French Press

Very easy to perform is a tasting using French press. Just like with a cupping use a couple of different coffees so that you can compare and contrast. This will help you identify the characteristics of each coffee more easily. This is a great way to taste coffee with friends all you need is a couple of large caffetieres some good quality coffee.

Coffees have a geographical characteristic, for example Latin American coffee will be typically mild to medium bodied with a quite bright acidity and a nutty or cocoa flavour. That said trying a Guatemalan coffee against a Mexican one and you will discover two totally different tastes. The key to tasting coffee is have fun and keep an open mind. A French press is a great way to start your exploration in to the world of coffee.

Setting up the tasting

French press for each coffee being tasted.

Coffees for tasting. 10g course ground (two heaped tablespoons) to 6 oz of water.

Use freshly boiled water and allow it to cool slightly before coming into contact with the coffee. This avoids scalding and over-extraction. Depending on the quality of your water, you may find that using filtered water significantly improves the taste of your coffee.

Make sure that the ground coffee is fully wet by giving the brew a quick stir.

Allow to brew for 4 minutes, then plunge steadily.

Note: Make sure all your equipment is cleaned and free of rancid coffee oils and/or detergent residue.

Performing the tasting

We follow a similar process for tasting as we do with cupping.

Step 1 – Assess the Fragrance
Step 2 – Assess the Aroma
Step 3 – Assess the Taste (Acidity, Body & Flavour)