There is nothing like the first coffee of the day. The steamy aroma that slowly fills the kitchen; the warm cup in your hands; and that first rich sip, bringing you back to life. However a few issues will divide coffee lovers, for example, the preparation of the drink. Everyone has their own way of making the perfect cup of coffee: from fancy coffee makers, to a spoonful of instant in a cup, to fragrant grounds boiled in Pans. But for purists, there is no match for the classic cafetiere.
The cafetiere or ‘French press’, comes in all shapes, sizes and colours, but normally features a glass body so you can see what you’re doing. This is the key to making the perfect cup of coffee.
Perfect coffee is a combination of heat, scent, colour and of course taste. However the main element which will decide your taste is down to the bean you choose – freshly roasted ground beans will give a fuller, earthier flavour, and the fresher the bean, the stronger the taste. If you buy pre-ground coffee beans, keep them fresh by storing them in an airtight jar in the fridge.
Only you will know how strong you like your coffee to be, but as a general rule of thumb you should add one level tablespoonful of coffee for each cup you are making.Once measured out place it into your cafetiere.
Next, add your water. Contrary to popular belief, the water should NOT be boiling hot. This will burn your coffee grounds and risking you to lose out on some of the amazing flavour as a result. Instead, bring your water to the boil and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Pour it into the cafetiere quickly, so that the coffee grounds whoosh up from the bottom of the glass allowing it to infuse within the liquid. If need be, you can stir the coffee a bit to help disperse the grounds.
Now leave the coffee for a few minutes. A sort of crust will develop on the top of the glass where the grounds have settled, skim this off and discard.
Take the plunger, and very slowly press it down into the Cafetiere glass. You will be left with a translucent reddish brown liquid, warm to the touch but not boiling. The fragrance and taste of the beans should be evident from the very first sip, and you won’t burn your throat if you need to gulp it down quickly! Ahh the perfect cup of coffee.
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