My coffee grinder at home makes a terrible racket. Our kitchen, along with the rest of the house, dates to the early 1900s. Acoustics bounce from the walls as if electrically charged. One time I even managed to wake up my wife with the sound of grinding beans, despite being separated by an entire floor and a closed door.
The snobby coffee elite will tell you to invest in a burr grinder, which dispenses ground coffee in a miniature version of the grinders you see in the coffee and tea aisle of any grocery store. These grinders include settings for your preferred brew method: french press, percolator, drip, etc. I find that I get a similar effect out of my blade grinder just from experience. Timing is the key. Ten seconds to grind to french press, twenty to get to drip territory, etc.
For years I enjoyed a standard drip brewer, the kind 90% of the coffee-drinking population has in their home. The process is simple: heat up water, drip it slowly into a mound of ground beans, filter the resulting coffee into the pot. I still use my drip brewer when I want a pot of coffee (or if I'm forced to reluctantly share a pot of coffee with others in the house), or if I'm half awake and need to make coffee as fast as possible.
However, I believe that the "success" of brewing a great pot of coffee through a drip brewer is dependent entirely on the bean. This usually doesn't pose a problem if you're willing to shell out $15 per pound of premium roasted coffee, but I have two kids to feed and bills to pay. Really good coffee is not exactly on the top of my list of necessities.
If you suffer the same fate as I, invest in a french press and a grinder.
My french press was a birthday present, but I believe they run about $20. For a little more you can get an insulated one (which I would recommend). Cheap blade grinders can be picked up for about $10.
Blade grinders are like a gateway drug, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Everyone has smelled that first waft of roasted beans when they've opened a new tub of Folgers. Pick up a bag of coffee beans, and your first grind is that same smell times a million.
But why a french press? For starters, a french press will separate "bold" from "bitter". Bitter coffee comes from drip brewers, and it happens when the ratio of grounds to water is too high. That doesn't happen in a french press, for two reasons: first, the grind is coarser, so that you are really soaking the grounds in water instead of forcing water through a pile of grounds. Second, a drip brewer does not capture the oils and other goodies that are found on well-roasted beans. It's the little things that turn bitter drip coffee into rich, full-flavored pressed coffee.
A french press is remarkably easy: one tablespoon of coarsely ground coffee per 4oz of boiling water. Put the grounds in first, cover with water, and stir for a bit. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes and then slowly press down the filter.
The first thing you'll notice when you pour your first cup of french press coffee is the crema, a byproduct usually associated with well-prepared espresso. Crema is, essentially, the result of the natural oils on the bean; it adds sweetness and a very rich taste to the coffee, almost like dark chocolate but without the chocolate. The second thing you'll notice is that, from a buzz level, one cup of french press coffee substitutes for two cups of drip. My first french press experience left me bouncing off of the walls, and coming from someone who has spent nearly two decades building up a caffeine tolerance, this is quite an endorsement.
The only major drawback of a french press is that it does tend to cool off faster. As I said, a few extra bucks will give you an insulated model, which should stay piping hot for much longer. My glass press requires me to drink the entire pot in about 20 minutes (which is no problem for me, but may feel like a waste of grounds to those that sip more slowly).
An often overlooked advantage of a french press is the social aspect. A few weeks ago I met a friend at the local cafe for a drink. He's training to become a police officer so I guess it's fitting that we decided to grab some coffee (although no doughnuts were involved). I ordered a pot of french press after he mentioned that he's never tried it before, and his eyes lit up with surprise after the first sip. Maybe I'm starting a trend (not likely), or maybe I just like to see people take little chances, but either way I took some small joy in meeting a friend for a drink and actually pouring coffee into a porcelain mug, instead of being handed a paper cup of whatever.
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