Stop blowing all your money on $4 coffee. With a french press you can make delicious joe at home that tastes better than a coffee shop's AND it's a whole lot cheaper.

I'm no coffee connoisseur. I enjoy my one cup in the morning and occasionally splurge on a mocha latte or other similarly sweet coffee shop staple. So what follows will likely offend those who treat their java like vino and frequent sites like CoffeeGeek and Coffee Review . But for the rest of us, get ready to drink some damn good coffee.

What is a French Press?

A French press, also known as a press pot, coffee press, or coffee plunger is just a glass beaker that you put coffee grinds and hot water in, then strain with the plunger / filter that sits on top.

It was invented around the 1850's and is cheaper, simpler, and makes better coffee than most drip coffee makers.

Trust me when I say making coffee with a french press on some post-date morning for a girl makes you look very sophisticated and sexy, though in reality it's awfully hard to mess up. Make her some eggs and you've got yourself an impressive $3 breakfast she won't soon forget.

The Process

I've been making coffee with a french press every morning for over a year now, after I received both a Bodum Chambord coffee press and a Krups coffee grinder for Christmas. It's important to understand it is the process of using a french press that yields good coffee, not just the press itself.

You can't stick Folgers Crystals into a french press and expect to get smooth, bold, non-acidic coffee.

Ideally, the process of using a french press would go something like this:

• Boil water.


• When water is ready, coursely grind quality fresh roasted beans and place into coffee press.


• Pour the now cooling water slowly and evenly over the beans.


• Stir a few times.


• Let sit for 3 or 4 minutes for the flavor to seep.


• Press down slowly on the plunger.


• Drink coffee.

All of these steps are as important as just using a french press. Buying good, fresh coffee beans will obviously give you a higher quality coffee. It will be smoother, less bitter, and have a much better flavor.

Using a coffee grinder to grind course, fresh roasted beans right when you're ready to use them ensures you're getting all of the flavor of the beans. They say if you can smell the coffee aroma, then you're losing flavor.

It's important to grind the beans coarsely, because if the grind is too fine, it will get through the filter, which will be in your drink. It should be noted however, a small amount of "sludge" in the bottom of your coffee cup is common when using a french press.



True aficionados insist on using a burr grinder, but a good one will start at around $100. I've been using a $30 blade grinder and have had a lot of success.

I say the quality difference between Maxwell House and a drip maker and our $50 set up is much greater and more noticable than that between our $50 set up and a $150 set up. ...

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