A French press is a quintessential piece of equipment for every coffee connoisseur. For a low-entry price point, it makes a great-tasting cup of coffee. However, there are several mistakes that you should avoid when using a French press. Our roast masters at Lavie Coffee have the following tips:
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Using Poor Quality Coffee Beans
No brewing method available can take poor-quality coffee beans and make a good-tasting cup of coffee. Starting with high-quality coffee beans from Lavie Coffee will result in a flavorful cup of coffee. Poor quality coffee beans produce a bitter and acidic cup of coffee, even when made correctly using a French press.
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Using the Incorrect Grind Size
Grind size is very important with a French press. A French press requires between a medium and coarse grind setting. A grind that is too fine will not get caught by the stainless-steel mesh filter, and you will be drinking coffee grinds with your breakfast. On the other hand, a grind that is too coarse will not extract properly. This results in a weak and under-extracted cup of coffee. Lavie Coffee recommends using a burr-blade coffee grinder to ensure the perfect grind every time.
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Not Stirring the Coffee Beans
One of the essential steps of using a French press is stirring the coffee beans after pouring the hot water in. Once you pour the hot water over the beans allow them to sit for 30 to 60 seconds. After this time is up, stirring the beans allows for every coffee particle to be saturated by the hot water. This allows for the most flavorful coffee extraction because every particle will be contributing to your cup of French press coffee.
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Drinking All of the Coffee
A French press limits you to the amount of coffee that you can make at once. It is no wonder that you will try to get every bit of coffee out of the French press since you are limited to 1 – 2 cups of coffee. However, the bottom inch or two in a French press will consist of ground coffee. This is best left to go to your compost pile rather than your coffee cup. If you need another cup of coffee, simply start from scratch rather than drinking ground coffee beans.
Lavie Coffee offers high-quality coffee beans that can take your cup of coffee to the next level. Visit our website to view all the grinds that we have available. Our high-quality coffee beans pair perfectly with your French press.