An Important Step You’re Missing When Buying French Press Coffee
French press coffee is perhaps the simplest way to make coffee: you pour hot water over the coffee grounds, wait, and then pour out the coffee. There is no need for seepage, slow drip or portafilter. The simplicity of it all is perhaps the reason why it is so popular among many coffee lovers (it is for me). But no matter how many times you do it, you may end up skipping the last, most important step: decanting.
Why you should decant your coffee in a French press
Drip coffee, espresso, percolator coffee, and pour-over coffee all brew and reward you with delicious hot coffee in one zone and used grounds in another. French press coffee has a unique feature: the finished coffee is not separated into different parts. The coffee grounds are pressed to the bottom of the container, but some of the brewed coffee still circulates through them.
If you pour out a cup of perfectly brewed coffee and leave the remainder in the French press, two things will start to happen: You risk over-extracting the coffee beans, which can lead to an increase in the harsh flavor in each subsequent cup. Secondly, your hot coffee starts to cool down.
The best way to brew a French press
Instead of your coffee becoming acrid and cold, you should decant it. Let the coffee steep for four to eight minutes (depending on the size of the coffee grounds and your personal preference) and pour the entire carafe into an insulated container. This stops brewing completely and the insulated container will keep your coffee hot.
Don’t be fooled by insulated French presses – they are often expensive and only solve the problem of heat loss. They don’t take into account the fact that the coffee grounds continue to extract into the hot liquid. Your $12 French press will do just fine. Instead, use a double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel bottle. I’m obsessed with everything I own. Yes, I have a collection now and it is borderline eccentric, but you will understand once you experience their effectiveness. Guys, I’m talking about hot coffee that can be ready in 12 hours.
My favorite brands for this job are Klean Kanteen and Yeti . They come in different sizes and shapes, but these two examples are suitable for processing a decent amount of coffee. And if that’s not enough, these insulated containers are great for hot and cold liquids. You can finish your day’s hot coffee, clean out the vessel, and fill it with Arnold Palmer for your friend’s afternoon picnic.