How to Brew Coffee in a Bodum French Press Coffee Maker

So you think you're a coffee lover just because you can tell the difference between Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, huh? Or maybe you have your own coffee grinder and you make up your own blends?

Oh, and what about those people who think they're The Lords of Coffee because they have one of those fancy, schmancy single cup coffee makers?

Just because you have all the gizmos and all the toys and all the gourmet coffees - that doesn't mean you're a true coffee lover.

A true coffee lover knows how to brew the perfect cup of coffee. And it isn't using one of those cheap plastic drip coffeemakers with the messy paper liners and it isn't hooking up some little liquid coffee syrup in a plastic cup.

True coffee lovers know the best tasting coffee can only be had by making it from freshly ground coffee beans in a French Press coffee maker such as this Bodum Chambord.

• Taste-free Materials

  With your old-fashioned drip coffee maker the water passes through a paper coffee filter, a plastic cup that holds the coffee and the filter, and a small, plastic tube. Your coffee is flavored with paper and plastic before it even hits the pot.

• Temperature Control

  The optimum water temperature for brewing the best tasting cup of coffee is just below boiling point, and the coffee should steep for approximately 3 minutes.

  With a drip coffee maker your coffee is held in a carafe, on a small burner. The additional heat from that burner scorches your coffee and makes it taste burnt and bitter.

  With a french press coffee maker you don't have that problem because there's no burner involved. You simply heat your water to the proper temperature and then pour if over the coffee in your French Press. Allow it to steep for 5 minutes, press the coffee and voila! The perfect cup of coffee every time.

• No Waste

  With a traditional coffee maker you just make a whole pot, assuming you're going to find time to drink it. And if you don't drink it right away it's OK because it's sitting on that little burner and that keeps it warm. (Yeah - and burnt, too!) Eventually, at the end of the day, you throw away a half a pot of coffee because it's so strong it could climb right out of the pot!

  But with a French Press coffee maker you only make enough coffee for your immediate need. One cup, two cups, or enough for the family. But you don't make extra because you know how bad it is for your coffee to expose it to prolonged heat or try to warm it up in the microwave!

• Green Living

  How many of those little paper coffee filters do you use each day? It may not seem like much to you but every little bit you can keep out of the landfill helps go another step toward saving Planet Earth.

• Better Coffee Flavor

  And finally, the best reason of all to get a French Press coffee maker - The Flavor!

  If you think that first cup of coffee tastes great now - after filtering through all that paper and plastic - imagine how much better it's going to taste when they're nothing between you and your coffee but a clear glass carafe!

If you’ve tried a French Press coffee maker and you didn’t like the coffee then you probably did it wrong. There are three key factors you need to keep in mind:

Water Temperature: The proper water temperature for brewing coffee is 195 to 205 degrees Farenheit. This is just below the boiling point. If your water is boiling it will scald the coffee, giving it a bitter taste.

To ensure your water is the proper temperature bring it all the way up to the boiling point and then remove it from the heat for 1 minute. Then go ahead and pour it into your French Press Coffee maker.

Or, if you prefer you can heat your water in a saucepan so you can see the bottom. When little bubbles start to appear on the bottom of the pan your water has reached the proper temperature.

Brewing Time: The longer you wait to press your coffee the stronger the flavor. If you prefer a medium strength coffee then only let the coffee brew for 2 minutes. For a stronger cup, let it brew for 3 minutes.

The Coffee: For best results you should use freshly ground coffee beans each time you make a cup of coffee. And it’s best to use a medium coarse grind for a richer, fuller flavor.

The bodum is one of the best coffee maker to truly experience rare and high end coffee such as a Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain. Personally, I like to try out different Arabica from all over the world, especially if they they come from fair trade and organic producers.