Dining-in: How do you take your coffee?

Braving the morning line at your local coffee shop shouldn’t be required if you want to make a first-rate brew part of your AM ritual—or even just something you indulge in on the weekend. That’s why we’ve included a must-have coffee essential in our line-up of aspirational goods: Bodum Chambord French Press. So you can slow down and sip on a grade A cup of coffee, all before stepping out the door or slipping into your work-from-home routine.

Here’s our favorite way to get café-quality coffee, minus the barista.

Tools and ingredients you’ll need:
Bodum Chambord French Press
Kettle
Freshly Ground Coffee
Spoon
Filtered Water
Timer

Before you begin:
The power of fresh-pressed coffee is like a meditation: There’s no machine in your way, no flashing green lights, no electric power cords. Just you and a few simple tools: kettle, spoon, ground coffee beans, and that new, doorstep delivered Bodum Chambord French Press you selected during your recent virtual gift experience. While brewing, observe and experience the first trace of coffee-drunk steam, notice how the speed of the press influences the final cup and flavor. This simple, coffee-making experience will help you get in tune with your morning ritual.

Here’s the how-to:

• Grab your kettle and bring at least 4 oz. (per cup) of water to a boil.
• For brilliantly bold coffee, we recommend using about one rounded tablespoon of ground beans for every 4 oz. of water. The Chambord French Press has a 34 oz. capacity, so you’ll want to add about eight-and-a-half tablespoons when making eight cups of coffee.
• Place your French Press on a heatproof, non-slip surface. While holding the handle firmly, pull up the plunger and lift the lid off the carafe.
• When the kettle boils, wait 30 seconds so that the temperature drops to 92-96°C: that range brings out the very best in all coffees.
• Pour the water slowly into the carafe in a circular motion to ensure that the ground beans are covered evenly. Be careful not to overfill it–leave at least an inch of room at the top. This is a magical moment because it is when you will see the coffee “bloom.” As hot water first hits the grounds, Co2 is released creating a blossoming effect—the grounds will rise up en masse.
• Stir with a plastic or wooden spoon and remove the foam from the surface (leaving it would make the coffee more bitter). Put the lid back on the carafe and turn it to the ‘closed spout’ position to help retain heat. Four minutes is the optimum brewing time.
• Here comes the most satisfying stage in the French Press process. Hold the handle firmly and turn the carafe until the spout faces away from you. Gently push down on the plunger to stop the coffee brewing and lock the grounds at the bottom of the carafe. The plunger should descend smoothly; if not, simply stir the coffee and try again. Open the spout and begin pouring.

Find your favorite mug and pour it up. After all, doesn’t curling up with a hot cup of coffee sound like the perfect level of coziness we all need right about now? We thought so, too.