variable temp kettle?

[Cfroylan]

Hi
My name is Christina, and I just bought a french press today(which I'm very excited about). I've just recently gotten into the attempt for a really good cup of coffee, and not the sludge I'm used to. I'm looking into getting a variable temperature tea kettle, so I know I'm in the right temp range, but they are pretty expensive, any recommendations? Or how do you combat this? Thanks for your time

 

[PinkRose]

Hello "Cfroyan"

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website.

Besides the information you can get here at the Coffee forum, you can find a lot of websites that describe how to brew coffee with a French press. This one tells you how to get the water temperature right without investing in a variable temperature tea kettle. Just scroll down to the part where they write about the water temperature.

French Press

With some practice, you'll get the temperature right without spending the extra money on a new tea kettle. Also, it's much better if you run hot water in the French press and all it's parts to take the chill out of it before you make your coffee.

I would invest in a good kitchen timer and a thermometer before I'd buy a variable temperature tea kettle.

But that's just my my 2¢ worth ....

Rose

 

[Cfroylan]

@RoseThanks for the response. Good advice. I purchased a thermometer but I don't think it's an entirely accurate one or maybe just for a different application. I believe it's more along the lines of a meat thermometer, a digital kitchen one would probably be better?

 

[PinkRose]

Hi again,

If you do a search on this forum, you'll find lots of information about making coffee in a French Press.

As you know, water boils at 212 °F (100 ° C) When you make coffee in a French Press, you'll want to use water that's just off the boiling point. If you boil the water, and remove it from the stove, by the time you get it over to the French Press and pour it into the container, it will be at around 200°.

There are several factors that go into making coffee in a French Press. For example, you'll also need to consider the way the coffee is ground and the amount of time you give it before you "press" the plunger down.

It takes some practice to get it just right. It's a matter of taste, so experimentation is the key to success.

If your new thermometer is the kind that has a dial and stem, you can use it to measure the temperature of the water as long as it's calabrated accurately. You can do a Google search for Thermometer Calibration, and you get lots of information about how to make sure your thermometer is accurate. There is really no need to buy a digital thermometer, unless you absolutely want one. As time goes on, you'll be able to judge the temperature of the water just by looking at it.

Rose