What’s the right temperature for making a perfect cup of French Press Coffee? If you are a beginner or have just bought French Press Coffee Maker, this is the question that might come to your mind.
Well, the perfect water temperature for French Press Coffee Oh! Not only French Press but any type of coffee is between 195-205 degrees. It’s just below the boiling point of water at sea level, 212 degrees.
It is a proven fact that water extracts the best flavors from the coffee grounds at this temperature and makes your cup of coffee more flavorful.
So, it’s never a good idea to pour boiling water into a French Press Coffee maker. Not only it can ruin the taste of your coffee, but it can also damage the Jar of your French Press coffee maker if it’s not made of strong material.
How Hot Should the Water Be in A French Press?
As discussed above, the ideal water temperature for making French Press coffee is 195 to 205 degrees. So now the question is how you can achieve this temperature?
When I was a beginner about ten years ago, I used to have a kitchen thermometer; I precisely measure the temperature of the water always before pouring it into the French Press Jar; I have tested all temperatures in the range of 180 to 210 degrees and to tell you about myself I experienced the best flavor of French Press Coffee at 200 degrees.
If you are an idealistic person like me, I recommend you buy the kitchen thermometer for yourself.
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But to tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter a lot as long as you are in the range of 195-205 degrees; the taste doesn’t vary much in this range, and you can easily achieve this temperature without owning a temperature measuring device.
Just boil the water in a pot and put off the heat when the water starts boiling. Now wait for 30 seconds to 1 minute (you must consider your ambient temperature here; if it’s low, then wait for less time, and if it’s high, wait for more time) and pour the water into French Press Jar, which already has coffee grounds in it.
Does temperature matter with the French press?
The short answer is “yes” the temperature of the water has a significant impact on the taste of the coffee.
If the water is too hot for French Press, it will over-extract the compounds of coffee grounds like oils, acids, and caffeine, and your coffee will taste too bitter and burnt.
If the water temperature is too low, the coffee grounds will remain under-extracted, and the taste of your French Press coffee will be weak. Most coffee oils will not get appropriately extracted at lower temperatures, and your coffee will taste sour.
195 to 205 degrees is the temperature recommended by baristas and coffee professionals from all over the World. So always make sure that the water you are pouring into the French Press coffee maker has this temperature if you want to enjoy the authentic flavors of coffee. No matter what type of coffee you are brewing, this will always be the most suitable temperature for extracting coffee compounds.
Check our latest guide on Best Electric Kettle For French Press
How to keep your French Press Coffee Warm?
Your French Press coffee might become cold to drink after a steeping time of four minutes if you live in an area where the ambient temperature is too low. So, there are two ways to tackle this problem.
Invest in a double-walled insulated French Press coffee maker. This French Press coffee maker has two walls between which air is trapped. As we all know, the air is an excellent insulator. It will not let the heat escape. So, it helps a lot in keeping the coffee water at a constant temperature during the steeping time.
If you already have a French Press and don’t want to invest in a double-walled French Press. Don’t worry; there is another solution for you.
Before putting coffee grounds in the French Press Jar, rinse it thoroughly with boiling water to increase the temperature of the walls of the Jar.
By doing this, the temperature of your coffee will not fall due to the cold walls of the French Press jar, and you can enjoy your hot cup of coffee. The same goes for your mug, rinse it also with hot water.
Final Thoughts
There are three keys to making a perfect cup of French Press Coffee. The grind size of French press coffee, steeping time, and the temperature of the water.
You can’t make a perfect cup of French Press Coffee if you are not using the right temperature water. Always make sure that the temperature of water you are using for brewing any type of coffee is between 195 to 205 degrees.
Faqs
Can you put boiling water in a French press?
The boiling temperature of the water is 212 degrees which is slightly above the ideal range of 195-205 degrees.
So, it’s not a good idea to pour boiling water directly into the French Press. Wait for 30 to 40 seconds and let the water temperature drop in the ideal range.
IS IT OK TO REHEAT FRENCH PRESS COFFEE?
It’s never a good idea to reheat French Press or any type of coffee. It’s always recommended to brew just enough coffee you can easily finish in one go.
Reheating ruins the taste of your coffee. When you reheat the coffee, the extraction process begins again at a higher temperature, and it will make the taste of your coffee very bitter.
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