\"to go\" press pots/cups...I need advice!

[Christos]

Hey everyone. I have been an avid coffee taster for years, and am now trying to master my barista skills. Although, I just ran into a bit of a pickle...

Has anyone tried one of those press pot/cups? Here is a link to the one that I got:

http://www.peets.com/shop/essentials_de ... 2&cid=3003

It''s made by Bodum and advertised by Peet''s, so imagined it would be a nice piece of brewing equipment on the go for the freshest brew. I just bought one, and tried it out, and can''t seem to get it down. Whenever I sip, I get grounds in my mouth (I don''t think they were ground too fine, they were pretty course). I used two scoops, and it still seemed like too many beans. I poured a little out and added more water to experiment, and it resulted the same thing. I even let the grinds settle for a bit longer and can''t seem to get it down.

Is it me or the equipment? It is new to me, so I don''t expect to master the brewing technique of new hardware perfectly the first time. But is there anyone experienced with these or who uses them regularly? I love the concept and would like to use it more often.

--Christos

 

[IndianaTim]

How are you grinding?

You didn't mention how you are grinding your beans, so I'm going to assume the worst. Most people start out with a blade type grinder, which creates a very inconsistent grind. There will be everything from powder to boulders but it all averages out to something that resembles a proper grind for drip pots. A burr grinder will give you much more consistency. There are still variations in size, but not to the extreme of a blade.

So step 1 is to make sure you're using a burr grinder. Then you want to set the grinder for a coarser grind than you would for drip coffee. How much coarser is difficult to say. You want to increase coarseness until you stop getting a mouth full of coffee grounds. You can compensate by letting your coffee brew a little longer, but if you're ending up with week coffee, then you need to look at the mechanics of your press pot, making sure there are no deformations that are causing grounds to go through.

Finally, I consider french press coffee to be an urban equivalent to "cowboy coffee". If it's a little chewy, that's just a part of the adventure!!!

Tim