Coffee press how does it work

How does the water get from the reservoir over to the coffee grounds in the filter basket? How does everything heat up so quickly, and what on earth is that gurgling noise? In this article, we'll look inside a typical drip coffee maker so you can understand exactly what's happening when you make coffee. We'll also look at the possible problems that might cause your coffee maker to stop working.

By the end of this article, you may look at your old friend in a completely new way. Coffee beans as we know them are actually the seeds of the fruit of the coffee plant -- called coffee cherries -- and these popular plants have been cultivated by man for hundreds of years. The two most commonly grown species of coffee plants are Coffee arabica Arabica coffee and Coffea canephora Robusta coffee.

For more about details about what's in your morning cup, check out the article How Coffee Works. There are lots of coffee makers on the market that can arguably make a better pot of Joe, but in this article, we'll be focusing on the trusty drip. On the other hand, if you're gunning for an insider's look at your kitchen's appliance of the year, we'll crack it open and take a peek on the next page. A modern drip coffee maker is a surprisingly simple device.

Manufacturers have had more than 30 years to hone their designs, so these coffee makers are pretty straightforward once you open them up. Looking at this picture, you get your first impression that this isn't a high-tech device. If you take the bottom off the coffee maker, here's what you'll find:. The depression on the right-hand side of this figure is the bottom of the bucket.

The orange tube on the top picks up the cold water coming down from the hole in the reservoir. The orange tube on the bottom is the hot-water tube it connects to the white tube that we saw in the previous picture.

You can also see the power cord coming in as well. On the left-hand side of the base of the coffee maker is the heating element. This component is comprised of an aluminum extrusion with two parts: a resistive heating element and a tube for water to flow through.

The resistive heating element and the aluminum tube heat the water. On the next page, we'll take a closer gander at what this apparatus looks like. The resistive heating element is simply a coiled wire, very similar to the filament of a light bulb or the element in an electric toaster that gets hot when you run electricity through it.

In a resistive element like this, the coil is embedded in a plaster to make it more rugged. The heating element has two jobs:.

The resistive heating element presses directly against the underside of the warming plate, and white, heat-conductive grease makes sure the heat transfers efficiently. This grease, by the way, is extremely messy very hard to get off of your fingers! You find this grease in all sorts of devices, including stereo amplifiers , power supplies -- pretty much anything that has to dissipate heat.

The coffee maker's switch turns power to the heating element on and off. To keep the heating element from overheating, there are also components such as sensors and fuses. In coffee makers, sensors detect if the coil is getting too hot and cut off the current. Then, when it cools down, they turn the current back on. By cycling on and off like this, they keep the coil at an even temperature. Fuses simply cut the power if they sense too high a temperature.

They're there for safety reasons, in the event that the main sensor fails. Another important part of the coffee maker is the one-way valve. This valve is usually either in the hole in the bucket or in the aluminum heating pipe. If there were no one-way valve, then the boiling water would be just as likely to flow back into the bucket as to rise up the white tube. The one-way valve lets cold water into the aluminum tube, but forces the bubbles of boiling water to flow up the white tube.

If you are brewing a particularly dark-roasted or decaf, maybe give it an extra 30 seconds. But what does make the biggest difference of all is timing.

The key here being to take your time and do it gently, rather than rushing it and running the risk of spoiling the entire brew.

In addition, the quality of the French Press you use to get the job done will also make a big difference as far as this part of the process goes. Last but not least, if you want to ensure that every cup you pour is of consistently high quality, pour every last drop of the coffee out of the French Press in one go. The reason being that while the effect may be relatively modest, leaving the liquid in contact with the coffee grounds in the bottom will inevitably lead to a certain amount of on-going brewing.

Secure Pay. To get good coffee every time, it is important to know to disassemble and clean your french press. Aim to do this once per month. This really helps. The standard press pot size is between 4 and 8 cups. Many companies count a standard cup as a meager 4 oz.

They generally have glass beakers with a stainless steel base and handle. The two smaller options even come with an unbreakable beaker option! Stainless steel pots provide good insulation, but I find that they add a subtle taste to my cup that I dislike.

You may also want to subscribe to some of these amazing coffee-brewing channels. Steven has mentioned two methods in his brew guide. The first you need to do is preheat your french press. This is an important step in all coffee brew methods. Preheating your brewing equipment will stop your brew temperature from fluctuating as the cold equipment and the hot water even each other out. All you need to do is add some hot water to the press, swill it around until it is warm to the touch, and then discard the water responsibly.

As an added bonus, preheating your french press will also help you keep your coffee hotter for longer. What you measure out depends largely on the size of your coffee press and the amount of coffee you want. I hope you used a coffee grinder to freshly grind your beans. Refer to the table below the instructions if you need to. Again, refer to the table below to get your coffee to water ratio for coffee presses but the core ratio you should aim for is This means 1 part coffee for every 15 parts water.

PRO TIP: Weighing rather than measuring your water with a spoon, just like with your coffee, will give much greater control. This will facilitate more consistent results. Heat the water in whatever way works for you. I recommend using a stovetop or gooseneck kettle: If you have a thermometer or a kettle with temperature control, the recommended coffee press water temperature is degrees F.

Add the your coffee grounds to the preheated french press and then add the correct ratio of hot water afterward, all in one pour. Then you need to take your spoon and give your coffee a quick stir to ensure that all your coffee grounds are properly immersed in your water. Download it here. Placing the lid on will help insulate the press, keeping the heat inside as your coffee brews.

Set your timer, and then play the waiting game! The standard coffee press steep time is 4 minutes , but you can later adjust this to suit your preferences. Once enough time has passed, slowly press the plunger down. Make sure you press it down all the way, or your coffee will continue to brew into over-extraction. If there is too much resistance when you plunge, then your grounds are too fine. Not enough resistance and they are too coarse. We recommend decanting your coffee before serving because the longer your coffee is in a container with the coffee grounds, the more flavor will be pulled out.