What''s the secret to good coffee?

Just had the greatest FP coffee ever...

ElPugDiablo said:
14 grams for 8 ounces of almost boiling water is about right. Grind should be coarse enough to be filtered out by the screen. If I may add, add some hot water to the glass to heat it first. Dump the hot water, add coffee grind, pure 8 ounces of hot water into the glass. Wait 15 seconds so the coffee bloomed. Stir it 2 times, plunge the screen down a bit so the coffee grind is completely submerged. After 3 or 4 minutes, plunge it down.

An alternative to french press is individual drip like Melitta and Chemex. I prefer the Chemex.

This is precisely what I did! What a great post-lunch coffee! The first 3/4 of this perfectly brewed FP coffee tasted thick and delicious. It put drip coffee to shame! I used about 16g for 8 ounces at medium grind setting and let it steep for four minutes, stirring once immediately after pouring and then plunging in and out once at about 3 minutes. It tasted like espresso, full of flavor! The last 1/4 or so of the cup got a bit bitter - I'm assuming this is simply because some grinds may have gotten into it - no problem.

Is the caffeine content in a FP coffee made with 15g coffee to 8 oz water MORE or LESS than a standard single espresso?
 
"16g for 8 ounces at medium grind setting and let it steep for four minutes, stirring once immediately after pouring and then plunging in and out once at about 3 minutes. It tasted like espresso, full of flavor!"

I'm excited to go home now and try your method.

I'll bring my tool box & gram scale for accuracy. :D
 
Heh, my computer at home is dead, I just use the one at work mostly.

Well, I used 32g Kenyan med. roast/med. grind with 16oz water. Stirred right away then let steep for three min, then plunged down then up (a bit slower than usual), waited another minute then poured two 8oz mugs.

Honestly, it's stronger than what my usual ratio provides and surprisingly it didn't make it any better to my taste. I almost wanted to add more water, it was too strong, I'm not used to that. Maybe I'm a miser with my costly coffees ($17/lb Kenyan from my local roaster), so I think I'll stick to less coffee to water.

Anyway, I'm using more coffee in my FP than I do in my one cup brewer to get the same flavor.

Funny thing, the more coffee I drink, the less beer and liquor I've been drinking. I've not touched either in months.... Not interested really.

Life is good enough with better coffee. :D
 
caffe biscotto said:
Heh, my computer at home is dead, I just use the one at work mostly.

Well, I used 32g Kenyan med. roast/med. grind with 16oz water. Stirred right away then let steep for three min, then plunged down then up (a bit slower than usual), waited another minute then poured two 8oz mugs.

Honestly, it's stronger than what my usual ratio provides and surprisingly it didn't make it any better to my taste. I almost wanted to add more water, it was too strong, I'm not used to that. Maybe I'm a miser with my costly coffees ($17/lb Kenyan from my local roaster), so I think I'll stick to less coffee to water.

Anyway, I'm using more coffee in my FP than I do in my one cup brewer to get the same flavor.

Funny thing, the more coffee I drink, the less beer and liquor I've been drinking. I've not touched either in months.... Not interested really.

Life is good enough with better coffee. :D
From Mocha Joe? I would use 26 - 27 grams for 16 ounces french press. Weight the coffee and measure the water. But his type of Kenya is best with drip brewer.
 
You're right Pug, Kenyan is great in my drip brewer! I got this Kenyan from my local roaster though, just to try it out. Not as good as Mocha Joe's, that's why I'd prefer not to mention their name right now. It still kicks butt and I'm almost out, getting worried now, eeeekk!!!!

I think I'll give CCC a ring soon to try their Espresso Toscano.
 
caffe biscotto said:
I think I'll give CCC a ring soon to try their Espresso Toscano.

I had a bag of that last month & really liked it. As for Kenyan I've got some of Terroir's Grand Cru Kenya: Mamuto I'm drinking this week along with the Esmeralda. CCC had a french roasted Kenyan that I tried along with the Toscano. It wasn't sold as an Espresso but thats the way I used it & it was chocolate heaven!!

Getting back to the French press I think you'd get better results by not pressing up & down during the brew. Stir it down & position the filter so that it holds the grounds just below the water. When the brew time is up press the grounds slowly to the bottom & pour off the coffee immediately.
 
ElPugDiablo said:
From Mocha Joe? I would use 26 - 27 grams for 16 ounces french press. Weight the coffee and measure the water. But his type of Kenya is best with drip brewer.

Ever try brewing with a Finum Filter right in the cup? I'm not a fan of drip so its either F/P, Espresso/Americano or the Finum. I love Kenyan coffees & really like the flavors I get with the Finum. I use 32g/16 oz.
 
JohnB said:
Getting back to the French press I think you'd get better results by not pressing up & down during the brew. Stir it down & position the filter so that it holds the grounds just below the water. When the brew time is up press the grounds slowly to the bottom & pour off the coffee immediately.
Thanks for clarifying it.

JohnB said:
Ever try brewing with a Finum Filter right in the cup? I'm not a fan of drip so its either F/P, Espresso/Americano or the Finum. I love Kenyan coffees & really like the flavors I get with the Finum. I use 32g/16 oz.
Not Finum, but have tried Melitta and Chemex. I really like Chemex, I think it's the paper filter. I am trying to adapt the paper filter to a commercial setting. Hopefully in a month or so. But I won't totally discard drip brewer. Technivorm is pretty amazing home brewer.

By the way I love Terroir's Kenyans. Simply the best.
 
The Finum isn't a pour over, it sits right in the water. No paper filter, just a stainless basket that holds the grounds. Use a coarse grind & pour the water in slowly over the grounds & stir down the grounds/bloom once all the water is in. At 2 minutes I stir down again as the waterlogged grounds will now sink. At 4 minutes remove the filter & enjoy.
 
Brewing issues

Blue - don't be afraid to experiment! You have comments here from some of the most informed and talented coffee roasters and junkies on the net.

This is just my way...please vary yours. This should be an Olympic event!

French pressing check list:

1. FRESH ROASTED BEANS - not more than you can use in a week. Use about 14-16g per 8oz.water.

2. Good clean filtered water - IMHO, RO water is too flat in the cup - I just use my tap water here in the Louisville area - recently voted best tasting in the USA

3. NEED a good grinder - not a whirly-bird one - spend $50 or so and get a decent burr grinder - grind to a medium course setting to start - smell :D - adjust grind setting next time if needed - KEEP GRINDER CLEAN - grind and put in the press just before you pour the water.

4. Bring fresh water to a boil - take off the heat for about 30 seconds

5. Pre-heat and then dry out the press - Pour half the water in - make sure all grounds get wet - stir - START TIMER - coffee blume - SMELL - see the oils - SMELL again!

6. Fill press to top or around the handle - more coffee blume - preheat the screen in the left over boiling water then insert on press - give a short plunge - pull back up and wait - if you can! :-D

7. At about 3-4min slowly press to the bottom - wait about one minute - pour slowly and SMELL - DRINK - ENJOY! :D

8. REPEAT!

Pour what is left into well pre-heated thermos if not drinking all of the coffee in 10 min. or so.

Okay - now I have to have one and I'm at work without a way to get one - :cry:

lachris
 
Good French Press Coffee

Hey All,
If you can get it, try Waialua Coffee for a more chocolaty taste. It grows on the Island of Oahu next to a high grade, rare type of cacao used to make a world class chocolate, Waialua Chocolate. This adds to the the taste of the coffee beans. The beans are also smaller than the usual Arabica beans. I use a heaping tablespoon of medium burr-grounded beans to roughly 200ml of water. One difference is that I like my coffee with milk. If you want to try something different, I boil the milk until it foams, then add it to the coffee. It tends to blend the milk into the coffee better. Enjoy!
 
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