5 Steps To French Press Success In Your Restaurant
1. Know How Much Coffee You Sell
Print your coffee sales by day from last week and increase by 25%. This is what our clients typically report back as an average increase from switching service to Tend Coffee. We will use this number on step 4.
2. Hot Water
Make sure you power on your hot water source so it is ready for service. This takes anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on your machine. Whatever water dispensing system you use, the water should taste good on its own and be in the range of 208 degrees. Consistent temperatures give you consistent extraction times.
3. Grinding Coffee
Depending on your setup, the grinding can be done before service although ideally it would be done by order. If you are using a gravity fed batch coffee grinder step 4 can be skipped. Be aware that gravity fed grinders are highly inaccurate, especially on smaller batches and not recommended.
4. Portion Coffee
If you use a 34oz French Press this step is very straightforward. Using the number from step 1 for the service that your preparing for, we are going to weigh out that many portions of coffee and put into bags or cups. 1/8th or .125lb is a good starting weight and can be adjusted from there. As stated above depending on your setup this can be done with ground coffee or beans.
5. Execution
Preheat the French Press with hot water. Dump the water and add the coffee. With a swirling motion pour fresh hot water into the French Press until full. Loosely place the top assembly onto the carafe. Set a timer for 4 minutes and attach to the top of the extended plunger post. When the timer sounds, remove it and slowly compress the press on a stable surface. Although the pressing can be done at the table I recommend doing it in the service station area. Dining room tables are unpredictably unstable. Finishing preparation in the service station is also useful if any cleanup is necessary before bringing the press out to the table.
Preheating the cups with warm water is also a nice touch for guests and helpful in keeping the temperature of the coffee. You can review our earlier article on tips of accompaniments that could and should be offered to guests here.
I hope this helps you,
Daniel