The Perfect...French Press Coffee

It's been a long, long week, full of deadlines and jungle heat and generally feeling sorry for myself that I am in an office rather than doing the civilized thing, which is to camp out at some seaside retreat until the weather cools. How very French of me.

Speaking of French -- let's talk French Press, and my Saturday Morning Ritual.

Thinking about my SMR is what keeps me going during weeks like this. We all have some personal opinion about what constitutes a perfect Saturday morning.

My SMR is a one-person celebration of how very not like a weekday Saturday is. It involves coffee, poached eggs, and butter and marmalade on toast; the weekend paper; the couch; and not putting on proper clothing until at least 11 AM.

When I say coffee, I'm not talking about just any coffee. The weekdays are defined by multiple espresso shots emanating from our Nespresso machine, or Starbucks, or in the worst of times, the instant stuff. Whatever rocket fuel is quick to come by. My weekend coffee should be cafe au lait, medium strength, and very, very hot.

My favorite coffee comes out of a percolator, but that's not practical (or better put, not medically advisable) if you're only brewing for one. The next best option is a French Press. Contrary to popular belief, operating a French Press correctly is not merely a matter of throwing some coffee and hot water together for a while and seeing what happens. There are nuances here, people, and they make all the difference.

I like Bodum's Chambord press pot (pictured above). I also strongly recommend investing $15 in a coffee grinder and buying whole beans rather than ground coffee. Coffee loses its flavor by the minute as soon as it's ground, so you'll get a much more flavorful brew by grinding your beans to order.

The Perfect French Press

1. Add 2 ounces of coffee ground for a French Press (coarser than for standard brewed coffee) to the press pot.

2. Boil water on the stove or in the microwave and pour it into the press pot on top of the grounds, filling it to about 1.5 inches from the top. The grounds will rise to the top. Set a timer for four minutes.

3. After one minute has elapsed, break up the crust of grounds with a spoon - this will cause them to sink towards the bottom.

4. Apply the lid to the press pot, with the plunger in the up position, and wait until the timer runs out.

5. Depress the plunger slowly until all the coffee grounds are in the bottom of the cup. Drink immediately.