French press coffee maker

SET Man · « **Reply #20 on:** 13 Jan 2007, 07:27 pm »

Quote from: mcrespo71 on 13 Jan 2007, 07:20 pm

What's the world coming to when a bunch of guys are discussing coffee makers in the sports bar!

Hey!

Micheal, would like a cup of coffee and join us?

Take care,
Buddy

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #21 on:** 13 Jan 2007, 07:34 pm »

Quote from: SET Man on 13 Jan 2007, 07:27 pm

Quote from: mcrespo71 on 13 Jan 2007, 07:20 pm
What's the world coming to when a bunch of guys are discussing coffee makers in the sports bar!

Hey!

Micheal, would like a cup of coffee and join us?

Take care,
Buddy

No, I don't drink much coffee anymore. I like water.

klh · « **Reply #22 on:** 13 Jan 2007, 09:11 pm »

This is a funny thread. I have a Bodum, too, and love it. Very nice coffee, but you have to have nice fresh beans. The only thing I don't like is that the coffee cools very quickly. I suppose the natural and smart thing to do would be to get thermos to pour it in. How strong do you guys make yours? I typically put 4 mildly rounded scoops of Seattle's Best in my 8 cup press.

ecramer · « **Reply #23 on:** 13 Jan 2007, 09:32 pm »

I use mine , a boden, to make tea in. I drink mostly single estate loose tea
http://www.specialteas.com/Black+Tea/cid=10/category.html
Coffie gives me the high speed wobbles, overdosed on capachino one too many times.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 Jan 2007, 09:45 pm »

Quote from: Parnelli777 on 13 Jan 2007, 01:00 pm

A few years ago I bought a Technivorm KBT- it brews at 200+ degrees right into a thermal carafe. Nearly 1500 watts with a 13 amp draw shows that this thing does what it says. Really well constructed, made in Holland. Around $200.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.technivorm.shtml

Whoa...you should try an upgraded power cord on it...!

(I would certainly use this thing to burn in new power cords...!)

miklorsmith · « **Reply #25 on:** 17 Jan 2007, 03:35 pm »

To keep Bodum glass, only stand it up for brewing. All other times, it should be laying on its side. They break when they tip over, so if they're already tipped over, no breakage.

I started this after the last break which was over two years ago.

fajimr · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 08:20 pm »

yup.. french press is the way to go- make sure the grind is coarse enough so you are not straining sediment through your teeth (which means it also over-extracts while it is sitting in your cup but someone else also mentioned that).....

but for something completely different:

since I already had too many different ways to make coffee (moka pot, espresso machine, a few bodums, drip) I decided to get this for a friend for christmas.... it makes a nice cup of coffee and you can control how strong you want it by preventing the water from falling back down into the pot. pretty cool... although I haven't had much time to play with it as it is not at my house

cheers
jim

macrojack · « **Reply #27 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:22 pm »

Can one of you coffee guys, who is also scientific, tell me at what temperature my water boils? My altitude is 4500 feet above sea level. Colorado, you know.

shep · « **Reply #28 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:28 pm »

God I would love a good cuppa right now! Don't know if this is a propos or not

over here (here being France) I discovered Chinese coffee, from Hunan provence (where alot of tea is grown) Absolutely great. Check it out if you can find some.

mca · « **Reply #29 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:31 pm »

Jim,

Can you give us a little more info on that contraption?

fajimr · « **Reply #30 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:35 pm »

Quote from: macrojack on 22 Jan 2007, 10:22 pm

Can one of you coffee guys, who is also scientific, tell me at what temperature my water boils? My altitude is 4500 feet above sea level. Colorado, you know.

don't need to be scientific.. google says 203.9F
see http://www.biggreenegg.com/boilingPoint.htm

since most recommendations are to let the water come off the boil before you infuse into coffee, you can probably do it relatively soon... that is what I used to do in Utah when I lived at a similar altitude (although a much different attitude)

jim

Gordy · « **Reply #31 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:53 pm »

Jim's vacuum system is very similar to my Bodum Santos (info link) As the water heats and expands, it travels up the tube to the upper chamber which holds the coffee and has a permanent screen filter. As the last of the water boils off it churns the upper chamber pretty violently and after 5 or ten seconds the vacuum formed in the lower chamber then starts to pull the coffee back down through the filter. Very cool actually! Mine is electric, so no control over how long it steeps like the sterno(?) version but, there are stove top models... makes a nice rich standard style of coffee.

fajimr · « **Reply #32 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:56 pm »

Quote from: mca on 22 Jan 2007, 10:31 pm

Can you give us a little more info on that contraption?

damn... just lost the explanation with operator error...

let's try again

the siphon or vacuum pot makes a nice cup of coffee... clean- not as strong as the french press (but that may be because we were still playing around with the timing and grind) no sediment to speak of. Still haven't had much time to tweak- as I said I bought it as gift for a friend so I don't have much time to play with it

the process is quite simple:

1: grind coffee of your choice and put into top bowl, a screen is held in place at the bottom by a spring loaded chain
2: heat water to almost boiling
3: pour hot water into lower coffee pot, attach upper bowl
4: light denature alcohol burner and heat water slowly until it siphons up to the top
5: control the time the water is in contact with the coffee by maintaining heat. some water will remain at the bottom. stir coffee a couple of times to mix well
6: remove heat and coffee falls back down to lower pot
7: remove top bowl and enjoy coffee!

Sweetmarias has some good information and historical facts http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.brewers.vacuum.shtml
the one I show in the photo is one I bought in montreal at terra cafe.

cheers
jim

fajimr · « **Reply #33 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 10:58 pm »

thanks gordy.. wish I had seen your post before I started retyping my response

just more "kitchen porn" as a friend calls it..
jim

konut · « **Reply #34 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 11:59 pm »

I've owned the Bodum Mini ESantos for 3 years and my brother has owned the full size version for 5 years. We both use a close to espresso grind. As Gordy said, there is little control on how long the water stays 'on top'. It depends on how strong you like your coffee. The finer the grind, the more robust. The KEY thing is to keep the reusable filter free from coffee oil build up, as if you don't, the filter will clog and 'blow out' from the suction, especially with a finer grind. Regular dishwashing detergent does not cut it. We use a Rochester Midland product called Spra-Kleen. Its also important to keep the steel plate on the bottom of the pot clean.

I like french press, but no matter what the grind, even with a burr grinder, there's just too much sediment.

Gordy · « **Reply #35 on:** 23 Jan 2007, 01:36 am »

Konut, I've been using "O2 Cleaner", works very well with the lower chamber's steel and the staining!

Speaking of kitchen porn, gotta love that Jim's Cona unit comes in a D cup

Frihed91 · « **Reply #36 on:** 23 Jan 2007, 10:23 am »

61 Million Frenchmen and at least 1 danish person: 1) pour the coffee directly out of the bag into the bottom of the press until it looks about right; 2) heat water to boling; go take a leak; heat water to boling again; 3) fill up the can with water close to the top; 4) wait from 2 seconds to 2 minutes before pressing the plunger down (an alternative time for taking a leak); 4) when finished wash it in the sink just like everything else; 5) Buy a new one when the bottom turns black.

Kim S. · « **Reply #37 on:** 23 Jan 2007, 11:56 am »

My wife and I love to go camping. One of our major problems was getting decent coffee at the campsite. The French press coffee maker method solved this. Nissan sells a insulated coffee press specifically for camp use. It cost $30.00 and can be found at www.campmor.com.

The coffee we make now while camping is as good or better than the drip coffee we make at home.

westcoast · « **Reply #38 on:** 23 Jan 2007, 12:40 pm »

Great find. Thanks, Kim!!

fajimr · « **Reply #39 on:** 23 Jan 2007, 01:36 pm »

Quote from: konut on 22 Jan 2007, 11:59 pm

We both use a close to espresso grind.

wow... I thought one was supposed to use a coarser grind. Are you using the metal filter or one of the fabric filters that came with it? (even though we are talking different manufacturers here)... sounds like I'll have to pay my friend some more visits and play around with her porn...er.. coffee maker

jim