How To Use A French Press

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Are you curious about the French press? We got a lot of emails this week on what exactly is a French Press Coffee Maker and how/ why would you use such a thing.

We have used a French Press Coffee maker on and off for a number of years now.  We seem to go through times when we drink more tea than coffee and vice- versa.  Right now (November) is one of those time when we are  going through a “heavy drinking” cycle.

There are many reason why you might like to try a French Press Coffee maker.

  • Washable/ Reusable Filter
  • Small and convenient size
  • Coffee does not get “old” tasting

There are many more reasons why you might like a French Press, but these are the biggest ones for us.

Oh yeah…. for best results, use coffee that has a course grind to it…. We use the notch one before the last one, all the way on the left side when we grind coffee at Trader Joe’s . It says something like “course” or “Percolator” I think …. Anyway almost all the way to the end….

How to Use a French Press:

1. Scoop the desired amount of coarsely ground coffee into the French Press.  You may have to adjust the amount to your tastes but a good rule is to try 1 scoop (or Tablespoon) for every cup of coffee.  Too weak? Add more coffee… Too Strong? Add less.

2. Pour in freshly boiled water. We use an electric kettle that sits on the counter. You can use that or also good is a whistling tea kettle that goes on the stove. Now place on the cover – but don’t hit the plunger just yet.

3. Wait 4 minutes (for the coffee to brew).  Now, slowly press the plunger down to the bottom of the pot. Again, do this slowly….  This is the “Press” part…

4. Pour and enjoy….

We just love the “fresh” tasting coffee that is created by the French Press and also LOVE the fact that you are not running around early on a Saturday morning because you forgot to buy any coffee filters last week…. ugh!

Click below to see French Press Coffee makers at Amazon:

Snazzy colors too…

Here is the kind of Tea Kettle that we use and Like… heats water up FAST!

What do you think? Do you like to use a French Press? Share your comments below or on Facebook! ~Thanks!

Smooth and Mellow Blend Coffee

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Smooth and Mellow Blend Coffee from Trader Joe’s is a nice middle -of -the -road coffee for those of us who like to drink a more milder coffee.  This is our second can of this coffee, as it is starting to get colder out I guess I am drinking more ….  I have really been enjoying hot coffee in the AM as well a cup of tea. hmmm….

We first were introduced to the Smooth and Mellow via the sample table. (Don’t you just love those samples!) We tried it one morning and thought …. hey, this is really good coffee! So we ground up a can and made it at home.

And it was still good at home too!

[ Side note: This has not always been our experience, unfortunately. Sometimes I get to chatting and sampling the other items  and don’t realize how much creamer (both the half -and -half or the delicious Soy milk) is going into my tiny little coffee “shot”/ sample cup. This means that when I get home, and make it my regular way…. disaster! WOW the coffee is way to strong or has a really dark roast going on. ]

So now when I find a coffee that is yummy…. I will carefully read the package for those key words such as “mild” or medium or light roast and avoid coffee that is labeled “dark” or “French Roast”.

In any event, we are really enjoying this coffee and recommend it if you are a more “mild” coffee drinker.

Also… If you are interested in a fast and easy way to enjoy coffee we suggest trying a French Press.  Click on the link below from Amazon to learn more about Making Coffee in a French Press

 

 

Trader Joe’s Coffee: Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend

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Trader Joe's Bolivian Blend Coffee & our French Press

Trader Joe's Bolivian Blend Coffee & our French Press

Are you looking to try a new coffee at Trader Joe’s? We are currently drinking a fantastic coffee that we have not tried before. Introducing: Trader Joe’s Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend

We have been enjoying this coffee for about a month now, and we still like it!

This is unfortunately not always the case. Many times we will enjoy a sample cup of coffee at Trader Joe’s, and then enjoy the coffee for a few days, but then… blah! The coffee just sorta tastes funny and we eventually wind up bringing it into the office for everyone to try there. We admit  that our tastes favor tea  over coffee and that we are tea drinkers the majority of the time,  so the fact that we sometimes “go off” coffee should be noted.

We should also note that this is a “Medium Dark Roasted” Coffee. We seem to gravitate towards the medium and lighter roasted coffees.  We feel like many times Dark Roasted coffee tastes a bit “burned” – OK we know it is not burned, but they can be soo dark that it seems that way when you are drinking it. Maybe it is like eating a steak? We prefer a steak cooked rare or medium rare instead of well done and like to drink our coffee the same way.

Having said all that, we are enjoying this Trader Joe’s Bolivian Blend a lot. We make it in our French press coffee maker and serve it up both warm and cold.

We are enjoying making a sorta/ mock  Trader Joe’s Latte by heating up some milk in a pan on the stove and whisking up some foam to top our coffee. While not the stuff you get in those fancy coffee bars, we are enjoying the fun of making the “foamy” part.

We are even experimenting to jazz up our coffee drinks with some new (coffee bar style) flavors such as adding vanilla to the milk or sprinkling some  cinnamon and sugar on top.  Trader Joe’s has some chocolate syrup that we also want to try so that we can make a Trader Joe’s Mocha! (look out whipped cream!!)

What is your favorite kind of coffee at Trader Joe’s?