I was always very curious about the french press method of brewing coffee, but never really got into it. Being away from my espresso machine, I really wanted to try something that was simply better than drip. I thought about getting the aeropress, but decided instead for the french press. Boy am I happy. So why is the french press method than drip you ask? Quite simple... *No paper filter! Coffee has a lot of natural oils in it that carry a lot of flavor. Using a paper filter traps those oils, so they never get expressed in the cup. The french press method produces a coffee that is much richer and fuller in body than any drip coffee I have ever had. I feel like I'm drinking coffee instead of cream and sugar. *Complete control over the brewing process. You control the grind, you control the temperature of the water and you control how long the water is contact with the grinds. *Steeping vs. Drip. Using a drip, the water goes through the grinds and out. Very little prolonged contact with the water. Also, it's very common to see channels develop in the basket which leads to underextraction. With the press, all the grounds are completely submerged within the water for however long you decide. Better extraction, just don't let them sit in there too long. Sometimes you hear of people complaining that there are too many grinds left in the cup using a press. Here is some good advice: "Don't skimp on the grinder". Toss your whirly-blade away (or relegate it to spices) and get yourself a burr grinder. I use a rocky with my french press, but you don't have to buy a $300 grinder for french press. You'll probably want to spend no less than 60. I've heard good things about the antiqua from bodum, the infinity from capresso and pretty much anything in the baratza line-up. Why such an expensive grinder you ask? Well you need to grind your own for any method of coffee brewing you use (throw the folgers out the door), but you need a fairly consistent grind. Whirly-blades will give you a lot of dust and coffee boulders; neither are very good for coffee brewing. Also, if you think that there is any possibility you might one day venture out into the world of espresso, go for no less than the gaggia mdf, or better yet a rocky. Nothing below those two will give you a grind for espresso. (End grinder tirade) Using a good grinder, the amount of grinds in the cup will be exceptionally minimal. You do get a little bit of coffee dust into the cup, but it's hardly noticeable and usually settles out into the very bottom of the cup. The filter on the press does a very nice job of keeping the grounds out. I read somewhere in one of the amazon reviews that the press doesn't go down far enough to really press the coffee. I'm not sure how much coffee this person was using, but I use slightly less than the recommended amount and I am able to press the grounds quite firmly. This particular 3-cup model will make about 8-10 oz of brewed coffee. You can't quite get all 12oz of water in with the grounds, and some of the water gets soaked up in to the grounds. This is the perfect amount for me, since I only drink one cup-a-day, but if you drink more, go for a bigger model. Make sure not to leave the brewed coffee sitting in the press. Pour out any you don't drink immediately into some kind of thermal carafe to keep it warm. The unit itself solid enough. Obviously the glass is breakable, so don't go bouncing it off the floor. Cleanup is pretty easy. I rinse out the press, put some soap in the bottom, fill with water, and plunge up and down a few times and let it set while I drink my coffee. Make sure you keep the press clean, previously brewed coffee grounds are very good at ruining your coffee. As far as how to brew french press, check out the guide over at coffeegeek, but also look at the Illy method of preparation as they detail on their site. Decide which one you like better. The only improvement I would like to see would be some sort of thermal insulation to keep the coffee warm while it brews. The coffee is still hot when I'm ready to pour into the cup, but it would still be nice. Make sure to preheat your press with some how tap water. Bodum does make thermal french presses, but they come at a higher price point. Overall, great little brewer that comes at a very affordable price-point. Pair this with a good grinder as some freshly roasted beans (you're not still using folgers are you?), and you've got a recipe for excellent coffee.
