If your coffee tastes burnt, you could be brewing it too long. It’s important to pour the coffee out of a French press immediately after pressing the coffee so that it doesn’t continue to brew.
If coffee brews for an extended period, it will get bitter and it may even taste burnt.
Another culprit of over-brewed or burnt tasting coffee could be using too many coffee grinds. This article will discuss the different ways you can change your French press coffee-making process, how it affects your coffee’s overall taste, and how to adjust it to make your coffee dreams come true.
Why is my coffee so strong?
Coffee could be strong, bitter, or it could even taste burnt for a few reasons:
Water Temperature
When the coffee is brewed, it should be brewed around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures result in a faster extraction, and very possibly a burnt brew.
Brewing coffee at higher temperatures can easily be over-extracted if it’s brewed in an immersion style like in the French press.
To correct this, you could try using a lower temperature to brew your coffee. To get the perfect temperature water for brewing, you can first bring the water to a boil, remove it from heat, and wait for it to stop simmering. As soon as it finishes simmering, you can begin to brew your coffee.
Another way to get the perfect temperature is to use a thermometer to check the water. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s best to brew coffee in a French press at 195 degrees.
Due to the immersion-style brewing, you’ll want to make sure it’s hot enough to steep the coffee grinds without over-extraction.
The Volume of Coffee to Water
Part of the coffee-making process includes measuring the coffee grounds somehow. A large amount of coffee grinds is going to make a stout cup of coffee compared to a cup of coffee brewed with fewer grinds. If your coffee is tasting bitter or burnt, try decreasing your coffee grinds to find a more favorable brew.
Size of Coffee Grinds
A French press is best suited for medium to coarse grinds. If your coffee is strong, you may want to try a coarser coffee grind.
Fine coffee grinds extract faster, but they also slip through the French press filter. This could result in a bitter and sludgy cup of coffee that could very well resemble a burnt taste.
If your coffee comes out stronger than you like, but it’s not too far from where you like it, you could consider adding some hot water to dilute your brew.
Why is my coffee weak?
Coffee could taste sour, watery, and weak for a variety of reasons:
Water Temperature
When coffee is brewed, it requires a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, especially in a drip brew, pour-over, or otherwise quick-brew method.
With a French press, you have control over how long the coffee brews. If your coffee is too weak, try increasing the temperature to get a faster extraction rate.
Brew Time
If your temperature is already high, another possible factor causing weak coffee could be the brew time. If your coffee is sour, try leaving it to brew for a longer time to finish the extraction process.
If you’re unsure how long you want to brew your coffee, you can experiment with a timer and find the perfect brew time for your perfect cup of joe.
Size of the Coffee Grinds
A French press is good for medium to coarse grinds. A coarse grind is going to result in a weaker brew, but a different flavor profile. If you want a smooth and medium-strength coffee, try a medium grind.
What other factors should I consider when brewing coffee in a French press?
Coffee Roast
You can use any kind of roast in a French press. A dark roast is going to be stronger than a blonde or light roast. If you find your coffee too weak, consider using a darker roast to get a stronger coffee.
Bloom
When coffee is roasted, it releases some (but not all) of the carbon dioxide it contains. When water meets coffee grinds, the rest of the carbon dioxide begins to escape. The lighter the roast, the more carbon dioxide the coffee will retain.
Some coffee connoisseurs like to bloom their coffee grinds before brewing. This is the process where you pour some water over the grinds, so they expand and rise. The expansion is called a bloom. It will be more dramatic in fresh coffee. Once the bloom is over, then you would continue to brew.
Fresh Coffee
Fresh ground coffee beans are going to make a gloriously fresh and tasteful cup of coffee. You can get a coffee grinder and fresh beans to begin making your own fresh coffee.
If you want to get coffee beans fresh, you can usually find some high-quality beans at a local coffee shop.
Filter
There are many options for filters for coffee. The French press is no exception. Most French press coffee makers come with a metal mesh filter. You could add a cloth or paper filter to the pot before brewing to improve the quality of your coffee.
The mesh filter may allow finer coffee grounds to slip through and it may result in a sludgy and muddy cup of coffee. A paper filter is good for filtering out more grounds than a mesh filter. The cloth filter option is reusable and meets the needs of sustainability-minded people.
Flavor
If you want to add flavor to your French brew, you can add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to your coffee grounds to make a Snickerdoodle flavored coffee. You could add cocoa, hazelnut, or other flavorings to your liking.
Preheat
When you brew coffee in a French press, the heat source is coming only from the hot water you add to it. If you preheat the press, it won’t reduce the temperature of the water immediately.
You could also consider preheating your mug of choice. It’s warm in your hands, and it keeps your coffee warm longer.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.