Among city coffee drinkers, some love the sense of ritual that comes with pour-over, the laboratory-like feel of operating a siphon, while others appreciate the simplicity and convenience of the French press. Yet the wonder of each coffee brewing device doesn't stop at its appearance and operation method. Making coffee is more like a science—each device has its own characteristics in extracting coffee, and we all need to find the most perfect ratio and the best flavor through constant experimentation.

The design principle of the French press is very simple: just pour water and ground coffee into the container, then use the plunger to push the coffee grounds to the bottom, and the coffee is filtered. The metal mesh filter can be cleaned and reused. Although the principle is simple, it is extremely efficient, and it requires no paper filter, making it more environmentally friendly and economical. The French press is the fastest way to extract the original flavor of coffee—it preserves the precious natural oils of the coffee from being absorbed by paper filters, thus presenting the most original, rich, and varied flavors of coffee.

Operating a French press is as simple as a "lazy person's coffee device," yet despite the ease of use, it doesn't sacrifice the complete flavor of a good cup of coffee.

In fact, extraction with a French press is the brewing method closest to cupping. It brings out the oils, aromas, flavors, and various taste elements of coffee to the fullest—smooth, sweet, and rich. It's an excellent choice for breakfast coffee.

The coffee beans used for French press brewing are better suited to single-origin beans, or beans with prominent fruity acidity, and medium to dark roast beans work well. Front Street Coffee recommends using beans with good balance. For example, on Front Street Coffee's bean list, the everyday beans—Brazil coffee beans, Colombia Huila coffee beans, Indonesia Mandheling coffee beans, and Costa Rica Tarrazu coffee beans—these beans that Front Street mentions have balanced flavors with dark chocolate and fruity notes. Because the French press is an immersion brewing method, it can express the oils, aromas, and rich coffee sensation. Dark roast beans easily bring out the aroma and body of coffee, so these medium-dark roast beans from Front Street Coffee are very suitable for French press preparation. For coffee made with a French press, dark roasts have better aroma and a fuller body.

As for light roast coffee beans, Front Street does not recommend using them in a French press. Ethiopian coffee beans are generally suited to light roasting, like Front Street's Yirgacheffe

—Red Cherry coffee. With pour-over, it easily highlights lemon, floral, and fruity flavor notes, but if brewed with a French press immersion, the resulting taste is relatively one-dimensional and subdued.

Let's see how Front Street makes an excellent cup of coffee with a French press. Front Street's Brazil Queen, Mandheling, and Colombia Huila all have flavors suitable for the French press. Let's use this Colombia Huila coffee bean to demonstrate the brewing process.

Front Street Coffee's own-roasted coffee beans—use well-rested Huila coffee beans and grind to a grind size suitable for a French press: medium-coarse, coarser than pour-over grind. Front Street recommends a standard sieve pass rate of 70%–75%. If the powder is too fine, coffee grounds will escape through the mesh holes, and the coffee will become cloudy.

You can start with a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio. For 2 servings, that's 20g of coffee beans with about 200g of water. The final ratio depends on your taste. For example, Front Street Coffee's drip bag coffee powder comes in 10g packets, like the seasonal Brazil drip bag and Mandheling drip bag coffees. Using these pre-ground drip bags to make French press coffee is especially convenient. Front Street recommends a 1:16 ratio—15g of coffee powder with 240g of water.

Front Street recommends preparing an electronic scale. Even if your French press has markings and a measuring spoon, it's still advisable to have an electronic scale, because coffee beans change density due to factors like growing altitude and roasting method, and each bean's weight and density differ. Also, if you make a really delicious cup of coffee and want to replicate that flavor, you must record the ratio. Conversely, if you make a bad cup, the data will tell you how to adjust.

At Front Street, use fresh, clean C'estbon mineral water (soft water). Don't extract with water that's too hard, and don't use unfiltered water. If the water itself is poor, it's hard to make good coffee.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Brewing steps:

Grind the coffee beans, then pour them into the French press. Ignore what many people say about grind size—don't grind too coarse, just a medium grind will do.

Boil the water. The recommended water temperature is 93°C. Then pour in the appropriate amount of water. We used 15g of coffee powder and poured in 240g of hot water. Stir with a spoon to let the coffee powder and water fully combine.

Put the lid on the French press with the mesh filter resting at the highest position, and let it sit for 4 minutes.

Before pressing down the filter, you can open the lid and use a spoon to scoop out the foam and small fragments floating on top, then press the filter all the way down.

Once brewing is complete, immediately pour it out into another insulated container! Don't delay, because the coffee grounds are still steeping in it. Then pour into a cup and enjoy slowly.

The French press is the simplest, most convenient, and most environmentally friendly brewing method. The coffee it produces is stronger, more flavorful, and more layered than a fully automatic drip coffee machine. Moreover, it requires no electricity, no heating, no paper filter, and is easy to clean. You can drink it with the coffee oils included. It's perfect for office workers who are busy but want to steal a moment of leisure. Come and try it yourself!

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.