Sep 01 2010
French Press Grind
Coffee drinkers who grind their own coffee beans know the importance of selecting the proper grind for their coffee maker in order to brew the perfect cup of coffee. People who are discovering the joys of owning a press pot might not understand the French press grind and how important it is to making the coffee flavorful and delicious. In fact, an improper grind used in a press pot can actually make the coffee undrinkable.
In order to understand the French press grind it is important to understand how a French press or press pot works. Unlike coffee makers that have paper filter systems or other types of filters that trap the coffee grounds while the water passes through or over them, the press pot allows the coffee to mix in with the water before being trapped beneath a mesh-type filter.
The filtering system on press pot works by simply having smaller holes the size of the coffee particles. This allows the coffee grinds to be captured beneath the plunger filter when the coffee has finished brewing. If there are any coffee particles that are not larger than the holes in the filter they will seep through and contaminate the coffee causing sediment to form in the cup when it is poured out to drink.
In order to get a French press grind it is best to use a burr grinder with a French press selection. This will help to insure that the coffee beans are all ground to the same size and none are smaller than the filter on the press pot. Blade grinders do not have these settings and the user must guess. Additionally, blade grinders have a tendency to produce coffee bean dust that can infiltrate through the plunger assembly and into the coffee.
One final note that is important to consider with grinders is that blade grinders have a tendency to overheat and cause the coffee beans to have a burnt taste. If a blade grinder must be used it is important to grind the coffee in quick bursts rather than long grinds to prevent this overheating.
It is worth mentioning that there are people who don’t mind having sediment in the bottom of their coffee cup and will opt for a finer grind even with the French press. They say that the finer grind releases more of the coffee flavor and are willing to deal with coffee particles in the bottom of their cup. This is something to consider though not something most people will choose.
Knowing how important the grind is when brewing coffee makes it easier to decide on purchasing a coffee grinder or simply choosing to buy coffee that is preground for a French press. Either way, the coffee is guaranteed to be delicious to the last drop.
-Sharon Chapman