A plunger coffee maker, also called a French coffee maker, is often thought of as the best by coffee aficionados. It is one of the infusion techniques that allows the natural oils and proteins of the coffee to remain intact. Furthermore, since it does not have to use any paper filters, experts believe it produces a very pure coffee. Learn to prepare a coffee with the plunger coffee maker which sometimes turns out to be much easier than the automatic machines so widespread today.
Steps
Step 1. Coarsely grind the coffee beans
You cannot use the French coffee maker with standard ground coffee, which is widely used in percolation systems. All blends sold already ground are usually medium-grained, so you need to grind the beans yourself. You can ask that the shop where you buy the beans do it for you, or you can do it at home.
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If you use medium ground coffee with the plunger coffee maker, the grounds will block the filter and prevent you from pouring the infusion easily.
Make Coffee With a Coffee Press Step 1Bullet1 - Also, a medium ground will cause the coffee to over-extract and the result will be a bitter or acidic liquid. The French coffee maker allows each bean to be in contact with water throughout the brewing process, unlike the percolation methods, so a large contact surface is not required for each bean.
- To obtain a better coffee, the beans should be ground just before brewing (theoretically 15 minutes before). Premature grinding causes oxidation of the coffee.
Step 2. Add the ground coffee to the coffee maker
Simply put the required amount on the bottom of the coffee pot. Use a ratio of 90ml of water to 15g of coffee. You can obviously modify it to suit your tastes.
Step 3. Heat the water in a separate container
Use a saucepan or kettle. The best temperature for infusion is 90 ° C which is just below the boiling point (100 ° C).
Step 4. Pour the water into the coffee maker
When it has reached the right temperature, slowly pour it over the coffee beans. Make sure you pour the correct volume of water for the amount of coffee you have previously added.
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If some grains float to the surface and still look dry, stir the mixture with a spoon.
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Step 5. Put the lid on the coffee maker and wait 4 minutes for the coffee to steep
The plunger should be kept raised, so that the rod comes out of the cover.
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Set a timer for 4 minutes. This is the best brewing time for a French coffee maker.
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Step 6. Lower the plunger into the coffee
When 4 minutes have passed, the infusion has reached its maximum strength and the coffee is ready to be poured. Place your hand over the plunger handle and slowly lower it while pressing the coffee grounds. The liquid flows through the metal filter and the beans are trapped at the bottom.
Step 7. Pour the coffee
With the plunger all the way down you can simply pour yourself your cup of coffee. Note that the grounds still remain in contact with the water that remains in the coffee maker; if you do not want an over-extraction and a bitter coffee, pour all the liquid within 20 minutes.
Advice
- You can rinse the metal filter and the underside of the coffee pot from the coffee grounds with running water. It is usually not necessary to use soap.
- Remember that coffee grounds can be composted or added directly to the soil.
