European folklore indicates the the first coffee press was invented by a French inventor who was also an avid coffee drinker in the late 1800’s. During that time period, most people throughout the world made coffee by boiling the coffee grounds in water and allowing the grounds to settle before pouring. The story goes that the the Frenchman boiled the water alone forgeting to add the coffee. Since he did not want to waste resources, he put ground coffee in a jar and poured the boiling water over it. Knowing he had a problem and a very unappealing drink, he then fitted a piece of fine screen to the inner surfaces of the jar to press the coffee grounds to the bottom. He later stated that he believed the coffee tasted so much better this way and wa-la, the French Press Pot was born.
Coffee was quite popular throughout all of Europe since the 1700’s and was usually enjoyed by the wealthy. It was during the mid 1800’s when the price of coffee became more reasonably priced giving the average person a chance to experience it’s wonderful flavor and aroma.
Using a Coffee Press
One little known fact to using a coffee press is that you must have the right size of coffee grounds and you can not produce grounds suitable for a coffee press with just any grinder. It should be a medium to expensively priced model that has speed adjustments and other features.
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To make good coffee in a press, you must have uniform large particles, instead of uniform tiny particles. Low priced grinders will give you big and small chunks. This is the exact reason why people shy away from the coffee press; the sludge left behind because of using finely ground coffee. Of course, expect to have a few grounds in a press pot brew, but don’t tolerate the sludge.
Also, the type of press filter you use can play a role in what level of grinding you should do prior to brewing. Nylon filters tend to handle a finer grind (should still be coarser than drip coffee grounds), whereas metal filters need a true coarse grind (at least as large as pepper from a mill that is set to its coarsest setting).
It is also important to note that the finer the ground, the harder you will have to press. In addition, larger the size of the press, the harder you will have to press. Just another reason why it is paramount to use evenly ground larger size coffee before adding your hot water.
Once you get the grinding down to an art, you are home bound and ready to follow the directions that came with your press. Happy brewing!
Advanced Press Pot Techniques for Coffee