French Pressed Coffee

I've definitely been in an over-tired and run down rut the past few weeks...until I had my first french press coffee yesterday and I have been forever changed. For the [much] better. I'm not gonna lie, yesterday I was a little cracked out with being over-productive, up later than usual, and still even up extra early this morning (without an alarm or baby waking me) but since when has that ever been a bad thing in anyone's life?

I discovered that french pressed coffee not only gives you an extra jolt (about twice the amount as a normal brew) but it tastes SO MUCH BETTER than regular coffee too. It has a very rich and robust flavor and you will feel like a Starbuck's Barista every morning and love life a little more than usual. Really. My morning coffee routine has a whole new meaning now. It takes about 5 minutes longer to make than regular coffee, but it is well worth it, trust me, just wait and see for yourself! All you need is:

1. A french press maker. There's a ton out there and actually really cheap and don't take up much space at all. I bought this one at Target for $20.
2. Coarsely ground coffee. I use and love Caribou coffee....You can go to any Starbucks or Caribou or other coffee shop and buy a small package of whole beans and have them grind it up for you. You need coarsely ground coffee for this because fine grind can clog the filter. *Sidenote: I tried to buy my own coffee grinder, but most out there - at least the smaller $20 ones that I wanted - only have one regular grind setting and they are "blade" grinders, which really are not good for coffee at all. If you want to get your own coffee grinder, you really need to get a Burr grinder and those start at about $80. You really want to buy whole beans and then grind yourself or have a local coffee shop grind for you because coffee is best (for you and also tastes much better) when it is freshly ground. Typically it is looses its properties and taste after being ground for 2 weeks (whereas whole beans can last months).
3. Tea kettle to heat (not boil) the water. Use filtered (not tap) water.

How you make it:

1. Place your french press maker on a flat counter top surface and pull the plunger unit straight up and out of the pot.
2. For every 6 oz of water, put 2 rounded tablespoons of Caribou (original blend) coarse ground coffee into the pot. (If you use different coffee brand or blend, just read the side label and adjust accordingly).
3. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the pot. It is important to not use boiling water. I take my kettle off when it starts to steam and rattle a little but before it whistles. Or you could let it whistle and boil but then let it cool off for a minute until it is just steaming. There is no need to really measure the water temperature but if you want to go the extra mile, they say it is best for the water temp to be between 100 & 105 degrees. Leave about an inch of space at the top of the pot.
4. Stir the brew with a plastic or wooden spoon. Metal spoons can scratch or chip the glass and cause the pot to break.
5. Place the plunger unit on top of the pot. Do not press down, you're just sealing the top closed. Let the coffee brew for 4 minutes. (Do not do under 4 minutes, but you can let it sit there for longer than 4 min if you want).
6. Holding the pot handle in one hand, and using just the weight of your other hand to apply pressure to the top of the knob on the plunger unit to lower the plunger straight down into the pot. Lowering the plunger slowly with minimal pressure produces the best results. *Sidenote: If the filter clogs or it becomes difficult to push down, remove the plunger from the pot, stir the brew again, and then slowly plunge again.
7. Pour your coffee & enjoy. 


Here's an instructional youtube video that's helpful to watch before you take 'the plunge' ;)

PS: Where you buy your coffee matters! Read this old post for a refresher.