Better coffee. One cup at a time.

Category: General Coffee (Page 27 of 29)

How to Make Coffee With a French Press- Tips for the Best Results

Using a French press is a very popular manual coffee brewing method. Most people are at least vaguely familiar with it. Although French press brewing is a relatively straight forward method you may have a few questions. Below you will find my coffee to water ratio for French press, grind for French press (plus recommendations on a French press grinder) and a recipe for French press coffee.

French Press vs. Pour Over

While drip brewing is in the pour over brewing category, French press brewing is an immersion brew method. Immersion brewing methods generally utilize a larger grind size and longer brewing times. The result is typically a cup of coffee with a lot more body, but less brightness in the cup flavors.

Here are the main differences in French Press vs. Pour Over brewing:

  • The equipment- Unlike pour over brewing, a gooseneck kettle isn’t necessary for achieving consistent results. If you have a French press, coffee and hot water, you can brew.
  • The taste- French press will generally produced a cup of coffee with a lot more body than a pour over, especially if you are using paper filters for your pour over. The French Press allows a lot more of the fats and oils from the ground coffee to end up in the final cup of brewed coffee.
  • The difficulty-The French press is considered to be a little more simple of a brewing method. It is a little easier than most pour over techniques to control your variables and get a consistent cup of coffee. There are also far less variations and techniques associated with brewing with a French press.

Continue reading

Thumbs Down Chicago Bears

As the 5-11 Chicago Bears wind down a disappointing season with their fifth straight loss, I thought I would do something else that would leave a bad taste in my mouth, roast and taste a batch of bad coffee.

I purchased a pound of Sweet Maria’s “Thumbs Down” coffee back in 2012 with the intention of experiencing a cup of coffee that was rated as truly bad by one of my coffee heroes.

The pound of coffee I received was described as follows:

Panama “Dry Process Experiment Gone Awry”
Fruity, vinegary, musty, ack! Here is an example of unclean fruit flavors, a textbook case of processing taint. heavy body, cloying fruit notes, slightly rotten coffee cherry flavor, musty scent and flavors in the finish, medicinal.

Recently some of the best coffees in the world have been coming out of Panama, why would someone want to taste a coffee that is vinegary, musty, and slightly rotten tasting?

Continue reading

Can Kids Drink Coffee?: Challenging the Assumptions

Does coffee stunt your growth? That is what my dad would always tell me about drinking coffee when I was young. Recently, I was having a discussion with my wife about some friends of ours, they give their kids coffee. Naturally, I was perplexed and a little worried. Can kids drink coffee? Should kids drink coffee? My wife insisted it was a thing. There are people out there giving kids coffee.

I was curious so I did a little research. Here is the history of kids and coffee and my opinion of the age old question: “Can I give coffee to my children?”

Disclaimer: It is always best to discuss dietary issues with your pediatrician. I am not a doctor, just a blogger with google at his disposal. If you want to give your child coffee, call up your doctor and ask what their opinion is.

The Vilification of Coffee (Coffee is not for Kids)

According to an article on the Smithsonian website, it all started with C. W. Post in 1895. After several other business ventures, Post, of cereal fame, created his first product in the breakfast sphere. It was call Postum. Postum is a coffee alternative beverage that is comprised of roasted wheat and molasses. If you are interested in trying it (And who wouldn’t be?), Postem is still available for sale. Continue reading

« Older posts Newer posts »