How To Make French Press Coffee
On this weeks money saving tip we’re going over how to make French press coffee.
For those of you who don’t know what French press coffee is, it may seem expensive and complicated to make on the surface. However, don’t let that fool you. Even with a bare bones budget you can still make great tasting and eco-friendly coffee from the comfort of your own home.
Now before we get into the nitty gritty of French press coffe, I will admit that I was a huge Keurig fan. It was fast, convenient and came with cute pods that had pictures on the lids. The downside to K-Cup pods is in cost and non-compostable trash that is generated every time you make a cup of your favorite brew. It is estimated that the amount of trash generated from K-Cups could wrap around the Earth 10 times!
If the thought of trash filling up the Earth doesn’t hurt your feelings, the cost of doing it should. I used to purchase 12 packs of K-Cups from my local grocery store. Each 12 pack would cost around $6.00 when on sale (which is the only way I’d purchase them). But even on sale you are talking about $0.50 per cup. A quick search on Amazon reveals you can get the K-Cups cheaper, around $0.30 per cup if you buy a 100 pack. This certainly helps the cost factor but just to show you how much more you can save I’ll show you some math on what I currently spend with my French press.
I now purchase whole beans at the local grocery store, usually for about $10.00 per pound (on sale of course ;)) and it lasts a month of making coffee for two people. That equates to 80 cups of coffee per month on average. If I were to do the same with K-Cups on the cheap ($0.30/pod) then 80 x $0.30 = $24.00. That’s more than double the cost of fresh whole bean coffee and that’s also before we even consider the cost of the Keurig machine itself.
This brings me to an important point. Having been a Keurig fan for many years, I went through multiple brewers over the years. While the Keurig brewers at first seem amazing, once you use them enough they always seem to clog, get dirty and then malfunction. And the machines aren’t exactly built to be taken apart by the end user to fix/clean/replace whatever has failed. At one point I accepted the fact that this would happen and planned on buying a new brewer every year just to avoid the pain of not being able to brew coffee in the morning. If you were to go this route you are talking about an extra $80.00+ every year on top of the cost of coffee/beans. Not to mention the pollution and trash from manufacturing and replacement of your machines.
Having brewed hundreds of cups of coffee at this point from my French press I can tell you that for me it is a no brainer. The French press is a much simpler machine, there are no circuit boards, no electricity is needed for the press, and the construction of the press is mostly glass with a little bit of metal and plastic on the trim. This leads to a brewer that is more durable and longer lasting but also eco-friendly in materials.
I forgot to mention, there are re-usable K-cup pods which you can fill with your own ground coffee. I tried to go this route before but the issue is in the very design of the machine. The re-usable pods are also made of plastic, they don’t last forever (very fragile) and inevitably end up in the landfill. It’s also very inconvenient having to wash a mountain of tiny little re-usable pods everyday. If you already have a Keurig brewer and don’t want to throw it away, this could be a way to continue using it with the least amount of financial and ecological impact.
Now on to the French press coffee. There are five steps which I’ve broken down below to get you started with delicious, eco-friendly, cheap coffee.
Step 1 - Quality Beans
I recommend getting quality, whole coffee beans for the best experience. Check the date on the package before buying your beans as they are best used within 30 days after roasting. Once you get home, don’t forget to store your beans in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Pre-ground coffee can work and taste good but as soon as you grind the beans they start degassing which will translate into flatter flavors.
Many experts say that good quality beans account for 80% of a good cup of coffee.
Step 2 - Grind the Beans
Another strong recommendation here, this time for the grinder. I recommend getting a good quality burr grinder which will serve you well for many years. Burr grinders are able to grind the cofee beans evenly and consistently which translates into better taste. If you already have a blade grinder at the ready, don’t worry, it can still work as long as you grind in small batches and make sure the grounds are even and uniform. You should be able to get away with a good manual burr grinder for $20.
Step 3 - French Press
Every French press works the same way and there isn’t exactly a whole lot of room for additional features. The main difference is in the construction material. I recommend picking one with a tempered glass carafe for best taste and aesthetics. The plunger should be all metal including the filter for durability.
The most important part of picking your French press will probably be size. If you’re making coffee just for one, you can get away with a small 4 cup (12-16 oz) press. If you’re making coffee for 2 or more, I’d recommend getting an 8 cup (32 oz) press or larger. You can find a wide variety of good quality French presses online for $20-40. I personally use a Bodum 4 cup French press my girlfriend bought from Wal-Mart for under $20.
Step 4 - Grind to Water Ratio
For the average coffee drinker, two scoops of whole bean coffee should be used for every 8-12 ounces of water. You can adjust this based on your preference for stronger or weaker brews.
Step 5 - Brew and Plunge
The best brewing temperature is going to be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Boiling point is 212 degrees so if you don’t have a thermometer handy you can just boil the water then wait a minute before pouring into your French press. I usually let the coffee brew for 4 minutes before hitting the plunger on the press. You can adjust brew time based on personal taste.
With the five steps listed above, you should be on your way to a delicious cup of French press coffee. Feel free to comment below and let us know how your coffee comes out. And if you are a big time coffee lover, a fat lazy cat told me we may be covering cold brew coffee in the near future.
Spread knowledge, save the Earth, save your money.
-EchoSierraCharlie
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