Plunger
An Instant Classic
Introduction
The Plunger (also known as the French Press) is a full immersion brewing device with a metal mesh filter. This guarantees a viscous brew with a fuller body and increased texture due to more oils and fewer particles remaining in the final brew.
The ability to control all the variables in a plunger (water temperature, grind and brew time) allows for greater control over the final brew in accordance with personal preference. Most importantly if you brew correctly you can expect to enjoy the more nuanced aroma and flavours of each cup.
Brew Time:
4 Minutes 30 seconds
Requirements:
- Fresh Coffee
- Plunger
- Grinder
- Kettle
- Timer
- Wooden Spoon
Step 1
Bring enough water to fill the plunger to a boil. For an 8-cup plunger, you’ll need about 1 Litre, or 500 ml for a 4-cup.
Step 2
While the water is heating, grind your coffee. Plunger coffee calls for a coarse, even grind.
We recommend starting with a 1:12 coffee to water ratio. If you’re using a 4-cup plunger, you’ll want 30 grams of coffee (approximately two round tablespoons).
Step 3
To start, gently pour twice the amount of water than you have coffee onto your grounds. For example, if you have 30 grams of coffee, you’ll want to start with 60 mls of water.
Step 4
Give the grounds a gentle stir with a wooden spoon (or chopstick), allowing the coffee to bloom for 30 seconds.
Note: The bloom is a crucial step in order to provide flavour to your coffee. If the water doesn’t have adequate exposure to the grounds, the extraction will likely be weak. By blooming initially, we allow gas to escape the grounds in order to create space for the water.
Step 5
Pour the remaining water and place the lid gently on top of the grounds. Don’t plunge just yet. Let the coffee steep for four minutes.
Step 6
Press the filter down. If it’s difficult to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger slides down too easily, it means your grind is too coarse. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is about 6-8kgs.
Tip: If you’re unsure what this feels like, test it out on your bathroom scale.
When you’ve finished pressing, serve the coffee immediately. Don’t let it sit, as this will cause it to continue brewing and over-extract.
Step 7
Pour. Share. Enjoy
