Go to the Recipe: No-Press French Press
Wow! I've never done that, now I need to find the french press.
Oh it's like using a french press as a cupping bowl with a sieve! Brilliant.
The brew time is rather long at 7-9 minutes possibly resulting in over extracted coffee, and cold too. Resting for two minutes in step 5 would be plenty. Scooping out the floating grounds is tedious and messy. Why not just post-filter the brew? Or get a press with a better filter or a better grinder. A careful pour technique will reduce the amount of sludge. Don't drain the last drop from the press into the cup, and don't drink the last bit. If I had to go through this rigamarole I'd find another brew method.
A little bit time consuming but pretty rewarding technique. Maybe not for a busy morning but then you have less time to enjoy your cup, right?
Isn't the coffee gonna be over-extracted with such a long brew time??
When I pour in the water in step 4 a thick layer of ground coffee is building on the bottom of the bowl, which doesnt seem to interact with the water. Should I stirr at that point to get it floating or is it just the point to let it sit?
After watching the discussions in the "Dialing in your daily brew" section I think the grind size is what changes extraction percentage instead of time. I would love to be corrected if my understanding is wrong though.
Not sure what is happening, but after the initial 4 minutes and stirring, the coffee grounds are not sinking to the bottom. So, when I'm scooping the foam, I'm getting lots and lots of grounds. What am I doing wrong?
Are you using 400 micron grounds?
Use 400 micron
Very gently move the beans around without stirring too hard or quick
Its grind size that matters most
I believe its mostly grind size that matters most
Since all he's doing is pouring water over grounds, couldn't you do that in just a normal pitcher instead? Using a French press seems to be irrelevant in this method
One of coffees that I've bought (pre-ground in coffee shop for me) does not form any crust. Do you have any ideas — is it bad or not? Why it happens?
Interesting you brew for 4 minute then let it sit another 3-5 minutes, if the grind is the same as a standard french press wouldn't this be over-extracted? Also you may want to mention to decant the entire thing to stop the process at the end. (in the video half was left in the brewer)
I've tried your method several times and am still getting unsatisfactory results. Not bad... but not great. I have been roasting green beans (from Sweet Maria's in the Bay Area) in small batches at home, then grinding just what I require for a cup or 2 at a time. Still finding that I prefer the flavour profile from a basic pour-over technique (Hario V60) with a 2.5 minute extraction time or the Clever Coffee Dripper with a 4 minute extraction time.
This works great, this method really does remove the sludge from your cup of coffee. While I personally don't mind the sludge, this is a great way to brew for people who typically don't like french press coffee, and it still delivers a lot more body than a regular automatic drip coffee machine would.
Matt Purger has been talking about longer brewing time lately. I like this method a lot, I brew for 10 minutes. I find it gives me a better cup than the usual 2.5min V60. Best cup I have made though is with the Clever Dripper, 6.5% coffee and 8min brew time. Don't have refractometer to measure extraction but it is the sweetest cup I can get from my beans. I believe extraction is over 22% with this method.
Just tried this today. Had it the old way I used to make yesterday. What a difference.
Super yum! Probably not the best beverage to make at 9 pm when you're planning on being up at 4 the next morning, but we all have to make sacrifices.
James Hoffman has been doing lots of tests and written on his blog about the French Press and what he noticed is that after the 4min the extraction pretty much stops. I've tested it myself and it still tasted good and clear on the palate 20min later. His words: "It is really hard to overextract a french press when it comes to brew time. I used to firmly believe in decanting as soon as possible. I can no longer justify that idea."
Just joined the Studio Pass 'clan' and this was my first premium tip to try. My coffee just became 50% more enjoyable! As we drink a lot coffee here in the Netherlands, this tip is most welcome. Looking forward to explore the rest of the Studio Pass content. Warm greetings from Amsterdam
Welcome, Paul! Thanks for joining up.
Just a tip regarding coffee. If you put in a 'shot' of cold water into the coffee sediment it will cause it to sink to the bottom. This will cut the wait time down considerably.
