I am experimenting with making coffee in a cafetière, or French press. It is insofar more involved than just using my small Italian espresso-cooker, as there is one more variable you can control. Instead of just coarseness of the grind and amount of coffee, you also have to decide on the steeping time. This clearly calls for experimentation, and results in a very jittery Boris.Right now I am grinding the beans for 9 seconds in my blade grinder (an abomination as far as the cafetière is concerned, since it makes for an uneven grind). I add two heaped spoons of coffee, and let the water (just below boiling) steep for 5 minutes. Still not strong enough, though, not with the amount of milk I like to add. But now! Should I add more coffee? Increase the grind time for a better surface-to-volume ratio? Steep longer?
I'll find out during the next couple of days, if the caffeine overdose doesn't put me in an early grave. Although then I could rise with the fidgety dead on Halloween!
Ah, I like those too. I hope you're going to publish your test-result. I always change the way of making my coffee with this things and yet have not come to a definitely satisfying result.
ReplyDeleteA coffee grinder with blades is an abomination, but as you are in a country forsaken by the holy caffeine, I can feel your pain and the need to archieve coffee by all means necessary.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I do need to invest in a proper grinder. Or maybe somebody will want to give me one for Christmas, like for example my family which reads my blog as is their duty (hint, hint).
ReplyDeleteRight now I am grinding for 11 seconds, then steeping three heaped spoons for five minutes. Still could be a bit stronger.