Brewing Great Coffee at the Office

Everyone wants to be promoted, right? I think the sure fire way to do so is to accentuate your refined taste in coffee at the office. To hell with all those dirty lime deposited 10 dollar plastic drip brewers that so many use at their desks or communal work areas. You can create drama and intrigue at work by brewing a fresh cup of coffee like many at those really fancy dimly lit stainless steel table topped minimal techno music playing restaurants. Yes, press pot coffee at work is possible and with only a few simple tools.

Press pot coffee is known for its purity in brewing and producing a great cup of coffee. Mainly due to its simplicity of direct water to coffee steeping and complete control over length of brew and water temperature. The principle of press-pot is simple and traditional, coffee grounds mixed with water and instead of straining or drinking "cowboy" style with the grounds still swirling around in the cup, there is a strainer like plunger that is pushed down through the pot after the proper steeping time is achieved that separates the grounds from the coffee. French press tends to retain more of the coffee ground residue than filter methods so for some that sensation is not well received, however it can be a great way to maximize the flavor potential in coffee, so try it at least once. Here's what you'll need:

12 ounce coffee cup filled with water
small personal press pot (10-12 ounce capacity)
1 level tablespoon of coarse ground coffee per 4 ounces of water
for this exercise that would be three scoops to 12 ounces
a microwave
and an optional thermal mug to put the coffee into once steeped. (or you can use the mug used to portion out and heat the water.

The process is simple, put the grounds in the bottom of the french press, heat the water in the mug for around one minute or until boiling. Wait a few seconds for the water to cool slightly. Add water to the press pot, the coffee will "bloom" a bit and a crust will form at the top. Sit and do some work now for about 4 minutes. Now push the plunger down through the coffee. Push straight down, if there is a ton of resistance, adjust the plunger and try again, too much pressure can force the coffee through the top and you'll have coffee explosion(trust me I just did it last week, I had coffee and grounds everywhere, I achieved the drama of the brew but no one was really impressed). At this point, your done, just pour into what ever vessel you have and enjoy one of the best cups of coffee you've ever had at work. If the boss seems to be put off by this show, make him/her a cup...let the coffee speak for itself.

enjoy.