Things I Love: French Press Coffee

Well, here I sit in my red fancy ball gown, white gloves, and my hair in an alluring chignon (I can type that word, but honestly, I cannot pronounce it) ready to tell you about my new Thing I Love...my French Press Coffee Maker.


I got one from my Grandma Lynn for Christmas.  I was wary, I admit.  I do not like coffee.  As I have explained before, it makes my tummy feel as if I have gulped down battery acid. 

I gave this thing a try because, deep down, I really do want to be fancy, and the red dress and gloves were just not cutting it.  Let me tell you. 

It. Was.  Amazing.

The coffee was so good!  It was very smooth, did not hurt my tummy, and only required half of the sugar and milk that I normally require to down the stuff. The key is Essential Oils. 

I read the words "French Press Coffee is so good because it retains the essential oils that are lost when making coffee with a filter in a drip coffee maker." and immediately thought, "Oh, yes...Essential Oils!  The Magazines always say those are good things."  But had no idea what that meant. 

Essential Oils are the "essence" of the coffee bean.  They are the flavor and aroma of the bean.  They are lipids and colloids (please...don't make me do more research to figure out what THOSE are...I don't like to "look things up") that get trapped in paper filters and cause you to have very little natural flavor using the traditional drip method. 

PLUS, with a drip coffee maker, water is quickly passed over the grounds.  A French Press steeps the coffee grounds in hot water for a couple minutes.  Its a beautiful thing.

So, here's what you do.

1.  Spend very little money and get yourself a French Press.  They are ridiculously cheap.  I have this one. By BonJour.

2.  Put 1 TBS of "coarsely ground" coffee in the main container.  1 TBS/ cup...more or less depending on how you like your coffee.  And if you only have normally ground coffee, that's fine.  I had "Eight O'Clock French Vanilla" in the house and it worked great.

3.  Boil your serving of water (or microwave it for 2-3 minutes, its easier), and pour it in the main container with the coffee grounds.

4.  Place the top on and let it steep for 4 minutes.

5.  Be sure to turn the top so that the black splash screen is over the spout.  Here's a pic...see that little black thing over the spout?

6.  After 4 minutes, press the filter down slowly through the coffee...this is removing all the grounds.  My camera is broken, but here's a google pic of the filter looking down at it.

7.  Turn the top so that the splash screen is at the back and a little filter covers the spout (reference the first picture for a look at the spout filter) and pour out your magnificently perfect brew into a mug to enjoy.

Its very very simple.

Why this coffee does not hurt my tummy is beyond me.  Probably has something to do with those Essential Oils (said, every time, with kind of a haunted, dreamy voice). 

Plus, there is the Fancy Factor.  AND the Cheap Factor.  Because to make coffee for one person in a drip brew  you either need a high tech, wiz bang Krupp thingy or to make at least 4-6 cups in a normal coffee pot.  However, your handy dandy French Press can make up to 8 cups, so put that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr. Coffee!