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The French Press is Hands Down the Best Way to Enjoy a Perfect Cup of Coffee - and I Have Been Doing it All Wrong My Entire Life!

Writer's picture: Rees WaltherRees Walther

Updated: Dec 2, 2024

French press and smoked coffee
Nothing better than using a French press with Rocket Smoked Coffee

I started out writing this blog to provide our customers with the best way to prepare Rocket Smoked Coffee. I have always believed that using a French press is far better than drip, (and I still do) so I began writing down instructions of how I have always made coffee using my French press. Once my instructions were all written out, I decided to do a little research on how others made their French press. I am so glad I did! As it turns out... I have been doing it wrong my whole life!


-What I Found In My Research

During my research, a few Youtube videos stood out to me and made the most sense to me. The first was by The Coffee Chronicler - found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rvdh-mKDaQ In this video, Asser Christensen walks you through a variety of things to consider when you brew coffee using a French press. He also made reference to James Hoffman as the king of coffee, so I looked him up too. After watching several of his videos, this one stood out to me the most - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st571DYYTR8


-What I Learned

So what did I learn? A lot! I learned I have been grinding my grounds wrong using a blade grinder instead of a burr grinder. I learned that I have been using my French press wrong by placing the plunger on top while it brews. I learned about "the golden ratio," removing the crust and using a decanter in the final process.


-I Had To Experiment

After learning about these methods, I had to experiment. So, I created a hybrid method, using some of what I already knew with what I thought were the most important aspects from both Asser and James' methods. The result? Nothing less than amazing! I then shared my new found method with my son and he agreed it was good, but thought our old way was fine. So we brewed some the old way. It wasn't even close. The method I am now using to brew my coffee is laid out below. Try it for yourself and see.


-My New Method for French Press


Step 1: The Water

One of the most important parts of brewing coffee is your water. Afterall, a cup of coffee is 99% water. Try to use filtered, soft water if you can. Heat your water to between 200 and 202 degrees Fahrenheit. If your water is hotter than 205 degrees, you run the risk of burning your coffee, and nobody likes burnt coffee.


Step 2: Grind Your Coffee

While your water is warming on the stove or in your kettle, grind your coffee beans to a course grind. Rocket Smoked Coffee pre-ground coffee is ground to a medium course grind, so it will work for French Press, but freshly ground coffee is always better.

Burr grinders, such as the Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, give you a much more uniform grind than a blade grinder. I have always struggled with consistency with my coffee. Sometimes it was too bitter and other times it seemed watered down. I think it was the inconsistency of my blade grinder this whole time. Try using a burr grinder if you can. You will definitely taste the difference.


Step 3: Ratio

The "Golden Ratio" is 1:16. That means 1 oz of coffee per 16 oz of water. My kettle has a see through measuring column, but it's in liters. So the conversion is 1 oz of coffee to .5 liters (or 4 cups) of water. I have always measured my coffee out by sight, using a scoop I have had forever. The problem with that is, it's just not consistent. I am now using a digital food scale to measure out precisely the amount of coffee I need for the amount of water I am using.


Step 4: Brew

Place your course ground Rocket Smoked Coffee into your French Press first, then pour your hot water (200 degrees) slowly over the grounds in a circular motion ensuring to soak all of the grounds. I like to take a butter knife and cut through the crust, making crosses in the crust to ensure all of the grounds are getting wet. This also allows some of the smaller particles to fall to the bottom. Do not place the plunger on the top of the coffee yet. Let your coffee brew for 5 minutes.


Step 5: Scoop

After 5 minutes, use a tablespoon to scoop out the coffee that remained on the top. You don't have to be perfect, just get most of the grounds that remained on the top. Set your timer again for 2 minutes and allow as much of what remained on top, and the smaller particles you just disturbed, fall to the bottom. NOW you can use the filter plunger, slowly plunging it to the bottom of the French Press.


Step 6: Pour

You would think you are done now and that your coffee is ready to drink. One more step. Slowly pour your coffee from your French Press into a decanter, another French Press or a coffee pot. NOW you can pour your Rocket Smoked Coffee into your cup and enjoy the smooth, flavorful and amazing coffee we drink every day.


Try this method and you won't be disappointed!



ChatGPT was used to assist in the writing of this post.

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