Brewing Coffee With An Aroma Press: A Step-By-Step Guide

The Aroma Coffee Press is a manual coffee grinder that is perfect for coffee lovers who want to grind their own beans and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee. With its stainless steel and ceramic construction, the grinder is built to last and consistently produces quiet, even grinds that retain the original flavour of the coffee beans. Its adjustable grinder setting makes it suitable for various brewing methods such as French press, drip, and espresso. The Aroma Coffee Press is also travel-friendly, making it a convenient choice for outdoor adventures. In terms of usage, the Aroma Coffee Press is easy to operate and clean, making it a straightforward tool for coffee enthusiasts who want to customise their coffee experience.

Preheat the press with hot water

Preheating your French press is an important step in the coffee-making process. By doing so, you ensure that your brew temperature remains consistent. This is achieved by adding hot water to your French press and swirling it around until the press is warm to the touch. It is then important to discard the water before adding your coffee grounds. You can also preheat your serving cups in the same way.

The ideal temperature for brewing with a coffee press is between 195–205°F, or 30 seconds off the boil. If your water is too hot, your coffee will taste burnt. If it is too cool, your coffee will be under-extracted and will taste flavourless and watered-down.

Water temperature is not the only factor that affects the efficiency of coffee flavour extraction. The size of the coffee grind is also important. A French press requires a slightly coarser grind than drip coffee, so most pre-ground coffee will be too fine. If your coffee is ground too finely, you will also likely experience resistance when you push the plunger down.

Weigh coffee beans

Weighing your coffee beans is an important step in the coffee-making process as it ensures precision and consistency in your brew. Here is a detailed guide on how to weigh coffee beans for your Aroma Coffee Press:

Choose the Right Amount of Beans

The amount of coffee beans you need will depend on the desired number of servings and the strength of your coffee. For a strong and robust cup of coffee, a higher ratio of coffee beans to water is recommended. As a general rule of thumb, use 15 grams of water per gram of coffee. For example, if you're making an 8-cup press (4 cups of water for 8 servings of 4 ounces each), you'll need about 56 grams of coffee beans. Here are some common measurements for different serving sizes:

• 1 cup of water (8 fluid ounces): 2 tablespoons of coffee beans (14 grams)
• 2 cups of water (16 fluid ounces): 1/4 cup of coffee beans (28 grams)
• 4 cups of water (32 fluid ounces): 1/2 cup of coffee beans (56 grams)
• 8 cups of water (64 fluid ounces): 1 cup of coffee beans (112 grams)

Use a Digital Scale

For the most precise measurement, it is recommended to use a digital food scale. Weighing your coffee beans on a scale takes the guesswork out of the equation and ensures consistency in your brew. Place your grinder on the scale and tare it to zero. Then, add the desired amount of coffee beans until you reach the target weight.

Grind Consistency Matters

The consistency of your grind is crucial when using a French press. For the best results, it is recommended to use uniformly coarse grounds, similar in size to breadcrumbs. A burr grinder is the best tool for achieving this consistency. Avoid using pre-ground coffee, as it is often too finely ground and can result in sediment in your coffee.

Storage and Freshness

To maintain the freshness of your coffee beans, it is important to store them properly. Keep them in an airtight container, preferably opaque, and away from light, heat, and moisture. Whole bean coffee starts to lose its flavour and aroma soon after grinding, so it is best to grind your beans immediately before brewing.

Heat water to 195-205°F

To heat water to the optimal temperature range of 195-205°F for your Aroma coffee press, you can use a kettle or a saucepan on the stove. If you don't have a thermometer to check the water temperature, there's a simple way to estimate it: bring the water to a full boil, remove it from the heat source, and let it sit for about 30 seconds. This will give you water that's in the ideal range for French press coffee.

Water temperature is crucial in coffee brewing. Water that's too hot (above 205°F) will burn your coffee, making it taste bitter. On the other hand, water that's too cool will result in under-extracted coffee, which will taste flavourless and watered-down. The ideal range of 195-205°F optimises flavour extraction, ensuring your coffee is bold and flavourful.

If you're using an electric kettle, make sure it has an exact temperature read function. Alternatively, you can use an instant-read thermometer to gauge the water temperature before pouring it onto the ground coffee in your Aroma coffee press.

Add water, secure lid, and steep

Now that you've added your ground coffee to the carafe and poured in your hot water, it's time to secure the lid and begin the steeping process. Place the plunger lid on the French press, ensuring that the filter does not touch the surface of the coffee. This will help to retain heat during the brewing process.

The standard steeping time for French press coffee is around four minutes. However, you can adjust this duration to suit your taste preferences. If you like stronger coffee, you can let it steep for a little longer, but be careful not to over-extract, as this can make your coffee bitter.

While your coffee is steeping, you can prepare your serving cups by filling them with hot water to preheat them. This will help keep your coffee warm for longer once it's served. Remember, French press coffee doesn't sit on a warming plate, so it's essential to retain as much heat as possible during the brewing and serving process.

Once the steeping time is up, it's time to slowly press the plunger down. This step separates the coffee from the grounds. If you encounter too much resistance, it means your grounds are too fine, and if there's not enough resistance, your grounds are too coarse.

Slowly press plunger down

Slowly pressing the plunger down is the final step in making French press coffee. This is when the coffee is separated from the grounds. If you experience too much resistance when pushing down on the plunger, your grounds are too fine. Not enough resistance indicates that the grounds are too coarse. This step is important because even after you’ve pushed the plunger down to finish your brew, the coffee grounds are still in hot water and will continue to be extracted. To avoid over-extracted, bitter coffee, any coffee that you aren’t serving right away should be decanted into a separate carafe. Choose a thermal carafe if you want the coffee to stay hot.

Frequently asked questions