If you are dreaming of how to make that perfect cup Costa Rica coffee using a French Press but are worried about not doing brewing it the right way. The good news is that its really not that hard, stay tuned and I will walk you through the brewing process.
Today, you are unlikely to find any other method that is easier to brew coffee than with a French press.Even with it being easy to use, some people are hesitant to try this brewing their coffee from Costa Rica with a French Press because they are concerned that they won’t do it right or it won’t taste as good as it did when they took that tour of the coffee farm.
So lets dispel those myths and talk about brewing coffee with a French Press in detail.
How To Make French Press Coffee
Essential Equipment
What is so great about using a French Press is that its so easy to make a great coffee that its almost to good to believe. So how you do it? Let me give you my general recipe on what you should do. If you don’t have these items, I have included links to Amazon on the preferred ones to get.
- French Press
- Whole Bean Costa Rica Coffee
- Burr Grinder
- Kettle
- Timer
- Scale
Step 1. Preheat the French Press
This is often overlooked but important step for any immersion or pour over brewing method. Its done by simply adding hot water to the press and moving it around a little. After you do that just discard that water.
Step 2. Weigh Out Your Costa Rica Coffee
Now use a ratio of 15 to 1 (water to coffee) to measure how much coffee you want. I usually use 20 grams of coffee and 300 grams of water. You can modify this to 16 or 17 to one depending on your taste.
Step 3. Grind Your Coffee
Once you have that measured out, grab your burr grinder and put it on a coarse setting. Now put your coffee in and grind away.
Step 4. Measure Out and Heat Water
At this point you may want to start heating up your water in your kettle and allow the temperature reach between 195 to 205 F or if you don’t have a temperature gauge, let the kettle sit for 30 seconds after it begins to boil.
Step 5. Tare Your Scale
Pull out your scale and put your French Press on it and tare the scale so that it says zero. Once this is done pour in your ground coffee and verify that is says 20g (in this example) … Once that’s done, tare it again so its at zero.
While your waiting for the water to reach the proper temperature, get your timer out and turn it on.
Step 6. Add Hot Water
Once your water is at the right temperature, start your timer and pour in 60 grams of water. If your coffee is fresh you will see what they call “the bloom“. Let it sit for 30 seconds and then pour in the remaining water until you get to 300 grams of water.
Step 7. Put The Lid On and Wait
Put the plunger on your French press Carafe but DO NOT plunge and let the coffee brew until you get to 4 minutes.
Step 8. Press the Plunger
At 4 minutes press the French press plunger slowly and gently. Stick to the weight of your hand when pressing to get best results.
Step 9. Pour the Coffee into Another Container
Once you do this don’t let it sit in the French Press as it will continue to brew, besides you want to drink now anyway don’t you? So let it decant in another container or pour it in your favorite coffee mug and enjoy!
How to Clean A French Press
A dirty coffee maker will always produce less then optimal coffee – regardless of the type. Most of the French presses in the market are easy to disassemble and clean.
Start by removing the plunger Now, fill the carafe with warm water halfway and swish the water to loosen the coffee grounds that might be stuck.
Hold the mesh straighter over your kitchen sink. Pour the French press’ contents into it. Dump the strainer containing the coffee grounds into the garbage or better yet put them in your compost. (Here are some other ideas for your used coffee grounds)
Next, add some warm water and some dish soap and put your plunger back on. Pump severally to remove the coffee stains and oil Use your bottle brush with some baking soda to scrub the stubborn residues away. Rinse properly and use a dry soft cloth to dry.
If you do not have the time to do all that, you can use the dishwasher, if the French press is dishwasher safe but what fun is their in that?
What is the best kind of French Press Coffee Maker?
The French press has been around a long time and today they are made out of different types of materials and sizes.
Once you decide on the size you will need, whether you will be using it just for yourself or for family and friends, the next decision is to find out what type of material you want it made out of.
Borosilicate Glass
The borosilicate glass material contains boron trioxide and silica, which means that it is more resistant to thermal shock. The glass will not explode after you have poured your hot water into the French press.
Manufacturers use the same material to make the glass bakeware. Unfortunately, if the French press drops on the tile floor, the glass composition will not help you.
Stoneware or Ceramic
This type of French press is beautiful but can be more pricey than the others unless you can find a deal one. The manufacturers mostly supply them in a rainbow of colors, but they also coat them internally to prevent odors and stains.
The material is dishwasher safe. Moreover, it is sturdier and resistant to high temperatures. Unfortunately, it will break if it drops on a hard floor so be careful with it! You could look at one like the Le Creuset on Amazon
Stainless Steel
If you need a French press that will not break easily, you will have to go for the stainless steel one.
Generally, the carafe is vacuum-sealed and doubled – more like the heavy-duty travel mugs – so that they can keep your coffee hot for very many hours. The manufacturers supply them in polished or brushed polishes to satisfy the needs of their customers.
If you need a brushed finish style, expect to find many colors. But if you need a polished one, you should expect a mirror finish, which resembles the fine silver.report this ad
The durability highly varies from one model to the other, but you should keep in mind that stainless steel will never break if it dropped on a hard floor. Take a look at the one from Secura on Amazon
Plastic
The French presses from the reputable brands feature plastic carafes made of styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and are free of bisphenol-A (BPA). The SAN material is durable and it will withstand high temperature without leaching chemicals or warping.
BPA comes with many negative effects and can easily find its way into your coffee each time you expose the plastic to heat – such as when boiling water.
And because you will be using hot water to brew coffee, you will have to make sure that the material is BPA-free. Bodum makes a great French Press with this BPA free material.
Final Thoughts
Making Costa Rica coffee with a French Press is easy, fun and can produce an incredible cup of coffee. Its great way to make coffee whether you are making just one cup or for a group of people as you only have to do it once either way.
If you combine the French Press with Fresh Roasted Coffee, proper grind, water temperature and right amount of coffee you will consistently have great tasting coffee for years to come.
