks guys, and I love the forum!

Chris

 

[SlowRain]

I can't give you much advice on what size of press pot to choose. I was told that you can brew half a pot just as well as a full pot, so that's what I do. I bought a 32 oz.

You shouldn't let your coffee sit in your press pot once it's done brewing. Press it down and pour it out. If you aren't going to drink it right away, put it in a thermos of some kind. However, be warned: the press pot leaves fines in the coffee, and even that small amount will still alter the taste sitting in a thermos for a long time. I only make enough for what I can drink at that time. If I want coffee later, I'll brew it again.

Seeing as a French press is a bit of a hassle to clean up, you may want to invest a few dollars in an AeroPress. It's much faster for both brewing and cleaning, and the coffee is very good. You can conveniently make black coffee, lattes, and iced coffee with it. It doesn't feel like so much of a chore brewing twice as the French press does. I only use the French press when brewing for larger groups.

 

[cuppED]

I agree. If you only drink 2 cups throughout the day then I highly recommend an Aeropress. Don't let the look fool you, this contraption can brew up a mean cup of joe, hahahaha. Check out my post about the Aeropress....

http://www.coffeeforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=7834

 

[itpreview]

The AeroPress is an entirely new way to make coffee, American style or Espresso style for use in lattes, cappucinos and other espresso based drinks. AeroPress brews simply delicious coffee, 1-4 cups per pressing. Ideal water temperature and faster brewing yields rich flavor with lower acidity and without bitterness. Other brewing processes use near boiling water and long exposure to coffee grounds. Quickly brew a variety of coffee drinks including an Americano or an espresso-style shot for use in lattes or cappuccinos. Its total-immersion system permits extraction at a moderate temperature and a short brew time. Water and grounds are mixed together for 10 seconds, then gentle air pressure pushes the mix through a micro-filter in just 20 seconds, which avoids the bitterness of long processes such as drip brewing. The air pressure also gently squeezes the last goodness from the grounds, further enriching the flavor. The total brewing time of only 30 seconds results in an exceptionally smooth brew.

 

[savaytse66]

I ended up going with an 8 cup Bodum french press, and I just make one 16 oz cup at a time. I can see the process getting tiring after a while, making the coffee and cleaning it twice a day, but there's no doubt the coffee is far superior to my Cuisinart gold cone filter auto drip.

I'm curious to try the Aeropress. If I see one, I might pick one up just to compare. I read a few threads on it, and it sounds pretty good.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[JohnB]

At some point you might want to pick up the 4c 16oz Bodum press & keep the 8c for company or when you want more coffee. As far as the Aeropress goes I have one & wasn't that impressed. I prefer press pot brew or the americanos I make from real espresso to anything I got from the AP.

If you want real simplicity & easy clean up buy a Finum filter & brew right in your mug.
http://www.finum.com/permanent-tea-filters.htm This will give you the same quality of brew you get from the press.

I've never found the press to be that big a chore to clean, especially compared to the whole fiddly process of using the Aeropress. If you are using the press twice a day just back off the screens from the shoulder nut so they are loose enough to rinse between with hot water & tighten back up. Run some water into the pot & swish it around then dump the grounds & rinse again. Takes longer to type it then to do it. Every couple days break it down & give it a good cleaning when you do the dishes.

 

[savaytse66]

I've never found the press to be that big a chore to clean, especially compared to the whole fiddly process of using the Aeropress. If you are using the press twice a day just back off the screens from the shoulder nut so they are loose enough to rinse between with hot water & tighten back up. Run some water into the pot & swish it around then dump the grounds & rinse again. Takes longer to type it then to do it. Every couple days break it down & give it a good cleaning when you do the dishes.

That's actually exactly what I've been doing. The grounds are coarse enough that they pretty much wash right away from the screen. And if you let the water hit the outside edge after loosening, it even spins the disc around for a little early morning fun!

 

[jsonsteby]

This may be a dumb question, but I figured I may not be the only one not figuring it out.
I have the Bodum 8 cup Chambord French Press and I am trying to figure out what the "8 cup" means. I definitely don't get 8 actual cups of coffee out of it and it only holds about 5.5 cups of water, so what does the 8 cup refer to? Help

 

[CCafe]

Its based off a 4 ounce cup size.