Mistakes When Using a French Press or Coffee Bean Plunger

People have been brewing French press or plunger coffee for almost 100 years. The simplicity of the method means it is in just about every household around the world. Company’s like Bodum, French Press makers, are household names and even a specific grind setting is reserved for the method: French Press!

Though, how many times can you say you have tasted an amazing French press coffee brew?

At Black Market Roaster, we are here to tell you some common mistakes people make when brewing a French press or plunger coffee.

French Press and Plunger Must Do’s:

1. Use the Right Beans

Firstly, you must use freshly roasted coffee beans. This is one of the basic fundamentals of great coffee. If the coffee is over 4 weeks past the roast date, more than likely the French press coffee beans are stale and lifeless. Black Market Roasters provides the best plunger and French press coffee beans, delivered to your door, FREE postage. Get your french press plunger beans here

2. Use the right Amount of Coffee

Use a ratio of coffee to water of 1:12, meaning 1g of coffee for 12g of water. So if you are using a 1 litre plunger, you need 83g of coffee for a full brew.

3. Make sure you stir

Pour a little hot water in at the start of the brew, stire and let it sit for 30 seconds before you add the rest of the boiled water. This allows the French press coffee beans to breathe or bloom and sets it up for an even extraction of the coffee grounds

4. Wait for 4 minutes

There is a reason why we wait for a specifc amount of time. It is due to the amount of solids or body we want to extract out of the coffee beans. If you pull it out sooner, you will taste green, nutty or even unripe flavours and not unlock the sweetness of the coffee. If you pull it out too late, then I may be sweet, but you will also get burnt, carbonic, dark flavours coming through. You ca buy a bodum plunger or french press coffee maker here.

At Black Market Roasters, we specialise in fresh, exotic and sweet single origins from around the world. We are a wholesale coffee roaster, supplying cafes in Sydney and helping raise the standard of cafes that we love to visit. We retail many different types of coffee as well as decaffeinated coffee beans, light roast coffee beans plus more!