My perfect coffee:
- fill bottle of the same volume as my press with water.
- pour ~10% of it in the electric kettle, and start it.
- put two (or three) full teaspoons of light roasted fine ground coffee in the press
- the water boiled. pour it into the press.
- put remaining cold water in kettle, start it again.
- shake the press a bit so coffee hydrates and foams. Cover the press.
- grab a coffee paper filter (circle) fold it in "pizza-like" shape 4 times and cut the outer skirt, so the new radius is about 1cm larger than the press filter.
- rest of the water is boiling now, pre-water+coffee mix has no foam. Fill press with water.
- put the paper filter on top, and insert the plunger so that along all the inner circumference, the paper filter is between the press inner wall and the plunger.
- press the coffee very slowly, don't rush it at all. It will take you a solid minute or a bit more.
Now you have crystal, non acidic, and flavorful golden coffee. I usually pour a cup immediately, and put the rest in an all-metal insulated little bottle.
I divide the water in two parts to quickly get rid of the foam under the paper filter. Foam makes the pressing way slower. If you have time, you can immediately boil the whole water volume, but leave the coffee mix covered for 5-10 mins and the foam will be gone by then.
75g into the French press, fill with room temp water, let it sit over night. Cold brew is great for getting a stronger cup from lighter roasts because it's nearly impossible to over-extract, allowing much higher ratios. You lose some bitterness, but you get a bunch of other flavors which are hard to get from other methods, like woody and floral notes.
If I want it hot, I throw it in the microwave, and store the leftover in Tupperware for a day or two. Really it's the perfect method because it's all prep the night before, but doesn't require a countertop appliance.
Bonus tip - you can eat coffee beans for a quick boost. They are quite tasty and have a satisfying crunch.
I have only tried cold brew from stores and I find it too acid... I could try this...