Why do I have a problem making French Press coffee?

[richedie]

I can't seem to make a consistent french Press coffee at home. I recently upgraded from a $30 Cuisinart blade to a $50 Cuisinart burr grinder - not a major upgrade but the grinds are a bit more consistent. I have made incredible coffee with the French Press with both grinders but sometimes as with this morning.....it tasted like dish water.....no body or anything....like dirty water and this has happened before.

Any ideas?

 

[craig]

Consistent French Press Coffee

Hi richedie,

The first thing is a fresh course grind. Make sure that you maintain a consistent brewing time, each time, every time. Also keep your equipment clean. This is a must. Clean equipment is the best start to getting a clean great taste.

You may want to take a look at these links:
http://www.the-java-cafe.com/Coffee-Bre ... thods.html
http://www.the-java-cafe.com/Coffee-Grinding.html
http://www.the-java-cafe.com/cleaning-coffee-maker.html

These links should help you get some great tasting consistent coffee. I use a French Press at the office and follow these and get great tasting coffee everytime.

 

[richedie]

I bought a new grinder and think I ground the coffee too course. Even in my perc I grind medium-course.

 

[craig]

Making coffee the way you prefer it takes a bit of time. When you buy it at a cafe you have a general idea of what to expect. At home we seem to be more critical of what our coffee should taste like, yet most people don't have any real training. Great baristas are make good money for a reason.

Keep at it, play around with the grind until your happy with the right courseness. Also try different beans (from different regions).

The saying, "it's about the journey, not the destination" is probably more suited to finding YOUR perfect coffee than most other activities. Enjoy the journey and the sensational taste experiences you will have along the way.

 

[unit_number_43]

Ensure you wash the press after each use, thourougly. Take apart the "press" part and clean it out completely. Also, redundant i'm sure, but make sure you're using filtered water. The problem could also come from not measuring correctly. .12lbs of ground makes 8 cups (average coffee press size). steep 8 cups for about 4-5 minutes. I know a guy that does it for 15 minutes, but he eats used espresso grounds too, so...

 

[richedie]

Thanks! I just ordered a Trudeau Tirra coffee maker so I am going to try a new way to make French Press (pull)!!!

 

[equus007]

word up

Craig is correct and you should bear in mind that coffee like food always tastes better when somebody else prepares it for you(not that you should not make it at home)

 

[MrBox]

For me soap and coffee don't mix very well so I wouldn't clean the french press with soap

after I use my press I usually rinse it out and wash it in the washing machine once a week


Most likely its a grind situation your I like a little less than course (small rocks)

JM

 

[prairiedog]

The problem may be your grinder. I believe I have the same Cuisinart burr grinder that you have. Initially, I would set the number of cups and it would grind the correct amount of coffee. Everything was great. Then, suddenly, my coffee started tasting very weak. I tried adjusting everything, but couldn't get a good cup of coffee. So, I tried measuring the beans into the grinder. After going through the cycle for the proper number of cups, there were still a lot of beans left in the grinder. Now, I measure the beans for every pot and grind until they all go through. It solved the problem. Eventually, I'll get a better grinder.

 

[H Man]

I know a guy that does it for 15 minutes, but he eats used espresso grounds too, so...

For real?!! :-D :lol: That's too dang funny!

Initially, I would set the number of cups and it would grind the correct amount of coffee. Everything was great. Then, suddenly, my coffee started tasting very weak.

Unless the grinder is actually weighing the ouput, never seen one that does but man would that be great!, setting the timer or whatever will almost never give you the same amount. There's lots of variables that will affect it so the "timed" method can never really work.

Some of the variables would be:
Type of bean
degree of roast
'age' of bean (roasted 2 days ago vs. 2 weeks)
relative humidity

etc. etc.

Best to measure it out to be sure...IMHO

After an insane amount of calculations and whatnot, I more or less figured out that I should be using one level tablespoon per 3 oz. of brew. So if I have and 8 cup french press (that's 32 oz roughly) I use about 10+ level tablespoons.

Press on!

 

[demetri]

Can't say that I've ever had a bad cup of coffee when I've used the French press. I have an old cheap Braun Blade grinder that I've been using for years. I give the beans a quick old chop, drop the grounds into my French press and then add the water.

I use distilled water and heat it in a cheap black and decker tea kettle. After the automatic shut off kicks in I leave it for about a minute and add the water. Then I let it brew for a few minutes before pressing it down.

I always get compliments on my coffee but I seem to have a lot of guests that make instant coffee at home or think Tim Horton’s is the best coffee ever. I also only serve table cream, though I drink my coffee black.

A lot may have to do with your elevation. I'm in central Canada (near the US border) which seems to be the best place to get rye bread. A baker I once dated said that we had the best rye bread because of the elevation and barometric pressure made perfect baking conditions for rye bread.

 

[H Man]

Distilled water huh?

Interesting...never tried it but I had read once (somewhere) that filtered water was better than distilled. Something about the distilled being "flat", whatever that means.

 

[shadow745]

Distilled water is "flat" or tasteless because all minerals in it have been steamed out for purity. Best water I've found is by installing a whole-house softener. Gives fantastic taste and health benefits too. Later!