Giving up on Keurig, tried stove-top perc, want to try French Press

[Ultrarunner2020]

Interesting. One thing I'm seeing is just how inconsistent your grind is. There are large chunks and much smaller grind and everyting in between. You actually could be onto something with your grinder. If money is an issue, have you thought about buying a higher quality manual grinder? You'll get a much more consistent grind at a more reasonable pricepoint.

Yes, I have been looking at manual grinders. I watched James's review of both high-end and low-end manual grinders. I was a bit surprised he didn't include the 1ZPresso models in the high-end review. They are usually priced at over $100 USD, and seem to be quality grinders - at least for espresso. I believe they are also good for more coarse grinds.
There was one on Amazon I had been interested in; the JavaPresse for about $45 USD, but James definitely did not like that one, or any of its 'clones'.
I think a manual grinder would work well for me.

As for tweaking my method; after watching James's vid on ratios, I don't think I need to change that. I probably need to tweak my steep time, perhaps water temp, and most definitely my coffee beans!

 

[Ultrarunner2020]

Update 8/27
This morning I went back to the short method. Here is the exact process I used.

0. Pre-heat press with hot water from tap.
1. Grind 1.3 oz (36.8g) (at med setting in Cusinart DBM-8
Water: 16 fl oz (0.47L) / 16.6oz / 471.7g by weight
Ratio: approx 1:12.8

2. Boil water. Wait until water temp in kettle drops to 195F (90.6C)

3. Pour small amt of water into pot to cover grounds (bloom). Stir gently, wait 30 secs
4. Pour remaining water. Stir gently. Temp of liquid in the press is now 157F (66.1C)
5. Wait 3 mins.
6. Plunge fully to grounds
7. Pour

Result: Coffee was much less bitter than yesterday when I used the James Hoffman method with 4 min steep, scoop off foam, and wait 6 mins; no plunge.

My theory on why the short method would produce better results than the James Hoffman method:
Inconsistency of the grind.
Because there are many fines in my grind, the longer steep time and extra wait time of the JH method causes over-extraction.

That said, I did try the JH method last week using a coarse grind; however, using the poor quality grinder, there are probably just as many fines in the grind when coarse setting is used as with a medium setting.

The general lack of flavor appears to be the fault of my beans.

Before I buy better beans, I am going to invest in a better grinder, which will most likely be a manual one.

 

[shadow745]

Yes, I have been looking at manual grinders. I watched James's review of both high-end and low-end manual grinders. I was a bit surprised he didn't include the 1ZPresso models in the high-end review. They are usually priced at over $100 USD, and seem to be quality grinders - at least for espresso. I believe they are also good for more coarse grinds.
There was one on Amazon I had been interested in; the JavaPresse for about $45 USD, but James definitely did not like that one, or any of its 'clones'.
I think a manual grinder would work well for me.

As for tweaking my method; after watching James's vid on ratios, I don't think I need to change that. I probably need to tweak my steep time, perhaps water temp, and most definitely my coffee beans!

Yeah I have a JE-Plus from 1ZPresso and the build/grind quality, consistency, adjustability and repeatability are second to none. Thing is easily on par with electrics costing 4-5x as much. Yes it is designed for finer grinding ranges, but 1ZPresso also makes several models designed more toward coarser range grinding and I'm sure they excel as well. I'm not terribly impressed with Hoffman or others, so take what you watch/read with a grain of salt/coffee. I can honestly tell you that Cuisinart is a joke of a grinder as I had one years ago and wasted no time returning it. Just can't change bad design...

 

[Musicphan]

I think the beans are your biggest issue... any of the mass market products is a significant step-down. The supply chain simply doesn't allow for the product to be fresh in most cases. I'm a firm believer that I lower quality fresh bean can sometimes be better than old/stale high-quality beans. In regards to grinders, I found the manual grinders to be a pain in the butt. I tried two manual grinders - while the quality of the grind was high I found it was more effort than I wanted to do in the morning. I still use it for camping, etc - but not at home. And when you look at the price of the 1Z its identical price to the Baratza Encore... to me the Encore is a no brainer. Next step up to the Baratza Virtuoso+ gives you better grind control and they just recently added a timer. To me, that's the best route to go...

 

[shadow745]

Thing is a quality hand grinder will perform flawlessly/indefinitely. That can't be said for most electrics... I know some don't like manual grinding, but a nicely designed hand grinder makes short/effortless work of it. Maybe I like being more hands-on than 99% of the population, but I've pretty much stop using my beast of an electric grinder with 64 mm burrs in favor of the 1Z for up to 8 doubles daily. Yes quality/fresh coffee is key, as is water, but that grinder in use won't crank out anything worthy regardless of what's thrown at it.

 

[Ultrarunner2020]

Guys; thanks for your advice;
I prefer a manual grinder for a couple of reasons.
1. As shadow745 says; a quality hand grinder will outlast any electric.
2. Much lower noise from a hand grinder. When I get up in the morning to make my coffee, everyone else is still asleep. Even though the bedrooms are upstairs, running that Cusinart grinder in the kitchen would probably awake someone, so I take it into the basement to use it.
3. Hand grinder will be easier to clean.
4. I like the looks and compactness of most of the hand grinders.

So far as brew method, I am learning that one 'size' does not fit all. While I respect a pro like James Hoffman, I have so far found that the quicker method produces better tasting coffee. But I also realize that once i start using a quality grinder and fresh beans, I will need to begin a new round of experimentation.
I don't yet know what my budget for equipment will be, but I think I can squeeze enough to purchase a good grinder. I think of it as an investment, not an expense.

On a side note: Have you been noticing the frequent appearance of the French press in TV and films? I guess it reflects the popularity of the method. But one thing I have noticed is that they leave the coffee sitting in the French press as though it were a percolator. Not such a good idea, is it. But then, I doubt the actors are even drinking the coffee, or that it's even coffee they are pouring.

 

[Ultrarunner2020]

What do you think of the 1ZPresso JX @ $129 USD? For what I want, I think this model will be more than adequate, and within my price range. I suppose if there was really an advantage to the JX Pro model for $30 more, I would opt for it, but since I will not be grinding for espresso, I don't think the extra fine adjustment of the Pro will do anything for me.

 

[shadow745]

What do you think of the 1ZPresso JX @ $129 USD? For what I want, I think this model will be more than adequate, and within my price range. I suppose if there was really an advantage to the JX Pro model for $30 more, I would opt for it, but since I will not be grinding for espresso, I don't think the extra fine adjustment of the Pro will do anything for me.

I haven't used either of the JX models, but based on what I've read it should work fantastic at coarser levels. Likely the only difference between the 'standard' and 'Pro' would be the threads on the adjustment. Pro likely allows finer tuning, but as you know that really only applies to espresso. I imagine with enough tweaking/patience the 'standard' JX would do just fine for espresso range if you ever go that route.

 

[Ultrarunner2020]

Last night I Googled 'improve flavor of stale coffee beans' and found a couple of blogs on the subject. One suggested increasing the amount of coffee to about 2x the normal.
So this morning I used 2.0 oz to 16 fl oz water instead of 1.2-1.3 oz. I did get a more flavorful cup of coffee, but there was still the bitterness; at least from the first few sips. After that, the bitterness seemed to diminish, but i attribute that to how my taste works. I get the same effect sometimes when drinking an IPA beer.
The one issue I had with using so much more coffee was that I had trouble plunging all the way down. I used the medium grind, as I have been for a while now, so I suspect that due to the larger amount of coffee, the liquid became saturated more quickly (as I plunged) than it did with the smaller amount of grounds.
I suppose I could try moving up to a coarser grind while keeping the amount of coffee at 2.0 oz, but with my lousy grinder, I will probably not find much difference.

I think I will order the 1ZPresso JX shortly, but Amazon won't have them in stock until Sept 14. Perhaps I can buy it for the same price with an earlier ship date directly from 1ZPresso.

 

[MntnMan62]

Try the Hoffmann method of not plunging at all. He says plunging can stir things up and make the coffee bitter tasting. Or did you try that before without good results?

 

[shadow745]

No clue how you feel about buying used (slightly anyway), but now/then great deals can be found on quality hand grinders that aren't brand new, but in like-new shape as they just don't wear out. I scored my JE-Plus about $65 off new price and it only had a few lbs. put through it. Not to mention how difficult it can be to find in stock, especially since COVID started this ridiculous panic wave.

 

[Ultrarunner2020]

I tried the method of not plunging, and while there was less (or none at all) sediment in the cup, I didn't think there was as much flavor. I guess I can say that I like my coffee full-bodied, and am willing to accept some fines in the cup. So far as bitterness goes, I honestly thought that there was more bitterness in the cup when I did not plunge.

So far as buying a used grinder; it all depends. Some of my used buying experiences are not so good, while others are very good. I will check it out, now that you mention it.

Edit: Checked Ebay. Nothing of interest. Not sure I want to go direct to seller, and would certainly not do in-person at this point.
Considering how well I take care of my equipment, buying new is probably my best option. I can probably buy a hand grinder now and own it for 30+ years. I only drink one cup of joe a day, and I would be the only one using it.

 

[MntnMan62]

I tried the method of not plunging, and while there was less (or none at all) sediment in the cup, I didn't think there was as much flavor. I guess I can say that I like my coffee full-bodied, and am willing to accept some fines in the cup. So far as bitterness goes, I honestly thought that there was more bitterness in the cup when I did not plunge.

So far as buying a used grinder; it all depends. Some of my used buying experiences are not so good, while others are very good. I will check it out, now that you mention it.

Edit: Checked Ebay. Nothing of interest. Not sure I want to go direct to seller, and would certainly not do in-person at this point.
Considering how well I take care of my equipment, buying new is probably my best option. I can probably buy a hand grinder now and own it for 30+ years. I only drink one cup of joe a day, and I would be the only one using it.

I sincerely don't think that plunging or not plunging has anything to do with the strength of the coffee you end up with in your cup. And I don't think the bitterness has anything to do with plunging either. After considering all that you've been dealing with, I think you'll benefit from a decent grinder, don't be afraid of increasing the amount of coffee to water ratio, don't plunge and buy some decent beans. Your problems seem to be related to those things. Until you get a decent grinder and decent fresh beans, you can't even consider whether plunging impacts coffee strength or bitterness. I have nice strong coffee every morning from my Bluestone Coffee Sumatra Takengon and my non-plunged process. I look forward to my two Victor diner mugs full of amazing coffee every morning. Good luck to you.

 

[shadow745]

I tried the method of not plunging, and while there was less (or none at all) sediment in the cup, I didn't think there was as much flavor. I guess I can say that I like my coffee full-bodied, and am willing to accept some fines in the cup. So far as bitterness goes, I honestly thought that there was more bitterness in the cup when I did not plunge.

So far as buying a used grinder; it all depends. Some of my used buying experiences are not so good, while others are very good. I will check it out, now that you mention it.

Edit: Checked Ebay. Nothing of interest. Not sure I want to go direct to seller, and would certainly not do in-person at this point.
Considering how well I take care of my equipment, buying new is probably my best option. I can probably buy a hand grinder now and own it for 30+ years. I only drink one cup of joe a day, and I would be the only one using it.

Yeah I used to do press quite a bit, but am truly an espresso head as for me nothing else comes close. The flavor depth, texture and an insane amount of solids for such a small amount. These days a moka pot is a backup if needed, but I do still have a press as well. My routine for that was pretty simple, just grinding fairly coarse, letting it steep upwards of 5 mins, slow plunge and it was done. Can't recall the exact coffee/water ratio, but likely something along the lines of 1 gram/1 oz if I had to guess. The bitterness you still have should really disappear with much higher quality grind and FRESH coffee. I'm a fan of using up older coffee if possible, but being a home roaster I don't have that problem these days. If I do end up with any that's 10+ days post roast i gift it to family or use it for biscotti. Also keep a small container of whole bean in my car that's vented for fantastic year round smell as I change it out often.

Seems hand grinders are tough to find lately due to so many getting into coffee since so many shops have changed business or shut down. Definitely glad I started home roasting about 4.5 yrs ago as I don't have to rely on any shop for any reason. Have been building up my stash as thankfully greens are still easy to find and prices stable. Currently have about 50# onhand, so am good for 5-6 months. Regarding a grinder lasting indefinitely, my first hand grinder that I bought back in 2008 is from the 1950s and still cranking if I need it to. No telling how many tons have been put through it, but I'll hang on to it for life as it still offers nice espresso range fineness as that's what it was designed for and never let me down. It's not quite on par with the JE-Plus, but still gets the job done. Surely you will find one soon and it will likely blow your mind when compared to what you currently use, which really shouldn't be called a grinder by any means.

 

[Ultrarunner2020]

I'm going to order the 1ZPresso JX from Amazon very soon. It won't be in stock until 9/14, so there is time.
Now I need to find a good storage solution. I will want something that can push the air out of the can each time I re-close it. A CO2 valve would be a good idea as well, but mainly I want something that is truly air-tight.
I have done some reading online and find (mostly) excellent reviews for Coffee Gator. But now there are two versions; one labeled 2020 model, which is a lot less expensive than the older model. However, I see some very poor reviews for both of these on Amazon as well, and I do not believe these canisters have an air extraction method, which I feel is important.
Can anyone recommend a good canister that will hold 1lb coffee beans?

Thanks again for your help
P.S. Perhaps I should start a new thread for this?