What is a French press and why you need it

Plunger called a small device for brewing ground coffee and tea and, in fact, the method of brewing coffee. There are French presses of different sizes and species but all are based on the principle of brewing coffee with boiling water and subsequent separation of the finished beverage from the coffee slurry.

A French press, as you might guess from the name, is a device invented in France. Coffee makers of this type appeared in the mid-19th century, but mass production has begun only in the 30-ies of the 20th century. At the moment, the French press, along with the pots, is the most versatile of all methods of cooking ground coffee, although the beverage made it much different from what can be done with the help of the Turks, espresso machines or coffee makers drip type.

The sequence of brewing coffee in a French press

The technology of making coffee in a French press is quite simple. For the small amount of French press (0.35 l), taken 3 teaspoons of coffee and filled with water at a temperature of 90oC. It is necessary to track time: the best taste of coffee brewed for 4 minutes. After that you need to drop Unger (press) down to stop the brewing coffee, and you can pour the drink cups. For better disclosure of flavor, you should parboil the surface of the flask before it is filled coffee.

Quality components in brewing coffee in a French press

Water for making coffee in a French press must be clean and soft, better than spring. Coffee can take any class and grind (French press is much more convenient than other methods of welding), including coarse grinding home manual grinder. Experienced Barista recommend for drinks this way to take high-quality coffee – Blue Mountain, Kopi Luwak, different types of Bourbons – because the French press is able to reveal the aroma of coffee beans, not adding sour or bitter tastes that arise when cooking in pots or the coffee machine.

It is best to cook this way monosort coffee, not the blends, in order to fully show the differences between flavors. Coffee in this way, we should not forget that, despite the mild flavor, the drink will be very filled with caffeine (especially if you keep a press open for more than 5-6 minutes). It should be remembered that the design of the coffee maker of this type is quite fragile and glass flask, in spite of the resistance, may crack from the intense pressure or the clumsy blow.

Alternative ways to use a French press

In addition to brewing coffee, the French press can serve as an excellent kettle, especially for flower teas and tea drinks. Especially beautiful in the clear bulb will look blooming rosebuds and Jasmine petals. Also in a French press to brew winter tea with spices: anise, cardamom, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Varying the brewing time of tea, you can experiment with flavors.