Better, Greener Coffee? (On the cheap!)

For me there has always been only one way to make coffee, and it's the time-honored, tried-and-true French press. It's a simple contraption: a cylinder holds your coarse coffee and hot water and the lid consists of a plunger with a screen on it that pushes the grounds down to the bottom after they have been steeped.

You don't really need the Kzata...
(Photo credit: DavidScherer)

The result is always the same, perfect coffee. When you use a press, the coffee sits in the water fully infusing it with it's flavor giving it a unique richness and body that you simply cannot get from an auto-drip, percolator, or the ridiculously expensive Keurig one-cup brewer (which will cost you a fortune in K-cups over time).

Pictured is my French press (made from post-consumer recycled material) that I got from Starbucks for $19.95 and it requires no electricity to operate and if you microwave your water (I do) not only will you save time, and energy (a microwave uses less energy than a stove-top), but your coffee will probably be ready faster than the auto-drip maker.

The coffee I'm drinking right now is called Kzata Blue, it's a South-African blend and absolutely amazing pressed and served with a touch, only a touch, of cream. But it has to be cream, not half n' half or milk or you'll lose the effect. I normally drink my coffee black, but today I was making the Easter cake and poured the dregs from my carton of cream I bought for the ganache into my cup, only a few drips and my already amazing cup of Kzata was transformed into something so smooth and rich, I may just live on Kzata for the rest of eternity.

Related articles

• Can French press coffee raise cholesterol? (eatdrinkbetter.com)
• How do you make French press coffee? (answers.com)