Making a decent cup of coffee...?

Question

I have one of those french presses. I regularly buy the ground coffee stuff and make a batch of coffee for me to enjoy for about ten minutes. Anyone got any hints or tips to make the coffee tastier than it already is?

I know you should use water "just off the boil" which doesnt really mean alot, just not boiling. any other suggestions?

Answer 1

Grinding the beans yourself will make the coffee yummier. Also, get good-quality beans and don't buy a huge amount, so they will always be fresh.

Jamaican Blue Mountain is the best, but pricey.

Cheers to another coffee lover!

Answer 2

Sounds like your buying a plain roast coffee.  I buy coffee beans and grind the beans myself.  The coffee has a better "fresher" taste.  You can also sprinkle a little cinnamon (if you like cinnamon) on the coffee once it's ground...this gives the coffee a smoother taste.  Also try a gourmet flavored coffee....the selection of flavored coffee on the market is awesome.

Answer 3

Making fresh coffee begins with fresh coffee beans.  My recommendation is 100% Kona Coffee or Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.  For each cup of coffee, use one table spoon of coffee ground, grinded just before you're ready to make the coffee.  Put coffee ground in the french press, use boil water, and wait between 3 to 5 minutes.

Answer 4

The ONLY way to EVER get  a fresh cup of coffee is to buy green coffee beans and roast them yourself, or go to a store that roasts beans every day.  Keep them in an airtight container and grind only enough to use in one day.  The rest will keep for only two weeks once roasted.  Green beans will keep forever, so if you roast your own, you will always have fresh coffee.

Answer 5

Try a coffee bean from Hawaii - Kona Coffee - it's really really good and mellow.

Answer 6

Two keys I've found:

1) Use filtered water (a Britta filter works just fine)

2) More importantly, try several different coffees to see which you like best.  I agree with another commenter, I like Kona best but it may be a bit strong for some tastes.  You may like Columbian better, it's a bit more mellow.  Just buy small packages & try a bunch!

Answer 7

GRIND YOUR OWN BEANS.

Making good coffee starts with the purchase of a coffee mill/grinder. They're relatively inexpensive and are the difference between mediocre coffee and good coffee. No matter how good your beans are, they're just not going to be that great unless you grind them just before brewing.

Find fresh beans locally; most places have a coffee roaster nearby that sells quality loose beans from all over the world. But even if you're buying at the grocery store, going with whole bean and grinding yourself will make a huge difference.

Tip: Real quality Kona coffee costs over $20/lb.

Answer 8

find a bean that you like and buy it unground.  you should invest in a grinder and do it yourself to order. the burr grinders are preferable but cost at least $100 for a good one.  the blade style grinders are serviceable, much cheaper ($20-30 range) and more conveniently available (target, walmart).  as you are already on board with the water being hot enough then you should have no problems making an excellent cup of coffee at home.

Answer 9

get a grinder and grind only what you are to use at a time, add a few almonds or macadamia nuts to it.

get QUALITY coffee to grind, none of this burnt extra oily coffee.

mix blends, add a touch of thick cherry juice JUST A TOUCH, or vanilla, or whatever flavor if you want that creamy texture.

but the big thing is the grinder, maybe add a couple of nuts to grind with it, fresh and quality beans.