C’est cafe

Home Ec ladies,

Do you know anything about making coffee with a French Press?

I am not a coffee-drinker, but some caffeine addicts are staying with
me this weekend, and I would like to provide them with a nice way to
wake up in the morning.

My French Press came with instructions on how to make coffee, but it
didn’t come with instructions on how to make GOOD coffee.

Thanks,
Trying to Impress

P.S. - Of course, I’m making sure I start right by buying fair trade,
organic coffee.

Heather says:

Good beans are only the first step in making great coffee. You’ll also need good tasting water. If your city or well water is on the funky side, you’re only going to brew funky coffee. Use bottled or filtered water, if necessary.

To use a French press you’ll need about 4* oz of boiling water for every cup of coffee you plan on serving. When the water is boiling remove it from the heat and grind the beans. As the pot uses a screen to separate the grounds from the brew, you’ll need a coarse grind, unless you enjoy gritty coffee.

The key to good coffee when using a French press it to not “over extract” the beans as this produces a bitter flavor. Make sure you have at least one rounded tablespoon of grounds per cup of coffee (4oz)* and do not steep for more than the recommended time check your instructions but a full pot should take about four minutes. Also any coffee still in the pot after twenty minutes is considered old and should be discarded.

Enjoy your coffee

-Tip- If you prefer your coffee on the weaker side add hot water or milk after brewing, do not skimp on the grounds.

*Some disagree and say that a “cup” of coffee should be 60z, in that case use two level tablespoons of grounds.

(Photo Credit Leland)

Isn’t that the sweetest thing?

Dear Home-Ec 101,

My inlaws from down South are coming to town, I need help! All they do is complain about how awful the food is here and how there is no ’sweet tea’ to be found. I’d like to make a good impression.

Signed,

I Like it Bitter in Minneapolis

Heather says:

Sweet tea is a cinch to make. The secret is adding sugar before you add cold water. Bring one quart of water to a boil, add six tea bags (I prefer Luzianne or American Classic), and immediately remove from the burner. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and allow the tea to steep for 10-15 minutes.

Now, the tricky part is determining just how sweet your inlaws prefer their tea. In our house we use 1 cup per gallon, but we’re of the lightly sweetened variety. Your husband should be able to tell you if they like sweet tea or SWEET tea. If it’s the latter, double the sugar.

Pour the steeped tea into a 2qt pitcher and add 1/2 cup sugar, stir until dissolved, and add 1qt cold water. Serve over ice and store in the fridge. This recipe easily doubles, but do you really want to encourage them to linger?