How to make the perfect plunger coffee.
The plunger is also known as the french press. We think it is the easiest and cheapest introduction to using fresh roasted coffee at home. Here are some simple steps to help make that perfect plunger coffee.
- Warm the plunger first with hot water.
- Grind your coffee to an even course grind.
It should resemble flakes of rock salt, essentially coarse enough to not pass through the metal filter. A whirling blade grinder will give you a course grind, but not an even grind. This however is still better than buying pre-ground coffee. Fresh ground coffee is always the key to better tasting coffee.
- We recommend a 1:10 coffee to water ratio.
For my one litre plunger, I fill to three quarters = 750ml = 75g = roughly 5 tablespoons of coffee. This is just a starting point, add more or less according to your personal taste.
- Pour hot water, just off the boil so not to burn the coffee, in a circular motion to just wet the coffee grounds.
- Wait 30 seconds for the coffee to bloom.
The coffee grounds will puff up when they come in contact with the hot water. These are trapped gases emerging at a fast rate. No bloom means the coffee is stale. These gases are preventing adequate exposure of the water to the coffee grounds, which would result in a weak brew if not waiting before filling the plunger.
- Now fill the plunger to three quarters full, again pouring in a circular motion agitating to remove the gases and ensuring even saturation.
- Do not plunge, wait 4 minutes for the coffee to brew.
- Plunge, pour and enjoy.
- If you are not drinking the coffee immediately, pour into a thermal carafe to keep hot and to stop further brewing.