Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Vive la French Press Coffee!



Coffee House or Your House –
Nothing Beats a Good Cup of Joe



Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at  


Whether you’re heading out to catch some waves, getting ready for work, or looking forward to a lazy Sunday at home, there’s no better way to start your morning than with a good cup of coffee.

Howard Schultz, the mastermind behind coffee giant Starbucks, recognized the value of coffee and turned it into a $50 billion business…“one cup at a time.”


When we’re out covering stories or going to a beach cleanup SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel have sampled our share of coffee – from Starbucks (where you have to learn the lingo to  order it: “A skinny, mocha macchiato grande”)…


upscale Kéan’s in Newport Beach, founded by quintessential coffee roaster Martin Diedrich…


and the surfers’ choice Java Point, across from the Huntington Beach Pier…



to the ever present McCafé


and our favorite – Cypress-based John’s




But you don’t have to go out to have good cup of coffee. You can make it at home. 


Instant coffee won’t do for SurfWriter Girl Sunny. She makes her coffee French press style.


It sounds exotic, but it’s actually easy to do. Plus, when you prepare it for others, it’s like putting on a show.

And, you don’t need to get another high-tech, expensive gadget that takes up space on your kitchen counter…just a simple French press coffeemaker, available at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Amazon.com, or any number of stores. 


To make French press coffee, you start by boiling 18 – 32 oz of water in a pan on the stove or in an electric hotpot.

While the water is boiling measure out your coffee and put it in the French press. For best results, use coarse ground coffee. SurfWriter Girls love Java Jaws Surfers Blend.


Then pour the boiling water into the French press. 


Stir the water gently with a spoon or small wooden spatula.

Put the lid on top of the French press with the plunger handle all the way up.


Wait about four minutes for the coffee to rest.

Now the coffee is ready to be pressed. Hold the lid of the French press with one hand and push the plunger down slowly with your other hand, pushing the plunger as far down as it can comfortably go.


Voilà! Your coffee is ready to drink.

Pour…and enjoy!


Bon appétit 




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1 comment:

  1. Hello Patti and Sunny,
    Great blog! Hope to see you in the Cypress Bistro this semester for French press coffee.
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete