How to use a French Press in 10 Easy Steps
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Here is How to use a French Press listed in 10 Easy Steps

1. Use high quality filtered water – refrigerator filters or pitchers with filters are great.
   
2. Boil water and then allow it to cool.  Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The ideal coffee brew temperature is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Too hot and over-extraction occurs, resulting in sour or bitter coffee. Too cool, and coffee will under extract resulting in a weak taste. Remove your kettle from the heat to allow boiling water to cool in 30 seconds to 4 minutes (depending on quantity).
3. The ideal water to coffee ratio is between 15:1 and 30:1.  One ounce of water (in volume) equals 1 ounce in weight! A level tablespoon of coffee weighs approximately 0.15 ounces, and darker roasts are lighter. A 15:1 ratio equals 1 level tablespoon of coffee per cup of water. You can adjust based on your taste preference.
4. Grind only the amount of coffee you plan to consume immediately. Press coffee should be ground between medium and coarse. The finer you grind, the more flavor you will extract. Finer grounds require more force when pressing the plunger and result in more “silt” or “mud” at the bottom of the pot and your cup. Too fine will result in over-extraction, which will be unpleasant. Finer grind requires less brewing time. You can have LOTS of fun experimenting with grind and time to find your desired taste.
5. Take your press apart. Remove the part with the stem/screen and put it on the side.
6. Add the coffee grounds and any flavorings you want, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, etc.
7. For even less bitterness, add a pinch of salt and 3 to 10 drops of lime juice (depending on the amount of brew)
8. Stir in your properly cooled water and stir for 30 seconds.
9. Reinsert the screen/plunger with the screen pulled all the way up. Let sit 3 – 4 minutes and then, like Wile E Coyote, push the plunger down slowly.
10. If you are using one of our presses, you can leave coffee in the press. If you are using another press (that doesn’t offer Bru-Stop™), pour coffee into your cups or carafe. When cooled, remove grounds (do not put down the drain). See also advice for used grounds. Leaving the coffee inside a non-Bru-Stop™ press will result in over-extraction and is not recommended!

Here are some tips from the pro

Pro-tip #1 – Office coffee makers usually have a “hot water” spigot, bring a travel press to work with grounds ready to go, make great tasting coffee at work, be the envy of the break room. People will smell your coffee and think, “What is THAT?” and “Where do I get some?” Make a windfall at work selling cups of your secret coffee, or just let the cat out of the bag and tell them to go to www.Roast2Order.Shop.

Pro-tip #2 – you can add hot filtered water at your sink DIY or hire a handyman. Proper temperature hot water built into your counter, ready to make press coffee anytime you want.

Thank you, Charlene S., for sharing your photo and review!