I can't function without coffee. The first thing I do when I stumble out of bed in the morning is make coffee. Ask my hubby and he'll tell you that I'm groggy and unpleasant until I have my first sip of coffee.
I like the French Press brew for its rich and full-bodied taste. I love that it extracts the bold flavors and the oils from the freshly ground coffee beans while the water and the coffee grounds intimately sit in the french press pot.
I use a 12 oz Bodum French Press and Baratza - Preciso coffee grinder. Bodum is basically the most popular french press pot out there and I've had no issues using it or had any malfunctions. If one of the parts breaks, then you can easily order them through their website or Amazon. The Baratza coffee grinder has been great so far. It is easy to clean, the manual adjustments are simple to use and there's simply no fuss, not a lot of buttons that you'd get confused with. Plus, its small enough so that it doesn't take up much space on your kitchen counter.
How to use the French Press -- I'm not an expert but here's my routine:
Step 1
Use coarse ground coffee -- freshly ground will taste the best. For every cup of coffee, I use 2 tbsp of coffee. Transfer the ground coffee from the coffee grinder to the french press pot.
Step 2
Boil 8 fl oz water, wait 30 seconds after the water comes to a boil and then pour only half of the water over the ground coffee in the french press pot, cover with the plunger/lid. Set a timer for 1 minute.
Step 3
When the timer goes off, stir the coffee in the french press pot with a wooden spoon (I use a chopstick) and pour the remaining water in the french press pot, cover with the plunger/lid and set a timer for 3 minutes.
Step 4
When the time goes off, press the plunger down and pour the coffee out.
