SHOULD I STIR THE COFFEE IN THE FRENCH PRESS

A new look at the stages of making coffee in a French press

Recently, our colleagues from Barista Hustle explored new territory to determine how the extraction and flavor of a cup of French press coffee would be impacted if it was stirred before lowering the plunger. We already know that brewing without a lid can affect extraction, so this experiment serves as an intriguing extension of what we've already discussed.

We strongly recommend that you don't skip this step! Keep reading to find out why. Our material is based on the Barista Hustle article, so you can be sure it's reliable and trustworthy.

Two Common Approaches to Making Coffee with a French Press

Debating whether or not to mix coffee before pushing down the plunger in a French press is now irrelevant. Some baristas will stir the beverage shortly after brewing, wait for it to settle, and only then lower the piston – yet this strategy is often overlooked as superfluous since stirring won’t save you from breaking up the foam cap when pressing eventually anyway.

Ultimately, choosing not to stir beforehand has become most prevalent among all types of baristas alike.

As an example of our process, we quickly mix ground coffee with water and leave it to brew for 5 minutes before lowering the piston. We skip mixing again just before pressing down on the piston.

To ensure your drink retains its full-bodied flavor, do not leave it in the French press for too long - otherwise, you run the risk of over-extraction and a nasty bitter taste.

The Barista Hustle team wanted to discover how crucial it was to stir the coffee before filtering it. They thought that this stage could result in a more consistent extraction process. To prove their concept, colleagues conducted multiple experiments.

The course and results of the experiment

The Barista Hustle team made coffee in a French press in two ways: six cups with stirring and the same number without it.

During the experiment, they prepared a beverage that involved combining ground coffee with water and stirring until the coffee cap was broken. To do this, they briskly moved the spoon up and down and side-to-side several times before lowering the piston for three minutes. Finally, to bring out its full flavor profile, it was recommended by experts to wait one or two more minutes before pouring it into a cup.

Cups without stirring were brewed in the same way, simply skipping this step.
The standard recipe was taken: 20 g of coffee and 300 g of water at a temperature of 94 ° C.

French Press Recipe by Barista Hustle

Then they took measurements and found out the following:
TDS. The average TDS of cups prepared by different methods turned out to be almost the same.

Deviation. The standard deviation of TDS in coffee brewed without agitation was discovered to be a significant 0.1%, rendering it difficult to control the flavor with this technique, as each cup's extraction varies greatly. Stirring your coffee decreases this number by 10 times, producing much more consistent results.

In cups without stirring, TDS was between 1.09 and 1.48%, while after stirring it remained in the range of 1.33 to 1.35%.

Cup quality. The scientists observed a visible contrast in the taste of drinks mixed with and without stirring. When stirred, the flavor profile was more intricate while having a fuller body. By comparison, coffee made without any mixing came out much lighter in texture and tasted almost tea-like.

What is the result

The Barista Hustle team recommends brewing coffee in a stir-fry french press.
According to her, stirring is an essential factor in creating a delicious cup of coffee with a French press. It produces an even extraction, and full-bodied texture, and yields more consistent aromas as well as a complexity of flavors.

Table is taken from original article https://www.baristahustle.com/blog/if-and-when-to-stir-a-french-press/