How to Use a French Press: Brewing Colombian Cherry Blossom Coffee Flavor

French Press

The French Press is a simple brewing device that originated in France around 1850, consisting of a heat-resistant glass body (or transparent plastic) and a metal filter with a plunger. It's a versatile tool that can be used for brewing both tea and coffee, and even for frothing milk! Using an immersion method that allows full contact between water and coffee grounds through steeping, it extracts the essence of coffee in a simple and convenient way that doesn't require much technique.

French press coffee is made by completely immersing the coffee grounds in the pot, then using a plunger with a metal filter to separate the coffee from the grounds. This brewing method produces coffee with excellent body and texture, enhancing the richness and oils while keeping the final coffee quite clean. Compared to the techniques required for pour-over coffee, such as blooming and various skills, the French press method doesn't require much technique yet offers plenty of control options, which is why FrontStreet Coffee believes the French press is very suitable for all coffee lovers.

Important Notes for French Press

Grind Size

When making coffee with a French press, the coffee should be ground coarser, typically to the size of sugar crystals. If the grind is too fine, excessive fine particles will pass through the metal filter, making the coffee taste less clean and affecting the mouthfeel. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a grind size similar to coarse sugar for French press brewing.

Warming the Pot

FrontStreet Coffee suggests remembering to pre-warm the pot with hot water before brewing. Since it's made of glass, the water temperature will drop more quickly if you don't pre-warm it.

FrontStreet Coffee French Press Tutorial

This time, FrontStreet Coffee will use Colombian Sakura from Paradise Estate to demonstrate the French press brewing method.

Coffee Details:

• Region/Estate: Colombia, Cauca, Paradise Estate
• Altitude: 2050m
• Processing: Double Anaerobic Washed
• Variety: Castillo

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

The coffee brewing ratio refers to the proportion of coffee to water. Common brewing ratios range from 1:13 to 1:15. A 1:13 ratio means using 195g of water for 15g of coffee. If you're using a French press at home, you can adjust the brewing ratio according to your taste. FrontStreet Coffee is using a 1:13 ratio this time.

Brewing Temperature

For coffee beans with different roast levels, the water temperature should be adjusted accordingly. For pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee generally recommends temperatures between 86-93°C. However, different regions may choose different values. For example, Japan tends to use lower water temperatures because they prefer immersion extraction, which doesn't work well with higher temperatures. FrontStreet Coffee recommends lower temperatures for dark roast beans, suggesting 86-88°C, because dark roast beans have a looser structure, higher water absorption efficiency, and extract easily, which can lead to bitter and burnt flavors if the water temperature is too high. For light roast beans, we recommend 90-93°C, as higher temperatures can extract the aromatic compounds and acidity (floral and fruit acids) from light roast beans. Since light roast beans are harder, increasing the water temperature can improve extraction efficiency and avoid unpleasant flavors like sharp acidity. For medium roasts, 88-90°C is suitable. This time, FrontStreet Coffee is using Colombian Sakura, which is light to medium roast, brewed at 91-92°C.

Brewing Steps:

1. Preheat the French press with warm water. Add the ground coffee to the French press, then pour in 195ml of hot water (91°C). The pour can be vigorous (completed in about 3 seconds) to agitate the coffee grounds and enhance extraction efficiency.

2. After pouring, lift the filter, place the lid on the pot, and wait for 4 minutes.

3. After four minutes, gently press the plunger down to about 1/4 of the pot height to prevent fine particles at the bottom from flowing to the top.

4. Pour the coffee into your prepared cup and enjoy!

Flavor Profile of Colombian Sakura Brewed with French Press

Berry juice, strawberry jam, gentle acidity, and a lingering finish of mugwort.

Compared to pour-over brewing, the French press uses a metal filter, which has larger pores than regular paper filters, allowing it to retain some coffee oils. French press brewing better showcases the full juicy character of this coffee, with overall more intense flavors.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473