You would be hard pressed to find someone who loved coffee and also loved paying $2.50 (at least) for a little cup of it every day. Coffee is an art, a lifeblood of many and a great pleasure, but $2.50+ for a small cup of it can be ridiculous.
Sure, there are those times where going to your local coffee shop (support the little guys!) and enjoying the atmosphere is needed, heck I’m doing that while writing this. But going every day adds up, and not just in the monetarily, but it costs you gas to get there and it costs you valuable time.
But luckily we are here to help, and help we will. Not only will you get a cup of coffee that costs pennies to make, but it will also taste better than any coffee you can get from a drip machine.
And for those of us who have lots to do (web devs, IT professionals, etc), we need to save all the time (and have the best-tasting coffee) possible! Check this out:
A History Lesson:
First off there are many ways to make coffee without a machine, without pre-ground coffee powder, and without a trip to the coffee shop. Hopefully we will be able to cover all the ways in the future, but this article will take a gander at the easiest way to get into brewing your own coffee, the French Press.
Invented in the 1850s and refined to what is it now in the early 1900s, the French Press (also known as a coffee plunger) is a glass cylinder with a metal mesh filter attached to a piston and lid. The French press is a timeless design that hasn’t changed in the recent years other than some changes in materials or color.
To make a pot ground coffee is placed in the cylinder of the press, about 8.5 grams for every 4 oz. of water. Hot water is added and the stirred to make sure the grounds are thoroughly wet. Then the metal mesh filter lid is placed on top to help trap in heat while the coffee brews. After the coffee brews (about four minutes) the piston is pressed down, pushing all the grounds to the bottom of the pot, leaving the coffee above it to be poured out. The resulting brew is a strong, unfiltered coffee that is down right heavenly.
You may notice that the top of a french pressed cup of coffee has a shimmer to it. That shimmer is the essential oil from the coffee, which gives the cup a taste you cannot get from a drip machine (due to the paper filter). It also aids in the tasting in the differences in coffees from different regions. It makes your coffee taste ‘coffeeier’.
An Intimate Process:
Using a french press is an intimate process, and it lends itself well to quite times in the morning. In the fast paced world we work and live in its good to take twenty minutes to your self and connect with the coffee and The Lord in the morning.
Lets look at what you need to buy and how the money breaks down for the french press when compared to going to the coffee shop. These are the things you will need to get started and the prices:
French Press. Ikea has a small personal one for 6 bucks, and a larger version for two for 13 dollars. If you want to go for the top of the line look towards Bodum for your needs, but remember you pay for the fancy details and colors they use.
Ground Coffee. The grind on coffee for this application needs to be much larger than normal; otherwise the grounds will get through the mesh filter on the plunger and it will be much harder to plunge. Coffee is about 8 to 10 dollars a pound on average. If you do not own a coffee grinder the coffee shop or store you buy your coffee from should be more than willing to grind your bag for you. Remember to keep coffee, ground or not, in an airtight container. Also contrary to popular belief it does not need to be kept in the cold.
Hot Water. It doesn’t need to be boiling, but it does need to be very hot, and it also needs to taste good. Use high quality filtered water, remembering that that coffee is almost 100% water. If your tap water is good enough or you have a refrigerator with a water dispenser, use it. If not, a water filter should run you about 10 bucks or so and should last you a good while. Microwaving a measuring cup of water to for a bit will do you well to start. You can upgrade to a good electric kettle or if you are real lucky and have the money for one, a hot water dispenser is the easiest way.
That’s pretty much it, other than a spoon and a cup, which you should already have somewhere at home or in the office.
You will need about 30 grams of ground coffee (a little less than two tablespoons) for a 14oz french press. After a few brewings you should know how much ground coffee you need to get the coffee how you like it. There are roughly 450 grams to a pound, meaning you can get about 15 brews (three work weeks worth) to a pound of coffee. For a one pound bag of coffee that is a little over a dollar for each brew.
The Savings:
After the initial investment in the press and filter (if needed) you will only be spending about 13-15 dollars a month. Compared to 50 dollars if you bought coffee every morning from the shop you save about 35 dollars a month, and the coffee tastes way better!
And we can’t forget the amount of time you might save too!
I hope this article has opened your mind to ditching the drive through coffee for a more intimate French press in the morning. The world of French press coffee is larger than what I’ve touched on here, and I encourage you to go out and learn it.
Coffee is a great thing, but more often than not it is executed poorly, so give it what it deserves and it will give back exponentially. If you have any questions or other tips please add them in the comments.
Chris Martin says
I am a huge fan of the french press. I own a nice stainless steel insulated one. I picked it up on a huge discount before quitting my Starbucks gig.
They are like $50.00 at sbux, but they will keep your coffee warm for hours, unlike the glass or plastic ones.
Adam Neely says
I like the ideas of the metal ones, but I always had a hard time getting the lid on flat. Since it was not clear i couldn’t align it like I liked and I always seemed to get a big clump of grinds in my brew.
But you are right, the coffee would stay warmer much longer. I actually own a personal travel press that is metal and it keeps the coffee warm for what seems like days.
Adam Shields says
I am a fan of the french press, but you should also consider its cousin the Areopress (http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS)
It is designed for espresso, not a regular cup, but is quicker and less messy. You put in the water (at 175, which I like because I can’t handle really hot coffee) and stir for 10 seconds and immediately press the coffee. It makes a great cup of espresso, which I usually turn into an americano, or iced coffee. But another nice part is that instead of a bunch of grounds at the bottom (and in your cup) you get a “puck” of grounds that you push into the trash (or into a tub to scatter around your roses).
I have stopped using my french press since I got the areopress.
Adam Neely says
I’ve heard amazing things about the Aeropress, I really need to invest into one. I’m a big fan of americanos and the Aeropress seems to be the best way to make them at home without buying an espresso machine.
Daniel says
Hmm…do they sell USB powered french presses?
Adam Neely says
No, but they do have USB powered mug warmers 😉
Brian N. says
As much as I advocate coffee lovers moving away from drip coffee through a paper filter, Obsessive coffee snobs like myself would caution that coffee starts losing its flavor minutes, not hours or days after it is ground.
Coffeegeek.com has a french press article as well as others that will enlighten the coffee comsuming public about the importance of a fresh grind.
Schellack says
If you are really serious about making the best tasting coffee, then you need to use a Chemex, which is comparably priced to the French Press and just as easy – and even easier to clean. Of course, you also need high-quality, freshly roasted coffee beans.
Here’s a good chemex brewing guide: http://j.mp/a4YnJc
BenJPickett says
If you do like your coffee maker, and brew lots of coffee, throw a couple pinches of salt on the grounds before you start brewing. While not as effective as a french press it does cut some of the bitterness out of the coffee and brings out a little more of the real coffee flavor.
Adam Neely says
Well that makes sense seeing that salt is a flavor enhancer. That’s why everything with a little salt in it tastes better. Good tip!
Tim says
I use my old Mr. Coffee to heat the water for the French Press. Quick and always the right temperature.
Adam Lehman says
Wife and I had been lusting at several french press-ers. Then went to Ikea and got a cheap one (they work just fine).
The coffee is SO much better…