How To Make Espresso With A French Press? – Detailed Guide

Alongside the evolution of the international coffee culture, espresso has gradually gained popularity as the ultimate choice of nearly any coffee drinker. If someone claims they are coffee heads without decently acknowledging espresso, they must be lying. Are you wondering how to make it at home despite the lack of sophisticated machines, if I hear correctly? Here is the article for you since I will show you how to make espresso with a french press. It can be done by grinding coffee beans and putting them into heated water before pressurizing the plunger.

What Is An Espresso?

Are you craving a beverage with a bold taste and a highly concentrated amount of coffee? In that case, it is irrefutable that a cup of espresso will be the key answer to your desire. The usual procedure might seem to be in a blink of an eye. However, coffee-makers can only create top-notch espresso products when shooting boiling water under high atmospheric tension on grounded coffee beans. Espresso is characterized by this production method, whose name is similar to the coffee itself. If you want to experience the sensation to the tip of your tongue, you could learn how to drink an espresso.

About French Press

Suppose a relatively slower coffee-drinking routine occupies the top of your list. In that case, a French press may always stay on your kitchen counter. Instead of pricey equipment, the only essential things are gravity, a coffee plunger, and a mesh filter. The cup below is responsible for receiving all the pure taste of grounded coffee after you generate a certain amount of pressure onto the plunger. Moreover, do not forget to search for the minimal brewing time beforehand.

Essential Ingredients

Do the two coffee brewing methods sound like chalk and cheese to you? If you nod to this question, you will not believe your ears when I announce there is a way to mix them both. Having taken a sharp insight into the definition of espresso and the French press, it is high time we made a shopping list of necessary components to start a miracle. Here is the list you can refer to, but you can write additional ingredients up to your preference.

  • Grinder
  • Coffee beans (no specific restrictions on the kind of coffee beans)
  • A French press (any type you own)
  • Timer 
  • Kettle
  • Cup or mug
  • One cup or 250 ml of water
  • Tablespoon or scale

Process Of Making Espresso With A French Press

Grinding Coffee

The key ingredient of a typical espresso recipe is finely ground coffee beans. However, for the French press to work to its best capacity, it is recommended that coarsely grounded ones be used. In terms of the estimated amount, the suggested ratio is 2:1 between coffee and water, notably two tablespoons (the 28.3-gram type) along with every single cup of water.

Turning Up The Heat

You had better own a thermometer in light to achieve the needed temperature, especially when not using the usual espresso machine. A perfect boiling point would be 185-205 degrees F or 96 degrees C for one cup of water. In other words, the steam may even blind you for a second. Accordingly, the whole procedure requires extra carefulness if you do not want to be injured by the boiling water.

Pouring In Grounded Coffee Beans

After completing the first two steps, your mission is to let the boiling water do its job with the coarsely grounded coffee beans by mixing them within the press. Nearly half of the heated water would be enough, and bear in mind that the secret to obtaining a solid taste as the output is to let the combination rest for about one minute. Crossing out this step on your list will not be that big of a deal; however, your coffee will eventually have little trace of espresso.

Pressurizing The Plunger

I may have to warn you that this action requires mastery, even plenty of experience through failed times. Now, you shall pour the rest of the boiled water into the press and start stirring gently. Remember to wait for a minimum of three minutes to achieve the coffee strength that fits your liking. Another significant restriction is that you must not create tension on the plunger during this steeping time. Only after the waiting time is over may you press it down to the first half of the equipment. It is vital to do this as unhurriedly and stably as possible and then retrieve it before moving downwards again to the very bottom.

Bon Appetit!

Voilà! Your tasty espresso is now ready to be served! You must pour all the product into your favorite cup and enjoy it with anything you usually use, such as sugar or milk. If you have not had enough time to take a sip, note that you can always keep the endearing warmth for longer by preheating your cup.

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How Can You Distinguish Between Espresso And French Press Coffee?

Although you can make espresso with a French press, these two kinds of coffee still differ in certain factors. Wouldn’t it be relieving to understand why the flavor you just made is somehow not precisely similar to what you initially imagined?

The Level Of Grinding

As mentioned above, whether the beans are coarse or finely ground depends on the type of coffee you are making. The latter is for espresso, while the first is for the French press. This fact might elucidate why the required time to complete each coffee kind is dissimilar: 30 seconds and up to 15 minutes.

Atmospheric Pressure

Air tension could be the most obvious difference you have ever noticed. The French press uses manual pressure generated by our hands. In contrast, a regular espresso machine can produce up to 10 bars of tension to make a perfect cup of espresso.  

The Appearance Of Crema

For a random espresso addict, this coffee’s most intriguing feature must be crema’s appearance. Due to high atmospheric pressure, the barista can create a cloud of foam floating on the surface of the cup. If you want this component to appear in a French press coffee, you may have to borrow Hulk’s arm to press it hard enough.

Is The Coffee-To-Water Ratio Like The Usual Espresso Recipe?

1:3 or perhaps 1:4 would be suggested to maintain the bold taste of espresso despite being made with the French press method.

How Long Would The Whole Process Take?

The process takes 6 to 8 minutes, depending on how strong you want your coffee to taste.

Should You Use A Cloth Filter At The End?

A cloth filter can be in use if you don’t want too many crumbs or things rustling around within your mouth. 

Conclusion

After being informed of all the details about making your favorite espresso with a French machine, it is high time you tried our tips on how to make espresso with a french press! The making process may take much effort, but I firmly believe you can conquer the espresso land with any weapon. Enjoy your delicious handmade espresso, and have a wonderful day!

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