Confused: Grinding, French Press, Filter Cones

[Will P.C.]

Hey Guys,

I have never really had a good cup of coffee. I own a cheap 20 dollar Krups Grinder right now that I bought for something else.

I am looking at getting a Bodum French Press. I know my grinder is no good for French Press. If I buy Course Grind Coffee from Berres Brothers and then use the press will I still get a good cup of coffee. I realize that Grinding right before pressing is preferred, but I cannot spend the type of money on a good grinder right now. Has anyone else used pre ground coffee from a reputable place for their french press?

Next questions, Would my Krups Grinder be alright to use if I wanted to use the filter cone method or the Clever Coffee Grinder?

My budget is about 60 -80 dollars including the coffee. I want to stay away from coffee machines.

 

[wdwrx]

We used a french press for 10 years, exclusiveley. It will make the worst supermarket coffee better and the best coffee great! I found that it didn't really make much difference which grind I used, even the coarsest grind will leave coffee solids in your cup, though it's only a matter of degree. And steeping time.
my advice:
Buy the best coffee you can afford
grind it as coarse as you dare
don't use boiling water (89 deg C MAX)
Do NOT store your coffee in the freezer (this is a myth) (buy only small amounts and resign yourself to the fact that you cannot "stock up" on beans)
ALL coffee tastes better in a french press!

My advice is to buy beans in small quantities and grind them in store if you can (I'm sure that'll draw some fire) until you can save up for a decent mill.
The small grinders are for grinding up weed... not coffee! Keep in mind that even vac packed pre-ground stuff will taste almost as good in a french press as fresh ground in a percolator.(....almost)
Hope that helps
-Chris

 

[chfair]

use a cheap $20 ish dollar grinder from walmart and it has worked just fine for me. i am sure a nice grinder would be.. well, nice but not required especially if on a budget. buy my beans at a grocery store here that has a coffee bean dispenser area (so i can not imagine them being terribly fresh) but it lets me choose the amount i want to buy so i can sample different flavors.

just a broke guys last $ .02

 

[Jasonian]

Hey Guys,

I have never really had a good cup of coffee. I own a cheap 20 dollar Krups Grinder right now that I bought for something else.

I am looking at getting a Bodum French Press. I know my grinder is no good for French Press. If I buy Course Grind Coffee from Berres Brothers and then use the press will I still get a good cup of coffee. I realize that Grinding right before pressing is preferred, but I cannot spend the type of money on a good grinder right now. Has anyone else used pre ground coffee from a reputable place for their french press?

Next questions, Would my Krups Grinder be alright to use if I wanted to use the filter cone method or the Clever Coffee Grinder?

My budget is about 60 -80 dollars including the coffee. I want to stay away from coffee machines.

Paper filtration will filter out more sediment, and that's about the only real benefit. If you don't mind a little mud in your cup (I don't), I'd stick with the FP.

Most folks will tell you to grind coarse. The next question should be: Why?

Common sense tells most people that coarse ground coffee results in fewer fine particles that can result in sediment in your cup. However, experienced common sense tells a few people that fines are inevitable, regardless of how coarse or fine your grind is.

I'd say to grind a little finer than drip. If you drink pre-ground coffee, you'll have a sample to compare to. You want it finer than what comes out of a can from the grocery store.

Just compensate by reducing the extraction time.

Boiling water is to be avoided, but it should also be considered that you'll experience a temperature drop between the water temperature in the kettle and the resulting temperature once it has been added to the ground coffee in the press. A fairly significant one. Pre-heating your press can help, but it doesn't eliminate the problem entirely.

If you live at sea-level, I'd let the water cool for 30 seconds or so before using. If you live (like I do) where water boils at 208F-ish, I would pour the water straight off the boil.

The water should be slightly cooler for dark roasts, and slightly warmer for lighter roasts (generally speaking).

If the resulting cup tastes sour, either the extraction time was too short, or the temperature wasn't hot enough.

If the resulting cup tastes bitter, either the extraction time was too long, or the temperature was too hot.

If the resulting cup tastes both bitter and sour, then you've got a grind consistency issue that needs to be addressed, and the diagnosis for the "sour" symptom should be followed.

Fresh-ground is almost always better than pre-ground, especially if it's between grinding your own or having more than 1 brew batch ground at a time. Yes.. even if this means tossing the beans in a plastic bag and stomping on them as consistently as possible with the heel of your boot.

That is, of course, assuming that your coffee is fresh in the first place. If it's already stale, it won't make as much of a difference.

I hope I didn't confuse you, and I hope I was able to give some helpful advice.

 

[SpeedyB]

Great post, great advice Jasonian!

Will: I'd just use your cheap griner for now, just know that there will be a little sediment at the bottom of your cup. Like other have said, this is nearly inevitable with a french press, even with more expensive grinders.

 

[Jim]

As always Jason comes through with a well thought out and helpful post.

I find the FP annoying to use and clean and I dislike any sediment in my cup.
A filtercone and good technique for brewing is my preferred " get started" method.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0fa8v_wWQ4[/youtube]

The grinder you have is OK for the filtercone- So spend your $ on great coffee!

 

[bigstick]

Jasonian nailed most of it, well written indeed. My contribution is that the right coffee beans are more important than the right brewing device. I can get a great cuppa from a FP (my mainline) a filter cone (backup and volume units) espresso pot (not those $1000 dollar jobbies, the little ones that fit on a range burner) or vacuum drip (sheer elegance in glass). The right bean for your taste, roasted fresh, ground just moments ago is the ultimate secret.
And here, you are on your own, chum. No-one can predict what coffee you will prefer. My advice is to stop looking for new equipment, and search instead for a small local coffee roaster. Hang out there. Talk to the proprietor, who ought to know things, about what you like in a cup of joe. Buy in half-pounds or less if he'll sell it that way. Experiment! There is a joy to be had in experimentation.
Most of all, chill. It's just a cuppa joe. There will always be another.

 

[Will P.C.]

Wow Great info guys,

I am going with the filter pour over method right now. I will purchase the press once I start to get the hang out of the filter cone

I am looking forward to trying different coffees out!

 

[Vlad]

Let us know if the FP works out for you. Personally I don't care for brewing coffee that way, and I think there are other ways of getting good coffee out of your existing equipment.

 

[Will P.C.]

I just bought the clever coffee maker with the filter cones.

I just need to find a good place to get some beans since I know nothing about them. Does anyone have any links to places that have a good rep that have maybe a variety pack of some kind

 

[Jim]

Where are you located Will?

 

[bigstick]

I strongly advise you NOT to buy beans by remote control. Take your very own nose and palate into the roaster's den and make your selection in person. Only this will satisfy your senses and lead you in the path of righteousness.
Roasters can be found in the Yellow Pages.

 

[Will P.C.]

Im in Atlanta specifically southside Atl

I found a place called blackgoldbeans.com that seems like a good place to start with since free shipping for metro atl

Its too far about 1.5 hours from where I live to go down there and check them out.

Im just am so confused about what kind of beans to buy. I will call them in the morning and see what they say.

I really like the Berres Brothers website too.

I found a place called Dougs Mugs that is right by house and he has a website but his selection doesn't look quite like the "real coffee" I am looking for. I am going their in the morning to check them out

 

[Jim]

Dougs mugs Try a 1/4 lb of- Brazilian,Columbian,Ethiopian Yirgacheffe,and anything else they have fresh. It will be very interesting to hear what you think.
They do not seem to provide detailed info about the coffees but that does not mean that they will be "bad"
You can always revisit them after you get your coffee tastes sorted out. If you find a roast/ varietal you like then you can hunt up a better bean. Make friends, have a few cups while you are there.




Heres one and a coupon

 

[Will P.C.]

Dougs mugs Try a 1/4 lb of- Brazilian,Columbian,Ethiopian Yirgacheffe,and anything else they have fresh. It will be very interesting to hear what you think.
They do not seem to provide detailed info about the coffees but that does not mean that they will be "bad"
You can always revisit them after you get your coffee tastes sorted out. If you find a roast/ varietal you like then you can hunt up a better bean. Make friends, have a few cups while you are there.




Heres one and a coupon

Thanks Jim, I am going to pay them a visit tomm and make some friends

 

[Alacrity59]

Fresh roast and fresh grind trumps a heck of a lot of the smaller variables for me. If you can find a place locally that roasted the beans today or yesterday . . . wow.

 

[bigstick]

mmmmmmmmm yirgacheffe. Said to be the one true original coffee. I love the stuff.

 

[Jasonian]

In Atlanta, I would give Octane Coffee a try. They don't roast their own, but that doesn't mean it isn't fresh.

They run Counter Culture Coffee. One of the "big three" specialty roasters in the US.


http://octanecoffee.com/

 

[Will P.C.]

Does anyone know where I can get those Nylon fine sediment screens for the Bodum French Press besides Sweet Marias. I did a search and did not come up with too much. I know many of these coffee places sort of fly under the radar as far as google goes.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.frenchpress.php

 

[Tanksfurnutin]

Will I see you found Sweet Marias. The other day they posted this "Brewing Fundamentals" page which should be very helpful for most types of coffee brewing.

http://sweetmarias.com/grind.brew.php

I'm partial to a vac pot, since like Jim I don't like sediment in my coffee. It makes an outstanding cup and the equipment is reasonably priced.

Enjoy your search.