French Presses provide a simple and rather tidy way to prepare coffee in small batches almost under any circumstances. The french press is typically a thin glass pitcher that holds 6-8 cups with a metal and mesh plunger in it.

The person making coffee adds coffee grounds to the bottom of the pitcher (typically a coarse grind like you may use in a home drip coffee maker), adds a few cups of water at approximately 200 degrees (just below boiling), stirs the water in with the grounds, then adds the remaining water to fill the press to the desired level.

Place the plunger loosely at the top of the press and let the water and coffee grounds steep for 4 minutes or so (you can adjust the steep time to taste as you gain more experience), then push down the plunger and pour into your cups. The plunger with mesh on the bottom prevents grounds from entering your cup.

Due to their relatively small size and no need for electricity, french presses are great for camping - easy cleanup if you bring some ground coffee with you on your trip!

Foodista's French Press Page: