French Press Coffee Maker

French Press coffee makers are among the best ways available to make a truly enjoyable cup of coffee. In fact, according to many of the true coffee aficionados in the world, using a French Press when making your coffee can raise a simple cup of Joe to something truly magnificent. But what is a French Press coffee maker, and what makes it so special? Here is some information that you can use to help weigh the advantages and disadvantages inherent with a French Press coffee maker, and the best way to use it.

• Advantages. Many of the advantages to using a French Press Coffee maker affect the final taste of the coffee. One of these advantages include being able to reduce the bitterness of your coffee from not having the coffee grounds coming into direct contact with the boiling water. Speaking of taste, the small lightweight glass carafe that is typically used is easily cleaned and does not affect the taste of coffee like other kinds of coffee makers.
• Disadvantages. As opposed to other kinds of coffee makers, when using a French Press the coffee does not stay warm very long. After having made the coffee, if you want to keep the coffee warm for very long try pouring it into a thermos; otherwise, drink the coffee right away. One of the other major disadvantages of a French Press coffee maker is that the carafe is glass and could break if you're not careful.
• Use. In order to get the best results from your French Press coffee maker, you will need to grind your own coarse coffee. Use a burr grinder since these types of grinders provide the best control and don't generate too many fine grinds which can end up sneaking through the filter. Measure two level tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. Fill a tea kettle with water and bring it to a boil. Once it begins to boil, pour the water directly into the French Press over the coffee grounds. Put the French Press lid onto the pot, being careful to not press the plunger down yet. Allow the coffee to steep for three to five minutes (a good average time is four minutes). Once the time has elapsed, gently push the plunger down which will, in fact, filter the grounds from the rest of the coffee. Just pour the now complete coffee into your favorite mug and enjoy.