How to use a French Press?

Grizz said:

In reply to porschenut :

I got my press at walmart, it's a bodum something or other, but I never have grounds sneak through the mesh. To fine of a grind maybe?

Even with a coarse ground, my blade-style grinder would still produce a finer dust that would sneak right through the press. I tried a few different presses, Including a Bodum, and they all had the same problem but to varying extents. The only common denominator was my grinder, but it seems like others have gotten away with a blade-style grinder just fine. 

In reply to cyow5 :

Burr grinder.  That will produce a more consistent grind, and reduce the amount of small grind that will get through.

A blade grinder makes more fines than a burr grinder.

A blade chops in a chaotic frenzy without concern for size, if you ran it long enough it would make powder.

A burr grinder doesn't allow anything to pass that is larger than the set size.

I don't care about the little bits that make it past the screen.  It's fiber.  Healthy.  For my tongue, I prefer the taste I get from a finer grind more than I dislike any grounds that get past the filter.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

I don't care about the little bits that make it past the screen.  It's fiber. 

Agreed. (Eating a chocolate covered espresso bean).

I use a Stanley brand press made for camping and such.  Like 20 bucks at Academy and very durable.  Cooking show on YouTube (Cowboy Kent Rollins I think) said to boil the coffee to get the bitter stuff out so I put water in the stainless carafe part with fresh ground beans and bring to a boil, shut off heat and press within a minute or 3 and I'm jammin'

Oh yeah, I went the other direction for daily camping equipment coffee making...

pour-over, and hand-grinding 

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Quick question about your rig.  I use a Melitta pour over, but am curious about yours.  What is the make on that?  Those clip look like they would work better than setting the cone on odd sized cups. TIA.

Jason McRoberts said:

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Quick question about your rig.  I use a Melitta pour over, but am curious about yours.  What is the make on that?  Those clip look like they would work better than setting the cone on odd sized cups. TIA.

It's a GSI Outdoors Java Drip.  I got mine from REI, but it doesn't look like they have it there right now.

I like how the clips allow you to see the level in the cup.

One thing to keep in mind, is you do need to be a little careful about the cup selected and how full you add water.  If the cup is too narrow or you fill it near to the brim, the clips will touch the sides of the screen and wick water down the outside of the cup.  But

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

I'll have to give one a try. I appreciate it.

For camping, I have an older version of one of these.  It makes amazing coffee.

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Is that a percolator that drips into the cup?!?

In reply to Justjim75 :

It boils water then sends it under pressure through tightly packed espresso grind coffee, then up the tube into your cup.  If you're really industrious, it can froth milk to make cappuccino - which I did once before deciding espresso was good enough in the morning... It makes very strong and smooth coffee.  Not quite a good as my friends' Breville machine, but damn close and a lot more portable.

sleepyhead the buffalo said:

Jason McRoberts said:

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Quick question about your rig.  I use a Melitta pour over, but am curious about yours.  What is the make on that?  Those clip look like they would work better than setting the cone on odd sized cups. TIA.

It's a GSI Outdoors Java Drip.  I got mine from REI, but it doesn't look like they have it there right now.

I like how the clips allow you to see the level in the cup.

One thing to keep in mind, is you do need to be a little careful about the cup selected and how full you add water.  If the cup is too narrow or you fill it near to the brim, the clips will touch the sides of the screen and wick water down the outside of the cup.  But

And it's not required to use an additional filter.  It's kind of a modern version of a very old method of a pour over.  The paper filter makes it a little easier to clean, though.