How to Brew Great French Press Coffee Quickly and Easily

Do you go to the trouble to purchase great quality coffee beans and then wonder why your morning coffee still tastes bland? It's probably your brewing method that is at fault, and not the coffee beans themselves. Forget about the expensive espresso machines, the drip coffee makers, percolators and newfangled pod coffee machines (bad coffee for the lazy), and just pick up a simple French Press. A French Press is one of the most inexpensive ways to brew coffee, yet is a very easy way to make a superb cup of coffee that is bold and flavorful. Most drip coffee makers on the market today do not heat the water to the correct temperature for optimal coffee brewing (195 to 200 degrees) and so it is simply impossible for them to brew a good cup.

Follow these simple steps and you will be amazed at the difference in your coffee:

1. Assemble everything you will need including a good quality grinder, freshly roasted coffee beans, correct-size coffee scoop (2 tablespoons), French Press, and good quality water without any odd tastes (bottled spring water is a good choice). Do not use distilled water to make your coffee. NOTE: If you don't own a grinder you can use preground coffee, but there is a vast difference in the quality of freshly ground coffee beans and preground coffee.

2. Take your French Press and remove the lid and plunger from the coffee beaker and set aside. Grind your coffee and put into the beaker 1 coffee scoop of ground coffee per 8 to 10 ounces of water. Use a FINE grind (not espresso grind but finer than usual drip coffee maker grind). Most people will tell you to use a coarse grind but this is incorrect if you want to extract the most flavor from your coffee beans. At the same time, have your water boiling on the stove or in the microwave.

3. When your water is boiling, take it off the stove or out of the microwave and allow it to sit for 1 minute, then pour the correct amount (in ratio to the amount of coffee you placed in your beaker) over the coffee grounds. Set a timer for 3 minutes. After 1 minute, swirl the coffee and grounds around in the French Press in order to make sure all the grounds are in contact with the water.