mmm...coffee
A couple days ago egretplume asked how I make coffee in my French Press. Because I am a big dweeb, I wrote a little tutorial. With (lousy) action shots. It's very dweebie, I'm not gonna lie.
- Start with a clean French Press. Mine is a 32 oz. pot. (They call this a four cup pot, but those are some small cups of coffee, if you ask me. This makes two big American-style mugs of coffee. Perfect for me; when I have company I have to make two pots.)
- Add five scoops of your favorite coffee to the press for a 32 oz pot. (If you have a 16 oz pot, use about half that.) I use a regular teaspoon as a scoop, and I don't buy super-expensive, fancy coffee (sorry, Greg). As a matter of fact, I mostly get mine free from my brother-in-law, who owns a McDonald's. McDonald's coffee is surprisingly good when you brew it right. Who knew? (In the case of decaf, I use about 3 scoops, because I find decaf to be a stronger roast.)
- Fill an electric kettle or regular kettle or even a plain old saucepan with cold water (filtered is best, but I use tap because I'm too impatient to wait for the filter). I fill my electric kettle to the 1.0 Liter line, but your press may be a different size than mine, so use however much water you need.
- Wait for your water to come to a full boil! V. important.
- When your water is at full boil, pour it over your grounds.
- Set a timer for four minutes.
- Set the top on your pot if you wish, but DO NOT PLUNGE.
- When the timer goes off, press the plunger down.
- Voila! One perfectly brewed pot of coffee.
- Add whatever sweeteners and creamers you enjoy to your favorite coffee mug, and pour your coffee. I prefer cinnamon vanilla creamer with two Splendas, but your mileage may vary.
- Mmm...coffee.
- If you're planning to enjoy a second cup later, wrap your French Press in a towel to keep your coffee warm. You could also knit a French Press cozy, which looks very fetching, but doesn't strike me as terribly efficient at the actual holding in of heat.
So there you go. I hope that is helpful, and if you're still having trouble I am always happy to talk about the process!
As for Nano, I haven't posted a word count in awhile because I've been consistently behind, and it's just depressing to compare my word count to those of you who are on the ball. As of last night I'm now about a day and a half behind, and I'm starting to despair for reals. I keep reminding myself that it doesn't matter if I hit 50,000 words by December 1st, as long as I keep working on the story, but somehow that knowledge is not making me feel any better. And the fact that my brain is being eaten by Morgan/Reid slash really doesn't help.
