<p>I recently jumped on the French Press bandwagon and have been loving life ever since. </p>
<p>However, I always find I end up with a lot of “grit” in my coffee; some on the bottom which I know is normal with a press, but also some on the top which makes it slightly “unappetizing” to look at and drink.</p>
<p>I get my beans ground from Starbucks since I can’t afford a really good grinder so I know that’s not the problem; could it be my press? I have a teeny little one (I think it’s maybe like 4 cup max) from World Market. Should I invest in a bigger/better press? </p>
<p>I currently use 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 oz. of water, pour the hot water over the beans and cover with the lid of the press (but don’t press); steep for 5 minutes, press, and serve immediately.</p>
<p>Use a coffee filter.
You can also buy better beans from the grocery store and use the grinder in the store.
You also are using a lot of coffee, you must like it really strong!</p>
<p>I do like it strong! Haha. I like to know what I’m drinking I do also add some creamer and I’ve found if I don’t make it strong it gets too sweet too fast.</p>
<p>Right now I’m looking forward to Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend coming back; it’s my favorite!!</p>
<p>Make sure you get a grind made for a french press, which would be fairly coarse, ( like breadcrumbs).
Ive also read that you should pour what you arent drinking immediatsly, into a carafe so it doesnt get sludgy.</p>
<p>MommaJ, thank you!! I skimmed briefly but I’m excited to read it over :)</p>
<p>EK, I buy pounds of coffee at Starbucks and ask them to grind it for a French press. It does look like breadcrumbs!</p>
<p>And I generally only make enough for just me since…well, it’s just me. Hah.</p>
<p>And I only drink one cup (two max) of coffee per day, because caffeine is my biggest migraine trigger (took me YEARS to figure that out.) (Also why I love my Keurig, but there’s just something about the taste of French Press.)</p>
<p>ETA: AHA!!! MommaJ’s article has, I think, illuminated my problem!</p>
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<p>I haven’t been stirring. I’ll try this tomorrow morning and report back :)</p>
<p>I researched this a few years ago when deciding when choosing for H. I don’t drink coffee- dislike tiramisu for the coffee flavor. Bodum brand came up as the winner and their directions work well for him. Definitely need the proper grind. Look up the how to instructions online. And follow them (something H had to learn to do).</p>
<p>If you want to know more about coffe–best beans, techniques for making, etc.–look at Corby Kummer’s book The Joy if Coffee. More than you want to know about coffee.</p>
<p>Definitely stir after adding the water. Also don’t overfill the press with water–not past the bottom of the spout, or you may get some grounds staying in the spout area and not getting pressed to the bottom. </p>
<p>I discovered the stirring trick by accident. But I think the easiest solution is just to get a small cup sized fine strainer and pour the coffee into it. DH usually makes our French press coffee and some days it’s perfectly clean but other days it has grounds. So it’s easiest for me to just use the strainer. Like this one: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-3-Inch-Strainer/dp/B001713L84”>http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-3-Inch-Strainer/dp/B001713L84</a> only speaking from experience, you might want to look for one with a less heavy handle so you don’t have to hold it while pouring.</p>
<p>Not sure what you could be doing wrong. My H makes his coffee every morning when we’re at our vacation home with a French press and he never has residue in his coffee. My guess would be that Starbucks is not grinding it properly for a French press. It has to be a very coarse grind. Maybe try buying one bag elsewhere and see if that’s the problem? </p>
<p>Thanks for the tips, all! Lergnom, not quite ready to give up on the french press just yet, but I bookmarked the Aeropress! This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of it.</p>
<p>Alwaysamom, if the stirring doesn’t work, I’ll give that a try as well!</p>
<p>Following this thread with interest… My grocery store doesn’t grind, nor does it sell any coffee labeled for a french press… never thought to try Starbucks! My french press efforts come out SO strong… yuck. However, the instructions (Bodum press) do say to use 2 T per cup. And, I too hate trying to dump the grounds before washing. I’ve tried dumping them hot, letting them sit and get cold… doesn’t seem to make a difference. I end up rinsing (IMO) way too many down the sink, which isn’t good for the plumbing! </p>
<p>My local Starbucks can’t seem to get the grind coarse enough for French Press. They all seem to have the same grinder model. I would try to get the beans ground at Whole Foods, Kings, Trader Joes, or better yet, an independent coffee shop. </p>
<p>I stopped using the french press because I found that at least one time out of three, I’d end up with coffee grinds in my cup and also because cleaning out the pot was just too messy for me–especially trying to get the grounds out. </p>
<p>Oooh! I can help. I LOVE my French press and have gotten rid of all other coffee-making accouterments (except my Italian Bialetti, which I rarely use). And my process is simpler and faster than many being suggested.</p>
<p>It was about $40 at a Scandinavian store but you can find similar ones on Amazon. The brand is Forlife. It is so pretty and sturdy and I love it. Another advantage to the ceramic over the glass is that it is MUCH easier to clean–I just rinse it out after using it.</p>
<p>As for making the coffee, I use an inexpensive grinder and grind every morning. I like mine strong so I put about 1/3 of a cup of beans plus a bit more into the grinder, grind it coarsely, and then dump it in the press. I pour the boiling water up to near the top and then let it sit for 10 minutes or so. I don’t stir or touch it at all. Then I plunge. No grounds and perfect coffee every time. The ceramic carafe keeps it nice and warm for a pretty long time.</p>
<p>It is very much worth it to buy a small $20 grinder. If you do that, you can use any kind of coffee you want. I personally get the best results with the Trader Joe’s house blend or the big bag with the tropical designs on it from Costco. Cheap and good. I can’t stand Starbucks–I think they over roast their beans so I would not pay more for their coffee.</p>
I do also add some creamer and I’ve found if I don’t make it strong it gets too sweet too fast.</p>