My First French Press

Originally Posted by Volusianator

Care to give a step by step?

I placed 1 part freshly ground coffee to 3 or so parts room temperature filtered water in a pitcher, stirred it all up to be sure all of the grounds were wet, put the lid on, and let it sit over night on the dining room table for about 18 hours. Instructions I found said to let it sit anywhere from 12-24 hours depending on desired strength. After 18 hours I rubber banded a coffee filter to the carafe (French Press) and would occasionally fill up the filter and let gravity do the rest. When I noticed the filter barely dripping I would gently hand squeeze it and replace it with a different filter. I did this about four times. Last, I rinsed the pitcher and transferred the contents from the carafe to the pitcher.

Next time I will simplify by using the same coffee to water ratio, but I'll just do the whole darned thing in the French Press and transfer it over to the pitcher afterward for storage. I may run it through a paper filter after the press or I may not.

The end result is very concentrated, sort of like espresso. It can be warmed up or drank cold but should be diluted. I tried it heated, cool, and iced, each time with 1-2 parts 2% milk. I like it all three ways and will experiment some more in the future. Everything I read says it will stay fresh and untainted for up to two weeks in the fridge, unlike traditional brew.

Please excuse the grammar and sentence structure right now. It's bed time. Enjoy, I know I will.