Cigar Weekly

Big Smoke · 06-02-2004, 04:25 PM

Well, I finally broke down and bought one. I bought a Solis burr grinder, and a Bodum Chambard French Press in 32 oz. I got the basics from reading, but I know there are way better tips that the instructions that come with the brewer. The coffee I'll be using, at first, is Bolivian Organic, Kenyan Peaberry, and Honduran La Tigre.
I'm not real sure on the grinder, either. Of all the settings, which one is best to start with? Never used a burr grinder, but I decided to take a step up in coffee quality past home roasting.
Thanks in advance for the tips. I hope Ted ways in on this one.

grtrx · 06-02-2004, 04:46 PM

set it for a course grind. you set it for espresso (powder) and you won't be pushing the filter through the water.

don't let it set for as long as the instructions say.... tastes vary but I found 3minutes and maybe 15 seconds to be optimal.

water temp - around 200 degrees, not quite boiling.

don't make more coffee than can be drunk pretty quickly - french press gets bitter as it sets on those gorunds!

experiment - its the way to prefect your pefect cup of coffee

ferdelance · 06-02-2004, 04:52 PM

OK first off,
1you will want to use 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 oz of water.
2. the water should be off the boil, so as not to scorch the coffee
3, steeping time should be no longer than 3 minutes before you push the plunger.
4. on the grind, i use a grind that is a bit more coarse tham drip, but not much.
5. before pushing the plunger i usually take the top off and stir ther coffee and replace the plunger and then push down(this is just something i do), if it is too hard to push down, you can pull up and then push back down, never exert too much force or the glass will crack in a weak spot and you will end up with a bad stomach burn

(from experience)
6. i decant all my coffee into a thermos , as it is still infusing a bit and the last bit will b very bitter and acrid if allowed to sit too long.

i think i hit all the procedures i go through, i may have missed something, but 1&2 are the most important in getting a great cup of coffee.

Big Smoke · 06-02-2004, 05:08 PM

Thanks guys. Those are some great tips. I do have another question on the grinder. I'm just not sure which setting is for drip. Is the setting where the icon of a coffee pot (setting #4) the mark for auto drip? I assume it is, but I hate to assume anything. Especially since it is only 4 off of the coarsest grind. There is nothing in the directions that states what these icons mean. I guess it's suppose to be self explanatory. DOH!

mshade · 06-02-2004, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferdelance

4. on the grind, i use a grind that is a bit more coarse tham drip, but not much.
.

That's interesting. I've used the fp setting on the Solis so far. Ted, what
effect would a finer grind have vs. the coarser fp setting as far as flavor is concerned? And are you saying grind as fine as you can get away with without jamming the plunger?

ferdelance · 06-02-2004, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Is the setting where the icon of a coffee pot (setting #4) the mark for auto drip?

yes

Quote:

what
effect would a finer grind have vs. the coarser fp setting as far as flavor is concerned?

i find it has a more full bodied flavor, but can make your coffee thick with sediment, which to some is a drawback.

Quote:

are you saying grind as fine as you can get away with without jamming the plunger?

no, i am saying i use a finer grind than the Solis reads. i also reccomend this grind for others using FP;s , however, it does create a thick cup of coffee, one filled with sediment, if you do not like sedimnent in your coffee then thi si not a grind you would want to use. it does take a bit of getting used to as far as the sediment, but the flavor is more intense.

Big Smoke · 06-04-2004, 08:14 PM

Okay, so it worked out well. I didn't use nearly as much coffee per water mixture as recommended. I used about half that much. I used, on the grinder, one setting before auto drip. The plunger pressed easily, and total time in the brewer was about 4 minutes. It was quite good. It was thick, but not like a mouthful of coarse grounds in the bottom of a regular cup. This was a mix all through the coffee. I guess that's "body" huh?

But it was no so you'd mind, though. But, of coarse, the Bolivian Organic had a lot to do with it, too. I can just imagine charbucks.

rookie139 · 08-09-2005, 06:43 PM

TOP for great info!
Picked up a Bodum pot today at the Salvation Army (looks brand new) for $1.50, along with a new-in-the-box Popcorn Popper for $1.50!

Mad Dawg · 08-10-2005, 05:39 AM

Dayum, Keith! GREAT scores, bro!

casual · 08-10-2005, 12:07 PM

I usually brew for about 6 minutes on average sometimes more sometimes less, depends on if I forget about it. When I get around 4 minutes or less, it is just too watery for my tastes.

06-02-2004, 04:25 PM	#1
Big Smoke Club Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rockville, MD Posts: 4,576	My First French Press. Any good tips or suggestions? Well, I finally broke down and bought one. I bought a Solis burr grinder, and a Bodum Chambard French Press in 32 oz. I got the basics from reading, but I know there are way better tips that the instructions that come with the brewer. The coffee I'll be using, at first, is Bolivian Organic, Kenyan Peaberry, and Honduran La Tigre. I'm not real sure on the grinder, either. Of all the settings, which one is best to start with? Never used a burr grinder, but I decided to take a step up in coffee quality past home roasting. Thanks in advance for the tips. I hope Ted ways in on this one. __________________ "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." ~ Ronaldus Magnus

06-02-2004, 04:46 PM	#2
grtrx Contributing Editor Herf God Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Naperville IL Posts: 44,532	set it for a course grind. you set it for espresso (powder) and you won't be pushing the filter through the water. don't let it set for as long as the instructions say.... tastes vary but I found 3minutes and maybe 15 seconds to be optimal. water temp - around 200 degrees, not quite boiling. don't make more coffee than can be drunk pretty quickly - french press gets bitter as it sets on those gorunds! experiment - its the way to prefect your pefect cup of coffee __________________ "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill "A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption." - Guy de Maupassant

06-02-2004, 04:52 PM	#3
ferdelance Herf Meister Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: outside Possum Kingdom SC Posts: 6,551	OK first off, 1you will want to use 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 oz of water. 2. the water should be off the boil, so as not to scorch the coffee 3, steeping time should be no longer than 3 minutes before you push the plunger. 4. on the grind, i use a grind that is a bit more coarse tham drip, but not much. 5. before pushing the plunger i usually take the top off and stir ther coffee and replace the plunger and then push down(this is just something i do), if it is too hard to push down, you can pull up and then push back down, never exert too much force or the glass will crack in a weak spot and you will end up with a bad stomach burn (from experience) 6. i decant all my coffee into a thermos , as it is still infusing a bit and the last bit will b very bitter and acrid if allowed to sit too long. i think i hit all the procedures i go through, i may have missed something, but 1&2 are the most important in getting a great cup of coffee. __________________ Retired Knight Errant. "Lifes too short to drink bad coffee"

06-04-2004, 08:14 PM	#7
Big Smoke Club Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rockville, MD Posts: 4,576	Okay, so it worked out well. I didn't use nearly as much coffee per water mixture as recommended. I used about half that much. I used, on the grinder, one setting before auto drip. The plunger pressed easily, and total time in the brewer was about 4 minutes. It was quite good. It was thick, but not like a mouthful of coarse grounds in the bottom of a regular cup. This was a mix all through the coffee. I guess that's "body" huh? But it was no so you'd mind, though. But, of coarse, the Bolivian Organic had a lot to do with it, too. I can just imagine charbucks. __________________ "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." ~ Ronaldus Magnus

08-09-2005, 06:43 PM	#8
rookie139 Herf God Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: North Burbs of Chicago Posts: 17,261	TOP for great info! Picked up a Bodum pot today at the Salvation Army (looks brand new) for $1.50, along with a new-in-the-box Popcorn Popper for $1.50! __________________ Ed and his family will always be in our thoughts...R.I.P.

06-02-2004, 05:08 PM	#4
Big Smoke Club Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rockville, MD Posts: 4,576	Thanks guys. Those are some great tips. I do have another question on the grinder. I'm just not sure which setting is for drip. Is the setting where the icon of a coffee pot (setting #4) the mark for auto drip? I assume it is, but I hate to assume anything. Especially since it is only 4 off of the coarsest grind. There is nothing in the directions that states what these icons mean. I guess it's suppose to be self explanatory. DOH! __________________ "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." ~ Ronaldus Magnus

08-10-2005, 05:39 AM	#9
Mad Dawg Administrator Herf Dog Herf God Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 34,198	Dayum, Keith! GREAT scores, bro! __________________ Gone, But Never Forgotten. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ That which does not kill me....has made a grave tactical error.

08-10-2005, 12:07 PM	#10
casual Club Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Stuck in a cube, man!! Posts: 4,138	I usually brew for about 6 minutes on average sometimes more sometimes less, depends on if I forget about it. When I get around 4 minutes or less, it is just too watery for my tastes. __________________ Scot