James calling the ek43 a “stock and common grinder” feels like giving your house a deep clean, and then when guests come over, apologizing for “the mess”
@@joshuastrickland5264 went to trader joes for the first time the other day, they have a grinder in the store you can use. i also went into a local coffee shop and they said they can grind whatever i bring in. so try that
@@joshuastrickland5264 In addition to your local coffee shop(or if you don’t have any smaller options), most Starbucks locations will also grind your coffee for you.
I've been using his "unofficial" method for a while now, from the "Latte/cappuccino at home" video. The coffee comes out so incredibly bright and sweet with zero bitterness that it often makes me wanna put my V60 away.
@@AyAy008 Got my aeropress yesterday and tried a couple of methods, i must say that i also enjoyed the recipe from James the most. Really sweet, not bitter and great with milk.
I enjoy coffee very much but hardly ever been worthy of the label coffee snob. I enjoy cheap joe at 711 same way I enjoy it at a fancy cafe and rarely know any difference nor could I tell you how most of these brewing devices work or explain terminology of beverages. But I ADORE. THIS. CHANNEL. You have the most pleasantly soothing voice, near ASMR like in quality, and you are so passionate and ethical and down to earth and even historically educational in your delivery. I could play you to relax anxieties or to fall soft down to sleep or focus on tasks . No crazy annoying bells and whistles. Just a man who loves his coffee and wants to share how you can enjoy it better too. Wish there were many more channels like you.
7 months ago I was considering better alternatives to the Keurig I'd been using for years. This video was a huge reason I opted to switch to a French Press. As I'm out and about throughout my week, I'm consistently grateful & amazed that the coffee I find most delicious is the coffee I brew at home. Thanks James!
Totally agree. French press all the way. Cheapest, easiest, greenest, and apparently a good way to compensate for random coffee that may end up in your kitchen or office. Pro tip, I don't actually French press. I use my yeti thermos to brew. I pour out a little at a time into my cup and for the last bit, I use a really fine mesh tea strainer. And then for the afternoon, I brew again for a subtle caffeine hit to get me past 3:00 p.m.
If you like the french press but want to try a paper filtered method, keeping immersion as your method, try the clever dripper. James Hoffman has a video on how to use it and Imo the biggest benefit is cleanup, cleaning a french press isn't a lot of work but it is more than a little annoying. The clever dripper is an upside down french press with the metal filter swapped out for a paper one that you can just lift out and bin. I also find its easier to control temp as it isn't glass which absorbs more heat from your coffee
@@NachaBeez not the same. The grounds fall and settle themselves. The Press is a plunger to force that. Some grounds do escape, and there is immense pressure as you press down hard on a glass tube (no thanks). It's possible the hot coffee could even spray out. And cleanup is a hassle. Using a simple strainer can separate grounds. A new comment here references an interesting device that pulls up. Sounds like it would bypass the pressure problem.
To me, the advantage of immersion is that it keeps the contact time between coffee and water independent from grind size. With pourover both technique and grind size impact contact time, as alluded to in the video. By making them independent you allow diffusion rate to be controlled via grind size while you manually control contact time. That's an extra degree of freedom in tuning your recipe.
Which is one of the reasons why products like the Hario Switch or the Clever Dripper are fantastic since it works like a french press you get the benefits of immersion brewing without a silty cup of coffee.
@@SirBojo4 I hear the Germans are using their kraut space magic to design a superior version of the French. I predict the French press will surrender its market share within 6 weeks to the kraut's promotional blitzkrieg.
Same thing that crossed my mind, it went "you cheeky bastard") man, that was right in the face) Anyways, I've already mastered so many ways to brew with aeropress, that I'm just hoping to know something new) I've finally invested in comandante and now any aeropress recipe is a good recipe for me.
I really appreciate the fact that James just spoiled the result in the title, letting people who don't care the experiment know the result right away, and at the same time delivers clear reasoning in the video. This title will not let James make more youtube money, but he does it anyway because he wants to let more people know coffee better
Explains why my initial attempts at cold brew tasted so awful, sometimes almost as sour as vinegar. Once I got my grind size larger, I got delicious brews. Yet, I had used very find grinds with my blade grinder and had really enjoyed French press coffee. Thanks for helping me make a little more sense of my world!
I'm planning on experimenting with different roast levels with my immersion cold brew. I keep seeing stuff online saying that cold brew works best with lighter roasts, but that wasn't my experience when I tried it with a darker roast I bought by accident. The same coffee tasted like a hot mess of astringency through a Mr. Coffee, but was really pleasant in my Hario Mizudashi.
Thank you for this! I get so many customers “shamefully” admitting that they use a French press when I ask them for their brew method if they want their beans ground, and I always have to tell them there’s nothing shameful about it. French press is nearly foolproof and makes a good cup. But what really intrigued me was your ad for morning brew, James. Now I’m thinking about all those prizes you’ll win for hitting your link sharing milestones.
Ok, I'll say it. The switch from voice over to on screen for the beginning of the ad read was damn smooth. You didn't need to do that, but it was such a nice touch for the pacing and I appreciate the extra effort
Yeah, that was good. I really liked the transition back as well, where he had already done the work and just caught us up to speed. His videos are consistently getting better.
I came here specifically to confirm that I was not the only one who noticed and appreciated that. And, once again, the Hoffmann Comments Section does not disappoint. Thank you.
I would love to see a comparison of the immersion methods and techniques. The videos for the Clever, French Press, and Hario Switch all showcase a different technique. Does the technique matter for the method, does one technique or method provide a "better" result, etc. I feel like this is an unexplored rabbit hole.
This is an amazing, simple technique. You actually don’t need a French Press for this. I just used this method with the same ratio in a Pyrex measuring cup. No straining necessary - I just poured it slowly and had no sediment in my cup. This is the first time in a while that I’m drinking black coffee. Thank you James.
@@RedSntDK yes! My main gripe with cafetières! I think I'd be happier just using a glass pot and a tea strainer, and never worry about that damned plunger again
I'm quite sure you don't have to worry about anyone calling in an air strike, but in this pop-cutural group, you can never ever be sure. Make sure you are not followed 🤪
My go to is always immersion...I love my French press. I’ve been using the preferred “Hoffman” process recently with it as well and wow...what a difference! I’m really surprised what letting it sit for 4 minutes at the beginning does for my brew. Truly an amazing cup of coffee every time. Thanks for another great video James.
Got a Hario Switch after you mentioned it - and haven't looked back since. The combination of immersion and filter is perfect for me. Gives depth, complexity, body and still a clean cup in the end. Grinds as finely as possible before getting harshness and bitterness, but that demands a very lightly roasted bean. Thank you for making the best coffee related channel on UA-cam bar none.
yea i have a gina and the valve makes a 2min immerse then draw down similar to the daily driver/hario switch video easy to do and it works really well.
@@Budosyyy I do. I just don't like others telling me I don't. All opinions count. I don't coffee machines that you have to buy papers for as it's just profiteering and being creative
The French press has been my favorite brewing method for a long time - I love the flavor and texture that you achieve with it. *AND* after watching your French press video a while back, it improved my press brewing even more! As a note for people who are looking for more clarity in a French press, you can always use a finer screen in it, or even double up on the screens if necessary.
Brain surgeon,diamond cutter,cameo carver ,tapestry weaver,pointillist painter most of all.Precision,dilligent attention to the minute without losing touch with the over all object( finished "product").I for one,admire and enjoy any "activity" which exemplifies excellence/ expertise,even that perfect poise of the Zen master immersed in stillness: as well a master of the tea ceremony.These are the impressions I get while attending to your discourse.The most mundane activity becomes art.Thank you
I feel really comforted knowing that even coffee professionals like James can't deny the appeal of a big weird novelty mug once in a while. Big fan of the Mugwai.
After I found some "crazing" on the inside of my Aeropress brew chamber I was very disappointed that I only got two years out of it. It was not bad enough to leak air, but I wasn't thrilled about realizing I was drinking plastic molecules with every sip of the finished brew. I didn't want to buy another Aeropress because of the plastic ingestion issue. My solution was to buy a small 500ml glass pitcher and use it like a French press for immersion brewing and then pour the coffee and grounds, after a 2 minute steep, into a pre-rinsed pour-over cone filter for a clean cup of coffee. The coffee oils and sediment of the French press give me an upset stomach. I was surprised when this method gave me a better cup of coffee than my Aeropress had.
Do not ignore your V60, even with a new toy in the house. Your V60 is made from quality porcelain and has had loving hands involved in the creation of it. It will continue to treat you well, so be kind and give it regular love :)
This really has been my experience when immersion has come to the rescue for a coffee producing too many fines for a good pour over i.e. over extracted tasting harsh. Going coarser to minimise excessive fines results in an under extracted pour over brew tasting sour. Immersion by Aeropress whilst not the giving the clarity gives me my sweet tasting fix (all hail Alan Adler).
I would find it useful to see the V60 compared against the Hario Switch. Both are identically shaped and paper filtered, but the Switch adds in the option of an immersion phase before the final percolation. It would also be interesting to see these two methods compared using a cheaper grinder with less uniform distribution. I am sure that a lot of people are looking for a method that will work best with the lower-end grinder they have at home.
OMG, I've just been reading about the differencces between immersion & percolation brewing methods. Suddenly, I received the notification of this video... It was like, OMG, is it google recommending me an Old video or is it a new one ! Just on time James, just on time ! 💙
Yeah because TDS doesn’t really mean anything. You don’t event extract most of each coffee grinder (the middle of the grind doesn’t even get touched by water).
Having finally been gifted an Aeropress this Christmas (after long being aware of its camping usefulness from travelling with friends), I've come to realise just how astonishing a bit of kit it is. It makes truly great coffee without any of the hassle and variability of pour over and espresso (something I hadn't seen discussed much before but this video has finally hit upon) or the siltiness of french press and then you get the whole ease of use and clean up. It is now my main at-home coffee maker, which is something I wasn't thinking would be the case when I popped it on my christmas list.
I was actually thinking of this today! Ultimately, a french press is an equilibrium extraction, so while the amount of product available for extraction does depend on the grind size there is a strong tendency for consistency - the equilibrium solubilities determine the final result. A percolation method, on the other hand, is an exhaustive extraction, so it's controlled by kinetics - as you mentioned, the surface area is a big factor there, because the equilibrium is constantly tilted so it will extract as much as it's available, including the less pleasant bitter flavors. It gives a more complete extraction but also requires a lot more control. This, of couse, in theoretical / ideal circumstances, which "broke" at the very fine grind settings as channels were created, which is where gravity filtration stops working and pressure would need to be applied - whether with a suction pump and a G4 filter or just an espresso machine xD
These results make sense to me, I've found over the years that immersion brewing is very forgiving of grind size/quality compared to pretty much every other brew method. I've taken press pots on a lot of camping trips and a lot of long road trips and ran a huge variety of grounds through them, inconsistent blade grinder grounds, pre-ground in every size available and of course freshly ground from a conical burr machine and have always been able to tweak the brew time and coffee to water ratio in a way that yields acceptable coffee. Obviously there's a sweet spot of grind quality and size and technique that yield an amazing cup coffee from a press pot, but also I've found you can fuck up a lot of things and still get a surprisingly good cup of coffee out of one too. Other brew methods just seem to have a narrower range of variables that produce good coffee. Don't get me wrong I love espresso as well and really enjoy my pour over and even my goofy Bodum vacuum brewer, they all provide their own unique and enjoyable coffee experience when I have fine control over my brewing variables. But if I'm brewing my morning coffee with water I boiled on a campfire and eyeballing my ratios, press pot is the only way to go.
Our camp coffee for years was just a tablespoon or two of coffee into a big-ass mug...fill up with hot water, stir & tap to settle the grinds, & just sip it off the top. For a while there we made it this way at home, too, 'cos we were lazy & it tastes great. (Just remember to stop before you hit the bottom...that last mouthful is a doozy!)
IF there's an "answer", he gave it rather eloquently in the recap: "If you are stuck with a grind that is not suited for your p/o method though, brewing it w/an immersion brewer may yield you better results.." About as diplomatic as it can be.
At Last! Sorry I missed it three years ago but I've been laboring under the load of your ignoring a fundamental rule of chemisty and that is that the finer the grind the greater the surface area and consequently the greater the opportunity for saturation and concentration. I've always ground as fine as possible, espresso or greek then pour the coffee straight into an insulated cup and after sufficient cooling drink it from that same cup until I get a few grounds. Always great coffee. I tried your pour over and the results never matched the results from my own method. Your charts match and support my results and saves on coffee cost as well. 😀
It would be interesting to find out how tolerant each method is of grind consistency. Does immersion brewing allow for a cheaper grinder & therefore lower access price point to great results. Presumably so if the taste is less affected across a range of grind sizes.
True, all you need to make a great cup of french press is coffee beans, the press itself, a campfire, a kettle or hell even a sauce pan, and some way to grind coffee. You could probably use some rocks as a grinder and still make a good cup.
as someone with a pathetically cheap grinder, I can say that "yes, immersion brewing is incredibly resilient to grind quality." Really, the only thing that doesn't work is espresso grind. But, that's because the ultra-fine grounds just wind up in your cup in a bitter, sandy mess. I could have tried with a short brew time and a paper filter... but I prefer to just drink coffee, rather than blow it on experiments
this is anecdotal, but while visiting my mom her coffee maker was on the fritz, however, she had her old 1961 GE percolator in the garage. I cleaned it up, ran water thru it, then made a pot of coffee. I was stunned by how good it was. Stunned. It rivaled any current coffee maker I have tried. Mostly I make espresso, but I do enjoy a cup of good old american style coffee. I love your channel. Wish you were in the states, because many of the reviews I cannot replicate here in the USA. Take care.
I recently started brewing with a coarser grind in general using pour-over, frenchpress and aeropress. The results in all 3 of the techniques seem to benefit from that (at least for my taste). Love too see the magic behind that. Thank you James!
Blind taste test when you're alone: Set two cups on a lazy susan, give it a gentle spin while you walk away, come back to not knowing which cup is which.
@@varunprasadathi1161 I recently realized his videos contain like a million bucks worth of coffee gear. I assume the sweater expenditure is comparable.
Don't drink coffee, but had wanted to surprise a friend with a good cup of joe. Found your french press making video, bought one, and my friend couldn't believe how great the coffee was. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and being a great coffee connoisseur! P.S. the previous time I had tried to make coffee, my friend begged me to stay away from the coffee percolator 😄
This tracks with my experience. I find the V60 to be a difficult beast to tame, and immersion brews to be more "tolerant" of variance in technique, coffee quality, etc. Although for me the best V60 brew is preferable to the best French Press brew, a mediocre V60 is worse than the worst French Press I've ever made.
I’ve been using a French press for over 30 years and anytime I switch to a different method. I am not happy so I will stick with it plus the active grinding. The coffee beans is quite mesmerizing.
I haven't been using a french press that long but had a similar experience. Had a drip coffee maker in my basement and wanted some more one day. Brewed it up and it was TERRIBLE! Vowed never to do that again.
Hi James! I think coffee type and roast profile plays an ever more important role here. Anecdotally, I have a Kenya I've been drinking, but regardless of the grind, immersion brewing just highlights the coffee's characteristics better than percolation. And I can say the opposite for other coffees. Also, I think it's so important to understand what your filter is doing. You can effectively immerse the coffee and filter with paper, giving it a much cleaner profile. Your knowledge is epic, I love learning with you. 🙂
Thank you so so much for this comparison. I have found myself currently on a quest for bearable outdoor coffee solution... It is a challenge greater that is seems. Up until now I wasn't much of a fan of the french press, but I have got myself one, so I can froth some milk in it. There is of course and aspect of it being a multipurpose since it is titanium and can serve as a small kettle... Going back to the topic: french press has never been my favourite, but comparing it with travel type drippers, and the moka's weight, and my semi-rational fear towards brewing in plastic - it makes it the best solution for the mountains. Knowing what's going on during the brewing process helped me figure out the way from other brewing methods to this one. Thank you
I would say that a press is a more forgiving method for starters. That was my first real brewing method and it got me into everything else. It's very easy to get good coffee out of a French press, unlike something like espresso or v60.
why use a v60 then? i dont understand all the different methods. if the french press is good and forgiving, why using something less good and finnicky?
@@jon6288 I agree. I use an espro press, which delivers good clarity with speciality coffee, with the same ease as standard press. When I need coffee in the morning I don't want to think about how to make it.
"into the middle, which is where I would probably grind for both of them." This is the most interesting sentence to me. As a struggling home brewer, somewhere I picked up a concept these should have pretty different grind sizes. I need to try this out.
One implication stands out - it sounds easier to get a good brew from immersion than from percolation. So for example, in an office environment where there are limits on how "extra" you can be with your brewing method :) the press has a lot going for it. James - on that topic, it would be interesting to talk about how success might vary with water temperature; same situation, an office environment that forbids personal kettles and where the communal water boiler is what it is, shared with many people, and quite inconsistent on output temperature as a result. Not uncommon in large offices. Presumably immersion would be more tolerant - but it would be interesting to dive into where that breaks down, perhaps what the water temperature limits are for good-enough immersion brewing, or adjustments one might make to the grind or steep time to achieve best results.
Choose coffee with low acidity usually south america grind the smallest size(they say it should be like superfine sugar) medium roast is okay.(but in turkey many people like dark roasted bitter but not me) A ratio of 70 grams of water to 10 grams of coffee is ok. Heat for 2-3 minutes. When you see foam, pour it into the cup. Wait 2 minutes for sediment to settle (i am not an expert but drink every day)
@@ozgurbarsayhan226 will try it that way. My take is a bit different: while constantly slowly stirring heat as quickly as possible to the first foam (which looks like crema), lift off the heat for a moment then heat again until the foam rises (boils up) quite a bit. The result has a mild detergent or soap-like residual foam but a fuller taste and far less particles floating. Then again, I only prepare it occasionally, when I'm in a mood for something different. And yes, high coffee to water ratio. Fine grind helps but don't get discouraged if you can't achieve the fine powder grind, it's immersion, so quite forgiving.
Really insightful video, I was recently gifted a v60 and ground coffee for it, but after following v60 technique was always left with a muddy filter paper and coffee that was disappointing. I now know why, my coffee is to fine. Thank you for the revelation, the rest of this coffee in going in my french press and a grinder is now on my future agenda.
I'm no coffee savvy nor anything, I've started recently taking care about my coffee after being frustrated with the coffee that I usually prepare to myself, so I've started applying your teachings and (specially) the technique for percolation brewing. First things first, even with a "low quality" coffee (I haven't studied the type of coffees yet :) ) I'm able to prepare more pleasant beverages, to the point that I'm actually enjoying pure black coffee (I am more used to drink coffee with milk). And when I say I'm "enjoying", I MEAN it... I've never understood people who are addicted to that thing up until now! That all said, regarding this video, I bought yesterday a French press and did my first coffee like 5 minutes ago, using your technique. As I sipped my coffee and listened to your comparison between both percolation and immersion, I got chills down my spine because I literally FELT in real time what you were talking about. I feel this less bitter, less acid and more "sweet" taste in my French press whereas when I use a wrong grind setting (and the wrong method) when doing percolation, the taste is really bitter, sour and acid-like, which is pretty unpleasant. The downside - pretty sure I won't be able to drink the coffee from the machine at the office, it feels disgusting now, why they call that "espresso"?? Thank you so much for your teachings and for the high quality content! I am still struggling with my Moka Pot, but I believe it's either the grind size (I'm still using pre-grinded coffee, but got myself a grinder yesterday :) ), the coffee/water ratio and/or the time it's taking to prepare... Or maybe the cleaning, though I've been cleaning it thoroughly. Keep up with your content and thank you once again.
For me, the clarity of filtered coffee makes it superior to any muddy coffee i have tasted so far. Ordered a moka pot and a commandante grinder the other day, so hoping that the right grind settings will provide a coffee with good clarity. If not, ill stick to pourovers...
I have both pour over and French Press. My pour over method is that I agitate the basket during the brewing this is for the one cup pour over. I also have a larger pour over likely for larger pots. I do not use it very often because one cup/mug is all I need. Also I generally use either, pour over or French press for decaf. The French press, I got for Christmas said to use cracked coffee grind. Every grinder is different your grinder size of bean grind is subjective. Also I'd be happy to step in when the help isn't around to allow you to do the blind taste test.
For me that video explains why i get the most sweet, rounded and balanced cups with aeropress. In general; immersion does that but with a comprimise from the most complex and elegant aromas. In immersion, you aren't likely to get these in your cup. These aromas (they are mostly acids) are vanished or obscured by long contact time in immersion methods.That's why we need pour-over as well. Thanks James!
This is so cool. Makes perfect sense to validate my experiences. Also explains why I feel like I get a better expression of the coffee on my chemex as compared to the V60, I will grind the same coffee 'finer' for the latter than the former and see if I can get to a more similar outcome of taste. What I love about this the most, is I have always felt that the French Press is under rated as a brewing method. I have made great coffee with my French Press, and can't understand why more people don't make a song and dance about it
My Aeropress is on the way from Amazon. But for now, my favourite brewing technique involves brewing coffee in a pot of hot water for a few minutes and then using V60 papers to filter the grounds. I get the best of both worlds, pretty much!
Yes… I finally settled on my French press a few years ago for the go to. I have a percolator, a pour over, a moka pot, espresso machine, and an electric coffee pot
Cheap, easy, fast, no ingested plastics, nothing to wear out: 1. Add ground coffee beans into a stainless pot of boiling water. 2. Pour the coffee through a stainless pour-over mesh.
Moving to a pour over (Clever Coffee Dripper) due to recent reports of lower cholesterol (!!) compared to French press. So far, I'm enjoying the coffee just as much. If I forget the shame of how intimidated and bullied I am by wife on cholesterol issues, I can really enjoy the pour over cup a lot.
I like this new approach as I come across unwanted grind style/size often traveling for work. I live somewhere for months at a time and bringing all my coffee gear is just not feasible so I usually bring a baby hario hand grinder or buy the cheapest grinder available and then use the brew method provided in the housing I am in which tends to be drip. But now I'll just go find a quick french press and call it a win until I can get back to my gadgets at home 😅 gonna have to check out these Kruve products you quickly mentioned too...
Having done cold extraction to produce a coffee essence for baking, where the increase in aromatics Vs the decrease in acidity is a factor I would like to see some experimentation for immersion or percolation that relates brew temperature to brew time to get optimal results
I’d love to see you experiment with pouring an immersion brew through a filter. After seeing this, I’m going to try that out tomorrow. I’m particularly curious about what such a technique might offer to brighter coffees that one wouldn’t typically think to brew in a French press.
Yes! A knowledgable coffee UA-camr who doesn’t need to rely on click bait! Really enjoying your channel since only discovering you a couple of weeks ago. Learning heaps. Thank you 😊 ☕️
It is refreshing to hear a positive opinion of cafetiere brewing, which is my favourite method for many reasons. It does seem sometimes that the snobbery which can be rife within coffee drinking aficionados dismiss this method too quickly. Thank you for sharing your opinions.
This was very interesting. I generally make my coffee in a french press. However, I was shopping at a thrift store about a month ago and found a white china one cup pour over funnel. I bought it thinking that I would try it, but also because it was such a nice example (aesthetics are important to be) and I thought it might come in handy for filtering other things in the kitchen. This was really helpful. I actually enjoy the ritual of using my french press so this is mostly reassuring that it is the best choice.
That's the first sponsorship message on this channel I've watched through, and I signed up to the newsletter too. Would be great to see more free productivity and 'thoughtful pursuits' stuff like that in the future
James calling the ek43 a “stock and common grinder” feels like giving your house a deep clean, and then when guests come over, apologizing for “the mess”
This is such an underrated comment lol
I’ve seen some hand grinders for coffee that cost more than $500-600 or more. It’s insanity.
@@joshuastrickland5264 went to trader joes for the first time the other day, they have a grinder in the store you can use. i also went into a local coffee shop and they said they can grind whatever i bring in. so try that
@@joshuastrickland5264 In addition to your local coffee shop(or if you don’t have any smaller options), most Starbucks locations will also grind your coffee for you.
Welcome to our world
I like to think that James doesn't use any hair products but rather the amount of coffee he drinks makes his hair stand up the way it does
Eh eh , quote of the day
I came to the comments just to look for hair commentary
It's the static from the grinders
In a previous video he shared the shocker he only has a couple cups a day (definitely not stalking him or anything)
@@danchaquico4525 I have one to wake me. It seriously looks like weak tea sometimes...what is light coffee
The hype for James’ Aeropress video can’t get any higher at this point.
Indeed
It's have been few years now :D
I've been using his "unofficial" method for a while now, from the "Latte/cappuccino at home" video.
The coffee comes out so incredibly bright and sweet with zero bitterness that it often makes me wanna put my V60 away.
@@AyAy008 Got my aeropress yesterday and tried a couple of methods, i must say that i also enjoyed the recipe from James the most. Really sweet, not bitter and great with milk.
He's giving us an entire (Squarespace) website, isn't he 😎
The David Attenborough of coffee
hahaha, honestly I would love to see James Hoffman mucking it through the jungle to get to a coffee farm
Nailed it
Attenborurgh is good. But i always thought James Burke.
Needs to narrate a coffee documentary
Low-Fi Calisthenic tutorials meets the king of tasty smooth coffee narration. Lady’s and gentlemen- the ultimate crossover
I enjoy coffee very much but hardly ever been worthy of the label coffee snob. I enjoy cheap joe at 711 same way I enjoy it at a fancy cafe and rarely know any difference nor could I tell you how most of these brewing devices work or explain terminology of beverages. But I ADORE. THIS. CHANNEL. You have the most pleasantly soothing voice, near ASMR like in quality, and you are so passionate and ethical and down to earth and even historically educational in your delivery. I could play you to relax anxieties or to fall soft down to sleep or focus on tasks . No crazy annoying bells and whistles. Just a man who loves his coffee and wants to share how you can enjoy it better too. Wish there were many more channels like you.
Wpuld make a good psychiatrist. If anyone would be able to dissect and understand neurosis it would be James.
Hmmmm, Barristas and hairdressers.
At this point I watch these videos for two reasons:
1) to learn about coffee
2) to read the always-hilarious comment section
I dont even drink coffee. Dunno why im here. 😅
Maybe because i jusr bought a french press to use on teas. 😊
James: "This common grinder, EK43"
Me: *crying in peasantries*
my thought exactly:)
As if getting a Zero isn't already a hard enough goal for me...
@@svgPhoenix cries in bought ground coffee
@@fridgemagnet9831 cries in aisle 4 of Aldi.
@@moopet8036 cries in Happy Shopper instant
James’s combination of geek chic, composed speech and subtle charm really is a joy to watch, immense coffee knowledge aside.
7 months ago I was considering better alternatives to the Keurig I'd been using for years. This video was a huge reason I opted to switch to a French Press. As I'm out and about throughout my week, I'm consistently grateful & amazed that the coffee I find most delicious is the coffee I brew at home. Thanks James!
Totally agree. French press all the way. Cheapest, easiest, greenest, and apparently a good way to compensate for random coffee that may end up in your kitchen or office. Pro tip, I don't actually French press. I use my yeti thermos to brew. I pour out a little at a time into my cup and for the last bit, I use a really fine mesh tea strainer. And then for the afternoon, I brew again for a subtle caffeine hit to get me past 3:00 p.m.
Or just add hot water to coffee. Same as tea.
@@jjryan1352 that’s basically the whole idea of the French press. It just also has a built-in filter so you don’t end up drinking coffee grounds.
If you like the french press but want to try a paper filtered method, keeping immersion as your method, try the clever dripper. James Hoffman has a video on how to use it and Imo the biggest benefit is cleanup, cleaning a french press isn't a lot of work but it is more than a little annoying. The clever dripper is an upside down french press with the metal filter swapped out for a paper one that you can just lift out and bin. I also find its easier to control temp as it isn't glass which absorbs more heat from your coffee
@@NachaBeez not the same. The grounds fall and settle themselves. The Press is a plunger to force that. Some grounds do escape, and there is immense pressure as you press down hard on a glass tube (no thanks). It's possible the hot coffee could even spray out. And cleanup is a hassle. Using a simple strainer can separate grounds. A new comment here references an interesting device that pulls up. Sounds like it would bypass the pressure problem.
To me, the advantage of immersion is that it keeps the contact time between coffee and water independent from grind size. With pourover both technique and grind size impact contact time, as alluded to in the video. By making them independent you allow diffusion rate to be controlled via grind size while you manually control contact time. That's an extra degree of freedom in tuning your recipe.
Which is one of the reasons why products like the Hario Switch or the Clever Dripper are fantastic since it works like a french press you get the benefits of immersion brewing without a silty cup of coffee.
@@michealpersicko9531 But still, the drawdown can be stalled by the grind size, unlike a french press
a simple large container gives the most variable... i brew my coffee this way and so far i personally like the result
No. Pour over is superior.
@@impaque its worth the trade off. French presses are a pain in the ass to clean and deep clean
Oh great, now my French press is insufferably pleased with itself.
It is French..... ;)
we all have someone we want to send this video and be like: SEE!
@@toomanymarys7355 Shhhh, some person is going to go all political and use the word Krauts each sentences...
@@SirBojo4 I hear the Germans are using their kraut space magic to design a superior version of the French. I predict the French press will surrender its market share within 6 weeks to the kraut's promotional blitzkrieg.
@@SirBojo4 What about the krauts?!
James “this common grinder” Hoffmann.
hahaha i laughed at that too
I made the mistake of looking it up, assuming it would be somewhat affordable given how "common" it is. Boy was I wrong
*with list price of 4300$
You don't have one? I have one and it's verry niz.
@@neosinan1 Well. Ordering there you're getting ripped off. Amazon isn't always the cheapest
"... but the Aeropress is something we will talk about another time." - I literally shouted out: "BASTARD!"
@peterpan I came to comment exactly the same :D , guess you own an aeropress too?
Same thing that crossed my mind, it went "you cheeky bastard") man, that was right in the face)
Anyways, I've already mastered so many ways to brew with aeropress, that I'm just hoping to know something new)
I've finally invested in comandante and now any aeropress recipe is a good recipe for me.
You are in good company. I must confess that it brought out my inner Samuel L Jackson.
It's like Alton with his "that's for another show"...
😂
That "stock" coffee grinder costs as much as a small car.
Stock for a cafe, not for a consumer.
I really appreciate the fact that James just spoiled the result in the title, letting people who don't care the experiment know the result right away, and at the same time delivers clear reasoning in the video. This title will not let James make more youtube money, but he does it anyway because he wants to let more people know coffee better
That knowing nod that an ultimate guide is coming...
He has a guide for aropress in his book ( atlas of coffee )
All the Aeropress guys just fainted
@@salsah5136 q
Qq
Q qq
The aeropress trolling has really ramped up a notch in recent weeks.
How so?
@@ruisearts last week's Aeropress technique domain on the Squarespace sponsor, this week the cheeky little wink at the end of the video.
@@tommy_lyon wow I completely missed that last week ua-cam.com/video/D8zqp3CgcbA/v-deo.html
Well spotted!
Based strictly on reading comments here after pausing a mere 16s into the video, I am finally accepting fate and buying an aeropress.
We’ve all made it through 2020. Think we deserve the aeropress video
Explains why my initial attempts at cold brew tasted so awful, sometimes almost as sour as vinegar. Once I got my grind size larger, I got delicious brews. Yet, I had used very find grinds with my blade grinder and had really enjoyed French press coffee. Thanks for helping me make a little more sense of my world!
I'm planning on experimenting with different roast levels with my immersion cold brew. I keep seeing stuff online saying that cold brew works best with lighter roasts, but that wasn't my experience when I tried it with a darker roast I bought by accident. The same coffee tasted like a hot mess of astringency through a Mr. Coffee, but was really pleasant in my Hario Mizudashi.
Thank you for this! I get so many customers “shamefully” admitting that they use a French press when I ask them for their brew method if they want their beans ground, and I always have to tell them there’s nothing shameful about it. French press is nearly foolproof and makes a good cup. But what really intrigued me was your ad for morning brew, James. Now I’m thinking about all those prizes you’ll win for hitting your link sharing milestones.
I’m going to pass out with happiness when the aeropress video drops 😂
Yeah, what a cliffhanger...!
Ok, I'll say it. The switch from voice over to on screen for the beginning of the ad read was damn smooth. You didn't need to do that, but it was such a nice touch for the pacing and I appreciate the extra effort
Yeah, that was good. I really liked the transition back as well, where he had already done the work and just caught us up to speed. His videos are consistently getting better.
I came here specifically to confirm that I was not the only one who noticed and appreciated that. And, once again, the Hoffmann Comments Section does not disappoint. Thank you.
@@joer5518 Yeah, I just watched it again- another one of the many little things he does that is top-notch!
I would love to see a comparison of the immersion methods and techniques. The videos for the Clever, French Press, and Hario Switch all showcase a different technique. Does the technique matter for the method, does one technique or method provide a "better" result, etc. I feel like this is an unexplored rabbit hole.
The Switch is both immersion and pour-over (sort of), and I don't think this was addressed in this video. Did it fall between the cracks?
I love my clever dripper
I only prefer aeropress in the prep and cleanup category
This is an amazing, simple technique. You actually don’t need a French Press for this. I just used this method with the same ratio in a Pyrex measuring cup. No straining necessary - I just poured it slowly and had no sediment in my cup. This is the first time in a while that I’m drinking black coffee. Thank you James.
True! I dispensed with the French press plunger and pour a whole liter through a stainless steel cone filter. French press taste without the sludge!
@@Bob_Adkins Same. Also, easier to clean. Cleaning the plunger is the worst.
@@RedSntDK yes! My main gripe with cafetières! I think I'd be happier just using a glass pot and a tea strainer, and never worry about that damned plunger again
@@RedSntDK ...maybe I'll just make coffee in a teapot... is there a law against it? 😂
I'm quite sure you don't have to worry about anyone calling in an air strike, but in this pop-cutural group, you can never ever be sure. Make sure you are not followed 🤪
My go to is always immersion...I love my French press. I’ve been using the preferred “Hoffman” process recently with it as well and wow...what a difference! I’m really surprised what letting it sit for 4 minutes at the beginning does for my brew. Truly an amazing cup of coffee every time. Thanks for another great video James.
Got a Hario Switch after you mentioned it - and haven't looked back since. The combination of immersion and filter is perfect for me. Gives depth, complexity, body and still a clean cup in the end. Grinds as finely as possible before getting harshness and bitterness, but that demands a very lightly roasted bean. Thank you for making the best coffee related channel on UA-cam bar none.
same!
I got a clever dripper. Skipped all the techniques and on my way to taste discovery at different temperature. Hard to come back to v60...
@@fakhruddinmdhanapi2182 same here! once i tried clever dripper there is no coming back to v60 or chemex for me :D
yea i have a gina and the valve makes a 2min immerse then draw down similar to the daily driver/hario switch video easy to do and it works really well.
What’s the main difference you’ve noticed with the switch vs v60?
Notification popping up :
THE ULTIMATE AEROPRESS TECHNIQUE By James Hoffman!!
The big day is coming and I’ll be there!
On 1st April, 2021
It's definitely going to become his top vid by view count.
There all awful ways to brew coffee. All messy and are a gimic
you got no idea what you’re taking about bud
@@Budosyyy I do. I just don't like others telling me I don't. All opinions count. I don't coffee machines that you have to buy papers for as it's just profiteering and being creative
"a fairly common and stock grinder, in this case EK43"
that thing costs more than what I earn in two months.
The French press has been my favorite brewing method for a long time - I love the flavor and texture that you achieve with it.
*AND* after watching your French press video a while back, it improved my press brewing even more!
As a note for people who are looking for more clarity in a French press, you can always use a finer screen in it, or even double up on the screens if necessary.
French press is bad for your health though. Google the Scandinavian coffee drinker study.
@@richerite 😂
I'll still enjoy it. Thanks!
Brain surgeon,diamond cutter,cameo carver ,tapestry weaver,pointillist painter most of all.Precision,dilligent attention to the minute without losing touch with the over all object( finished "product").I for one,admire and enjoy any "activity" which exemplifies excellence/ expertise,even that perfect poise of the Zen master immersed in stillness: as well a master of the tea ceremony.These are the impressions I get while attending to your discourse.The most mundane activity becomes art.Thank you
10:45 I'm scared he's never shown this emotion before
I feel really comforted knowing that even coffee professionals like James can't deny the appeal of a big weird novelty mug once in a while. Big fan of the Mugwai.
Oh my, oh my, a Mugwai mug!
A Mugwai mug, oh why?
I just noticed that lol!
So when's the cinematic hype-trailer for the Aeropress video going to drop then, James?
April 1st is my guess
"in a world.."
It's going to be a 10 season Netflix TV show. Just wait and see.
He’s got Redd Pepper to do the voiceover
James just gave a light of joy for the bimbos like me who are stuck with just a French press for God knows how long...
After I found some "crazing" on the inside of my Aeropress brew chamber I was very disappointed that I only got two years out of it. It was not bad enough to leak air, but I wasn't thrilled about realizing I was drinking plastic molecules with every sip of the finished brew. I didn't want to buy another Aeropress because of the plastic ingestion issue. My solution was to buy a small 500ml glass pitcher and use it like a French press for immersion brewing and then pour the coffee and grounds, after a 2 minute steep, into a pre-rinsed pour-over cone filter for a clean cup of coffee. The coffee oils and sediment of the French press give me an upset stomach. I was surprised when this method gave me a better cup of coffee than my Aeropress had.
Hey, thanks for the idea! It's also cheaper than an aeropress, clever dripper, or a hario switch, so I'm gonna give it a try
I don't know why it delights me so when Voiceover James throws to On Camera James
My V60 is weeping so I am giving it a bath with boiling hot water and some coffee grounds
Coffee grounds is a good body scrub, both for your body and the V60.
Good idea, I shall do the same
I got some Dunkin’ Doughnuts coffee you can torture it with 🤪
Do not ignore your V60, even with a new toy in the house. Your V60 is made from quality porcelain and has had loving hands involved in the creation of it. It will continue to treat you well, so be kind and give it regular love :)
This really has been my experience when immersion has come to the rescue for a coffee producing too many fines for a good pour over i.e. over extracted tasting harsh. Going coarser to minimise excessive fines results in an under extracted pour over brew tasting sour. Immersion by Aeropress whilst not the giving the clarity gives me my sweet tasting fix (all hail Alan Adler).
I would find it useful to see the V60 compared against the Hario Switch. Both are identically shaped and paper filtered, but the Switch adds in the option of an immersion phase before the final percolation. It would also be interesting to see these two methods compared using a cheaper grinder with less uniform distribution. I am sure that a lot of people are looking for a method that will work best with the lower-end grinder they have at home.
I hate my grinder and i dont have the balls to buy a good one because the prices are too high
@@kainaaguiarferreira4351 what's too high for you?
@@kainaaguiarferreira4351just get the 1zpresso q2s or the x-pro
As a geologist working often with sediment, I must say I could predict the reason of the difference within the two methods. Really amazing content!!
OMG, I've just been reading about the differencces between immersion & percolation brewing methods.
Suddenly, I received the notification of this video... It was like, OMG, is it google recommending me an Old video or is it a new one !
Just on time James, just on time ! 💙
"But the aeropress is something we talk about...another time." _James Hoffman with an evil smile_
I'm glad you actually tasted the coffee instead of just measuring the TDS.
Yeah because TDS doesn’t really mean anything. You don’t event extract most of each coffee grinder (the middle of the grind doesn’t even get touched by water).
Definitely agree on this. Good TDS doesn’t equal good coffee always
I thought the same...good point.
Having finally been gifted an Aeropress this Christmas (after long being aware of its camping usefulness from travelling with friends), I've come to realise just how astonishing a bit of kit it is. It makes truly great coffee without any of the hassle and variability of pour over and espresso (something I hadn't seen discussed much before but this video has finally hit upon) or the siltiness of french press and then you get the whole ease of use and clean up. It is now my main at-home coffee maker, which is something I wasn't thinking would be the case when I popped it on my christmas list.
I was actually thinking of this today! Ultimately, a french press is an equilibrium extraction, so while the amount of product available for extraction does depend on the grind size there is a strong tendency for consistency - the equilibrium solubilities determine the final result. A percolation method, on the other hand, is an exhaustive extraction, so it's controlled by kinetics - as you mentioned, the surface area is a big factor there, because the equilibrium is constantly tilted so it will extract as much as it's available, including the less pleasant bitter flavors. It gives a more complete extraction but also requires a lot more control.
This, of couse, in theoretical / ideal circumstances, which "broke" at the very fine grind settings as channels were created, which is where gravity filtration stops working and pressure would need to be applied - whether with a suction pump and a G4 filter or just an espresso machine xD
Underrated comment. This person knows what’s up.
@@edwardog This person, I'm guessing, is smarter than three of me on a good day. Zowie! (Lucky woman.)
These results make sense to me, I've found over the years that immersion brewing is very forgiving of grind size/quality compared to pretty much every other brew method. I've taken press pots on a lot of camping trips and a lot of long road trips and ran a huge variety of grounds through them, inconsistent blade grinder grounds, pre-ground in every size available and of course freshly ground from a conical burr machine and have always been able to tweak the brew time and coffee to water ratio in a way that yields acceptable coffee.
Obviously there's a sweet spot of grind quality and size and technique that yield an amazing cup coffee from a press pot, but also I've found you can fuck up a lot of things and still get a surprisingly good cup of coffee out of one too. Other brew methods just seem to have a narrower range of variables that produce good coffee. Don't get me wrong I love espresso as well and really enjoy my pour over and even my goofy Bodum vacuum brewer, they all provide their own unique and enjoyable coffee experience when I have fine control over my brewing variables. But if I'm brewing my morning coffee with water I boiled on a campfire and eyeballing my ratios, press pot is the only way to go.
Our camp coffee for years was just a tablespoon or two of coffee into a big-ass mug...fill up with hot water, stir & tap to settle the grinds, & just sip it off the top. For a while there we made it this way at home, too, 'cos we were lazy & it tastes great. (Just remember to stop before you hit the bottom...that last mouthful is a doozy!)
James is the only person who wouldn't click-bait the headline in the most obvious way. He just comes out with the verdict.
God bless and keep Saint James
IF there's an "answer", he gave it rather eloquently in the recap: "If you are stuck with a grind that is not suited for your p/o method though, brewing it w/an immersion brewer may yield you better results.." About as diplomatic as it can be.
Your explanation of channeling has somehow clarified my coffee brewing and engineering materials class. Damn, thanks for this gem, James.
At Last! Sorry I missed it three years ago but I've been laboring under the load of your ignoring a fundamental rule of chemisty and that is that the finer the grind the greater the surface area and consequently the greater the opportunity for saturation and concentration. I've always ground as fine as possible, espresso or greek then pour the coffee straight into an insulated cup and after sufficient cooling drink it from that same cup until I get a few grounds. Always great coffee. I tried your pour over and the results never matched the results from my own method. Your charts match and support my results and saves on coffee cost as well. 😀
It would be interesting to find out how tolerant each method is of grind consistency. Does immersion brewing allow for a cheaper grinder & therefore lower access price point to great results. Presumably so if the taste is less affected across a range of grind sizes.
True, all you need to make a great cup of french press is coffee beans, the press itself, a campfire, a kettle or hell even a sauce pan, and some way to grind coffee. You could probably use some rocks as a grinder and still make a good cup.
@@Joseph-C lol meanwhile I just ordered an 1Zpresso JX to grind for French press
as someone with a pathetically cheap grinder, I can say that "yes, immersion brewing is incredibly resilient to grind quality." Really, the only thing that doesn't work is espresso grind. But, that's because the ultra-fine grounds just wind up in your cup in a bitter, sandy mess. I could have tried with a short brew time and a paper filter... but I prefer to just drink coffee, rather than blow it on experiments
The aeropress video is gonna end up being just 90 seconds of James brewing a single cup with it.
James, lots of us have been waiting for that “another time” )
Yes we have. He has us by the balls, and he knows it
this is anecdotal, but while visiting my mom her coffee maker was on the fritz, however, she had her old 1961 GE percolator in the garage. I cleaned it up, ran water thru it, then made a pot of coffee. I was stunned by how good it was. Stunned. It rivaled any current coffee maker I have tried. Mostly I make espresso, but I do enjoy a cup of good old american style coffee. I love your channel. Wish you were in the states, because many of the reviews I cannot replicate here in the USA. Take care.
James Hoffmann's videos are very involved and explain every little detail to help us learn; this video's no exception.
I recently started brewing with a coarser grind in general using pour-over, frenchpress and aeropress. The results in all 3 of the techniques seem to benefit from that (at least for my taste). Love too see the magic behind that. Thank you James!
Blind taste test when you're alone:
Set two cups on a lazy susan, give it a gentle spin while you walk away, come back to not knowing which cup is which.
Yes, he can use identical cups with a small post-it stuck on the underside of each cup so he can tell which cup contains which coffee.
Especially when they're mixed together, and all over the table and the floor! xD
Wtf is the etymology of the "lazy susan"
@@bbuggediffyask Alexa 😮
Not only does he have the most expensive coffee collection , he probably has the most expensive sweater collection also .
And hair gell collection.
So many glorious spoons too.
My man James, spending on the right stuff
This man looks like
Wee Dingwall the carton from Pixar movie brave
@@varunprasadathi1161 I recently realized his videos contain like a million bucks worth of coffee gear. I assume the sweater expenditure is comparable.
I've always liked the French press because of its simplicity and versatility, and this video shows just that
Don't drink coffee, but had wanted to surprise a friend with a good cup of joe. Found your french press making video, bought one, and my friend couldn't believe how great the coffee was. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and being a great coffee connoisseur!
P.S. the previous time I had tried to make coffee, my friend begged me to stay away from the coffee percolator 😄
This tracks with my experience. I find the V60 to be a difficult beast to tame, and immersion brews to be more "tolerant" of variance in technique, coffee quality, etc. Although for me the best V60 brew is preferable to the best French Press brew, a mediocre V60 is worse than the worst French Press I've ever made.
The smallest detail and technique can affect the outcome of a brew with a V60 in my experience.
I’ve been using a French press for over 30 years and anytime I switch to a different method. I am not happy so I will stick with it plus the active grinding. The coffee beans is quite mesmerizing.
I haven't been using a french press that long but had a similar experience. Had a drip coffee maker in my basement and wanted some more one day. Brewed it up and it was TERRIBLE! Vowed never to do that again.
Hi James!
I think coffee type and roast profile plays an ever more important role here. Anecdotally, I have a Kenya I've been drinking, but regardless of the grind, immersion brewing just highlights the coffee's characteristics better than percolation. And I can say the opposite for other coffees.
Also, I think it's so important to understand what your filter is doing. You can effectively immerse the coffee and filter with paper, giving it a much cleaner profile.
Your knowledge is epic, I love learning with you. 🙂
Had this in my recommendations and saw that this video is 3 years old and i remember seeing it when it came out. Love these videos
Thank you so so much for this comparison. I have found myself currently on a quest for bearable outdoor coffee solution... It is a challenge greater that is seems. Up until now I wasn't much of a fan of the french press, but I have got myself one, so I can froth some milk in it. There is of course and aspect of it being a multipurpose since it is titanium and can serve as a small kettle... Going back to the topic: french press has never been my favourite, but comparing it with travel type drippers, and the moka's weight, and my semi-rational fear towards brewing in plastic - it makes it the best solution for the mountains. Knowing what's going on during the brewing process helped me figure out the way from other brewing methods to this one. Thank you
Someone needs to start a petition for James to give us the ultimate Aeropress technique video.
I would say that a press is a more forgiving method for starters. That was my first real brewing method and it got me into everything else. It's very easy to get good coffee out of a French press, unlike something like espresso or v60.
why use a v60 then? i dont understand all the different methods. if the french press is good and forgiving, why using something less good and finnicky?
@@jon6288 I agree. I use an espro press, which delivers good clarity with speciality coffee, with the same ease as standard press. When I need coffee in the morning I don't want to think about how to make it.
I sure hope that gremlins mug manages to find it's way onto the shelf of wonders in the background.
"into the middle, which is where I would probably grind for both of them." This is the most interesting sentence to me. As a struggling home brewer, somewhere I picked up a concept these should have pretty different grind sizes. I need to try this out.
I had no Idea UA-cam had a coffee spot! I'm an addict and am so glad your channel will clearly become such an enabler! Coffee is life!
One implication stands out - it sounds easier to get a good brew from immersion than from percolation. So for example, in an office environment where there are limits on how "extra" you can be with your brewing method :) the press has a lot going for it.
James - on that topic, it would be interesting to talk about how success might vary with water temperature; same situation, an office environment that forbids personal kettles and where the communal water boiler is what it is, shared with many people, and quite inconsistent on output temperature as a result. Not uncommon in large offices. Presumably immersion would be more tolerant - but it would be interesting to dive into where that breaks down, perhaps what the water temperature limits are for good-enough immersion brewing, or adjustments one might make to the grind or steep time to achieve best results.
10:48 you're welcome everybody
How many takes do you think he did to get that right?
You made my day. :D
Could you do an overview of "Turkish" Coffee?
Choose coffee with low acidity usually south america
grind the smallest size(they say it should be like superfine sugar)
medium roast is okay.(but in turkey many people like dark roasted bitter but not me)
A ratio of 70 grams of water to 10 grams of coffee is ok.
Heat for 2-3 minutes.
When you see foam, pour it into the cup.
Wait 2 minutes for sediment to settle
(i am not an expert but drink every day)
@@ozgurbarsayhan226 the thing is i do know how to make it.
But james here can really breakdown the process and give it room for improvement
@@ozgurbarsayhan226 could you make a youtube video of this 🙏🏻
@@ozgurbarsayhan226 will try it that way.
My take is a bit different: while constantly slowly stirring heat as quickly as possible to the first foam (which looks like crema), lift off the heat for a moment then heat again until the foam rises (boils up) quite a bit. The result has a mild detergent or soap-like residual foam but a fuller taste and far less particles floating. Then again, I only prepare it occasionally, when I'm in a mood for something different.
And yes, high coffee to water ratio. Fine grind helps but don't get discouraged if you can't achieve the fine powder grind, it's immersion, so quite forgiving.
Really insightful video, I was recently gifted a v60 and ground coffee for it, but after following v60 technique was always left with a muddy filter paper and coffee that was disappointing. I now know why, my coffee is to fine. Thank you for the revelation, the rest of this coffee in going in my french press and a grinder is now on my future agenda.
I'm no coffee savvy nor anything, I've started recently taking care about my coffee after being frustrated with the coffee that I usually prepare to myself, so I've started applying your teachings and (specially) the technique for percolation brewing.
First things first, even with a "low quality" coffee (I haven't studied the type of coffees yet :) ) I'm able to prepare more pleasant beverages, to the point that I'm actually enjoying pure black coffee (I am more used to drink coffee with milk). And when I say I'm "enjoying", I MEAN it... I've never understood people who are addicted to that thing up until now!
That all said, regarding this video, I bought yesterday a French press and did my first coffee like 5 minutes ago, using your technique. As I sipped my coffee and listened to your comparison between both percolation and immersion, I got chills down my spine because I literally FELT in real time what you were talking about. I feel this less bitter, less acid and more "sweet" taste in my French press whereas when I use a wrong grind setting (and the wrong method) when doing percolation, the taste is really bitter, sour and acid-like, which is pretty unpleasant. The downside - pretty sure I won't be able to drink the coffee from the machine at the office, it feels disgusting now, why they call that "espresso"??
Thank you so much for your teachings and for the high quality content! I am still struggling with my Moka Pot, but I believe it's either the grind size (I'm still using pre-grinded coffee, but got myself a grinder yesterday :) ), the coffee/water ratio and/or the time it's taking to prepare... Or maybe the cleaning, though I've been cleaning it thoroughly.
Keep up with your content and thank you once again.
Next step is buying a GOOD grinder
that aeropress tease lmao. he's just toying with us at this point.
In the world of hot takes , this is pretty damn spicy
For me, the clarity of filtered coffee makes it superior to any muddy coffee i have tasted so far. Ordered a moka pot and a commandante grinder the other day, so hoping that the right grind settings will provide a coffee with good clarity. If not, ill stick to pourovers...
I have both pour over and French Press. My pour over method is that I agitate the basket during the brewing this is for the one cup pour over. I also have a larger pour over likely for larger pots. I do not use it very often because one cup/mug is all I need. Also I generally use either, pour over or French press for decaf. The French press, I got for Christmas said to use cracked coffee grind. Every grinder is different your grinder size of bean grind is subjective. Also I'd be happy to step in when the help isn't around to allow you to do the blind taste test.
For me that video explains why i get the most sweet, rounded and balanced cups with aeropress. In general; immersion does that but with a comprimise from the most complex and elegant aromas. In immersion, you aren't likely to get these in your cup. These aromas (they are mostly acids) are vanished or obscured by long contact time in immersion methods.That's why we need pour-over as well. Thanks James!
The hype for the James Aeropress video will go beyond what the PS5 can ever dream of achieving
This is so cool. Makes perfect sense to validate my experiences. Also explains why I feel like I get a better expression of the coffee on my chemex as compared to the V60, I will grind the same coffee 'finer' for the latter than the former and see if I can get to a more similar outcome of taste. What I love about this the most, is I have always felt that the French Press is under rated as a brewing method. I have made great coffee with my French Press, and can't understand why more people don't make a song and dance about it
My Aeropress is on the way from Amazon. But for now, my favourite brewing technique involves brewing coffee in a pot of hot water for a few minutes and then using V60 papers to filter the grounds. I get the best of both worlds, pretty much!
Same here, I wouldn't change it.
Yes… I finally settled on my French press a few years ago for the go to. I have a percolator, a pour over, a moka pot, espresso machine, and an electric coffee pot
Cheap, easy, fast, no ingested plastics, nothing to wear out:
1. Add ground coffee beans into a stainless pot of boiling water.
2. Pour the coffee through a stainless pour-over mesh.
He is getting anime hair. He will star in Coffee: The Anime
Coffee Bebop :)
Jamesu Kurisu: Legend of the Aeropuressu brought to you by KyoAni Studios
He is becoming Sonic Hoffmann :D
@@PipiPopiPop hahaha, I was thinking Freakazoid!
There's already a coffee manga called "The Perfect Blend" in which I can already see him as Liam what with his Sakamoto-style sardonicism and all.
I'm starting to suspect that James's Aeropress video will be him going "It's a bit shit really..." as the screen fades to black.
Has you seend the video about it yet?
@@sneakysquirrel1990 yup. I'm still not a fan of Aeropresses though 🤣
french and aero any day over any glorified dripper (or mock-a-pot)....
@@dushk0 :( Say what you want about Chemex and Coffee machines but leave my Mokey the Moka outta this!
@@dushk0 No, pour overs just taste better. I don't care what they say
As if I wasn't hyped already with previous "another time" statements from James, we got a smile and a wink so yeah, I think it is time for Aeropress!
Moving to a pour over (Clever Coffee Dripper) due to recent reports of lower cholesterol (!!) compared to French press. So far, I'm enjoying the coffee just as much. If I forget the shame of how intimidated and bullied I am by wife on cholesterol issues, I can really enjoy the pour over cup a lot.
Why do I suspect brewing your coffee with a slightly different gadget will make no measurable difference in your cholesterol?
I like this new approach as I come across unwanted grind style/size often traveling for work. I live somewhere for months at a time and bringing all my coffee gear is just not feasible so I usually bring a baby hario hand grinder or buy the cheapest grinder available and then use the brew method provided in the housing I am in which tends to be drip. But now I'll just go find a quick french press and call it a win until I can get back to my gadgets at home 😅 gonna have to check out these Kruve products you quickly mentioned too...
Adding the clever dripper and aeropress would have been interesting here. Round 2?
Looking forward to the aeropress video
Having done cold extraction to produce a coffee essence for baking, where the increase in aromatics Vs the decrease in acidity is a factor I would like to see some experimentation for immersion or percolation that relates brew temperature to brew time to get optimal results
I’d love to see you experiment with pouring an immersion brew through a filter. After seeing this, I’m going to try that out tomorrow. I’m particularly curious about what such a technique might offer to brighter coffees that one wouldn’t typically think to brew in a French press.
I know this is an old comment but a clever dripper is exactly this!
I've done this and to me the coffee tastes even better!
Espro press.
You can you switch for that
Yes! A knowledgable coffee UA-camr who doesn’t need to rely on click bait! Really enjoying your channel since only discovering you a couple of weeks ago. Learning heaps. Thank you 😊 ☕️
It is refreshing to hear a positive opinion of cafetiere brewing, which is my favourite method for many reasons. It does seem sometimes that the snobbery which can be rife within coffee drinking aficionados dismiss this method too quickly. Thank you for sharing your opinions.
I do find more often than not I do reach for my Clever to give me the most consistently nice cups.
Uff, I love my Clever Dripper...a lovely combo of immersion and percolation!
yup, so easy to get tasty brews
Clever Dripper - the best of both worlds.
I don't even have an Aeropress but I still said "Gah, what a tease" there at the end! Great video as always, Sir Hoffmann!
This was very interesting. I generally make my coffee in a french press. However, I was shopping at a thrift store about a month ago and found a white china one cup pour over funnel. I bought it thinking that I would try it, but also because it was such a nice example (aesthetics are important to be) and I thought it might come in handy for filtering other things in the kitchen. This was really helpful. I actually enjoy the ritual of using my french press so this is mostly reassuring that it is the best choice.
That's the first sponsorship message on this channel I've watched through, and I signed up to the newsletter too. Would be great to see more free productivity and 'thoughtful pursuits' stuff like that in the future