French press espresso recipe

Do you love the dark intensity and hit of an espresso? Or maybe you want to make an americano or cappuccino or mocha or latte or (well the list goes on). Somewhere along the line, you will really want to enjoy your favorite espresso-based drink at home. But here’s the thing, what do you do if you don’t own an espresso machine? The answer is the French press espresso method.

Let’s get any negative thoughts out of the way first. To get an authentic espresso experience you have to rapidly extract the coffee from the grounds using very high pressure. For that, you need either a manual or automatic espresso machine.

Yes, espresso machines are great, but they are expensive. They take up a lot of space and are not easy to set up to make coffee the way you want. Plus, they need regular stripping down to clean and do maintenance. And they are a nightmare if they break down or start leaking.

Why press your espresso

French press espresso – coffee lover’s dream come true. It is a fuss-free, easy and cost-effective way to make espresso at home. When you make espresso with a French press you produce a rich, full-bodied cup of coffee that’s perfect for savoring.

Why you should not press your espresso

The French press works by soaking the grounds to slowly extract flavor. So it takes patience, experience and a closely controlled coffee to water ratio to make an espresso using a French press.

How to make French press espresso at home

Equipment

• French press coffee maker
• Coffee grinder
• kettle
• food thermometer (optional)
• Kitchen scales (optional)
• glass or cup
• spoon

Ingredients

• 24 grams ground coffee
• 48 grams water

Method

• Preheat the French press by 1/2 filling it with hot water, leave to stand for a minute, then empty it out.
• While the press is warming, grind your coffee beans to a medium consistency. If using a grinder, aim for a consistency similar to sea salt.
• Pour the ground coffee into the French press.
• Ensure the water is just below boiling and pour the hot water into the French press.
• Stir the coffee and water for 10-20 seconds to ensure they are completely mixed.
• Put the plunger into the top of the press, but do not press down.
• Allow the coffee to brew for 4-5 minutes*. then slowly press the plunger down. Don’t rush this process – aim to take 15-20 seconds.
• Pour coffee into a mug or cup and enjoy!

Top Tips for making pressed espresso at home

There are a few things to keep in mind when making French press espresso:

• it’s important to use a high-quality coffee bean. Ideally a dark roast espresso bean. These are often made from a blend of arabica and robusta beans.
• Dark roast coffee beans will give more of the distinctive bitterness than lighter roasts. this helps restore some of the stronger bitter notes usually lacking in French press coffee.
• Only use fresh beans and grind then just before you use them. Once the beans are exposed to air they start to go stale. That process accelerates when they are ground.
• Heat the water to just below boiling point;
• For the best results, you must stick to a French press coffee to water ratio. this ensures you make the coffee strong enough and allows you to easily repeat the process;
• Remember, the French press takes time to extract the best of the coffee so let it stand for at least four minutes before pushing down on the plunger.

When done well, French press espresso is an incredibly smooth and flavorful coffee that is sure to please even the most discerning palate. It’s also multi-tasking, apart from making a credible espresso it can be used as the basis for a range of coffee drinks.

The top espresso-based coffees include americano, latte and cappuccino.