Filter coffee machines are a dying breed. In fewer and fewer kitchens in Germany, coffee powder is measured with a special spoon and the previously accurately folded filter bag is filled with a pinch of salt. How many spoons were that again? The gamble is to fill the right amount of water into the container using the preheated glass jug without submerging the worktop. Eight small cups? Four large cups? How was that? In our house, the filter machine is only kept in the room as a last resort, in case more visitors come by with a thirst for coffee than planned.
The modern coffee drinker grinds the beans themselves. That’s where it starts. Pull out the manual or electric coffee grinder, put in the beans and off you go. The first advantage over the filter coffee from the bag: You only chop as many beans as you need and close the bag with the fragrant Arabica, Robusta or other beans so that it stays that way. It takes a lot of effort to seal the packet of instant coffee again so that it is aroma-tight, so that the contents eventually lose their last hint of aroma, especially if you drink coffee sparingly. Second advantage: If you grind yourself, you also decide how coarse or fine the coffee crumbs should be, which you later brew with hot water. And professionals know: The degree of grinding makes the difference depending on the type of preparation. Especially with a French press. You’ll find out later why this is so important for the popular stamp pot.
But the French press preparation is one thing above all: very simple. What’s more, the ready-to-drink coffee is on the breakfast table within ten minutes. Some people might think that it’s much quicker with a fully automatic coffee machine. That’s right. To do this, each cup has to be brewed individually. Not to mention the cleaning effort and the hefty price tag for high-quality machines. The French press may not be the most elegant, but it is one of the most convenient ways to make coffee according to your own taste. What tricks help to give your coffee that extra kick and what should French press newbies keep in mind?
Here are the key steps for French press preparation:
Bitter substances, in the case of coffee beans mainly antioxidants, can quickly deprive coffee drinkers of their desire for their favorite hot drink. To ensure that this doesn’t happen when preparing the French press, you should pay particular attention to four things.
Why are these four points so important? Coffee beans contain bitter substances called antioxidants. These are released excessively if the beans are ground too finely, the water is too hot and the steeping time is too long. For this reason, coffee made in a French press should not sit around for a long time, even after stamping. Even in a French press with insulation, the coffee becomes increasingly bitter. With a good fully automatic coffee machine, the crucial parameters (grinding degree
Finally, a little excursion into the history of coffee. The French press is actually said to have its roots in 19th century France. A somewhat scatterbrained Frenchman, it is reported, forgot to boil his coffee with the water. Without further ado, he poured the water over the coffee. He later filtered the powder out again. An inventive Italian named Attilio Calimani patented the French press preparation a few decades later. But that didn’t change the name of the coffee preparation that is so popular around the world today.
Sources: 19grams.coffee
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