Fred's Fresh-Roasted

Brewing the perfect cup

Tired of that same old cup of coffee? Then follow these steps for a great cup of coffee. First, you will need three things:

1. A plunger pot, also known as a French press. This is one of the purest ways to brew coffee. The resulting brew will be rich and thick. Unlike a paper filter, a plunger pot allows the full flavor of coffee to be savored. A paper filter traps many of the coffee's oils and removes some of the flavor nuances. Also, a paper filter can introduce "paper" flavors of its own.

A plunger pot runs from about $12.00 to $60.00, depending upon the size and make. They can be found in department stores, kitchen supply stores, and coffee shops.

2. Good, fresh-roasted coffee! NOT a commercial coffee that contains robusta beans. You want a quality coffee that contains only the finest arabica beans.

3. Good Water! A cup of coffee is mostly water. If you do not like the way your water tastes, then more than likely you will not like the way your coffee tastes. Best to use filtered or bottled water.
  • Put 2 tablespoons of coffee for each 6 ounces of water into the bottom of the plunger pot. Use a coarse grind (you may adjust the coffee to water ratio to taste).
  • Pour in water just off the boil (195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit). Ensure all the grounds are covered by water (you might have to stir lightly with a spoon) and then put the top on the carafe. Do NOT push the plunger down yet.
  • Let the coffee steep for exactly 4 minutes.
  • Push the plunger down. This allows the stainless steel mesh filter to separate the coffee from the grounds, by trapping the grounds at the bottom of the pot.
  • Serve and ENJOY!

Here is another instruction page at Sweet Maria 's website.

And a wonderful article with great pictures at CoffeeGeek - How to Use a Presspot.

My absolutely favorite way to brew coffee is with a vacuum brewer. Here are some great sources with info and technique for this method.

Regular drip coffee makers often do not reach the proper temperature and therefore you don't get full extraction of the coffee. You can test your brew temperature by carefully inserting a stick theremometer (like a milk frothing thermometer) into the filter basket while brewing coffee. The prime tempereature range is 195 to 210 degrees F.