French Press coffee has a cult following. Like crema coffee, espresso, and vacuum coffee drinkers, French Press coffee drinkers swear by their plunged brew and will drink no other.  Why?  One thought is that French Press coffee has more caffeine than other types of coffee, like drip coffee or percolator coffee.  Another thought is that French Press coffee has less of the bitter oils other coffee.

Are these assumptions true?  Yes.  Generally, coffee lovers make their coffee the following way: break out the paper filter, scoop ground coffee into the filter, press the coffee maker button, and voila.  But, French Press coffee maker users, like those who use the Melior French Press from Bodum, claim that the brew from a French Press is unlike that from a drip coffee maker in that the coffee grounds are in constant contact with the hottest water.  Unlike drip coffee, there is no paper filter to absorb the precious aromatics.  Also, unlike espresso, the grind is coarse, and the water stays in contact with the grounds for several minutes, rather than 20 seconds.  As it stands, French Pressing coffee produces a brew that has been in contact with the coffee grounds more than any other type of brew.

So what?  Relatively speaking (relative to drip coffee), there is not much more caffeine in French Press coffee.  But it's not that easy.  Some folks soak the coffee grounds for 10 minutes and grind the coffee beans on a drip or electric perc grinder setting.  In this case, the caffeine content will be greater.  Other folks prefer no more than two minutes of steeping per cup and a coarse grind (coarser than percolator) is a must.  In that case, caffeine content can actually be as little as or less than drip coffee.  At the end of the day, the amount of caffeine in your cup depends on grind size and amount of time the grounds steep in water.  And that's true of all types of brews.

So how does French Pressing work?

1. Grind 1-1/2-2 Tbs of coffee on coarse to percolator grind size per cup of boiling water. 
2. Dump grounds into French Press Carafe.
3. Pour in boiling water.
4. Replace lid on carafe, and plunge filter disk to the bottom of the carafe, but not so far down that it compresses the grounds against the bottom.
5. Steep 2-1/2-5 minutes, depending on taste preference.
6. Pour into a preheated cup.

There are some French Press coffee makers, like the Triumphe series from Bonjour that have a stainless steel carafe, thus aiding in heat retention.  Most French Presses, however, utilize a glass carafe.

So, that's French Pressing, in a nutshell.  Go ahead and take the plunge.  Remember, JL Hufford's support staff is ready to assist you at 877-554-8336 with any of your French Press questions.