French Press

[T.G]

Originally Posted by stearns

Darryl (or anybody), do you ever use the aeropress? that's what I normally go with when I have time to make an individual cup, but maybe it's time I break out the old french press and play around a little, guess I don't give it enough credit.

I have an aeropress and a chemex. Which one I use typically depends on how much coffee I want or need to make. I find them to be very comparable in output quality, the chemex seems to produce coffee with more body while the aeropress coffee is brighter.

Never much cared for the murky and often bitter coffee that the french press produced so I eventually gave them all away.

[MarkinAZ]

Originally Posted by MarkinCA

Here's a thread posted back in March 2009 by Novasurf for review that may help:

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12476

Actually just finished making a pot of coffee via the FP using Norms (Novasurf) formula from the above thread. Going with 20oz of water x .057 gave me 1.14 oz of Trader Joes House Blend (Columbian and Sumatra blend) to grind. Added the grind to the the FP followed by the 20oz of hot water, stir, and cover for app 4min. Produces a mild to medium body of coffee which would probably be drinkable to the majority of coffee consumers out there with no problem. I generally go with 1.75 oz though. But that's just me

Originally Posted by T.G

I have an aeropress and a chemex. Which one I use typically depends on how much coffee I want or need to make. I find them to be very comparable in output quality, the chemex seems to produce coffee with more body while the aeropress coffee is brighter.

Never much cared for the murky and often bitter coffee that the french press produced so I eventually gave them all away.

If I need just one cup, I go to my Melita One Cupper with a brown #2 cone filter. I place 3 tablespoons of coffee beans into the Mr. Coffee grinder set at "fine" and "12 cups" for a very fine grind. Love the coffee that produces. Sometimes an extra tablespoon for the fun of it depending on the coffee bean

[T.G]

Originally Posted by MarkinCA

Produces a mild to medium body of coffee which would probably be drinkable to the majority of coffee consumers out there with no problem. I generally go with 1.75 oz though. But that's just me

No, I think that's the Navy rubbing off on you. Holy hell that was that I shock the first time I got a cup of coffee aboard a ship, it was crunchy coffee and I don't think I slept for 2 days afterwards.

Originally Posted by MarkinCA

If I need just one cup, I go to my Melita One Cupper with a brown #2 cone filter. I place 3 tablespoons of coffee beans into the Mr. Coffee grinder set at "fine" and "12 cups" for a very fine grind. Love the coffee that produces. Sometimes an extra tablespoon for the fun of it depending on the coffee bean

I have four of those, two #2's, two #4's, I use them for straining soups and used fry oil before storage.

Nothing wrong with pour over, I used it for years and that's all the chemex is, it just has really, really high grade filters and they are true cones so you don't get water channels like you can in the melita semi-cones or mr coffee style flat bottomed filters. Honestly, I didn't think there would be that big a difference between the melita and the chemex - then I tried one and it was huge.

I actually prefer the aeropress and making one cup at a time, but when I'm filling 1L carafes and especially the 2.5L airpot, the chemex is so much simpler than making a bunch of americanos with the aeropress.