French Roast Coffee

Did you know that "French" roast coffee beans, just like "French" fries, did not originate from France? But among coffee drinkers, the popularity of French roast coffee, usually the Colombian type, is akin to the popularity of French fries among fast-food junkies.

The roasting process of French roast coffee is different from that of other medium roast coffees, as it is heated to a higher temperature. The high temperature, aobut 480-500 degrees Celcius does two things - it brings the coffee beans’ natural oils to its surface, and it coats them with a thin layer of carbon. The carbon gives the roast its distinct smoky flavor, and the oils its strong aroma and body.

Its very easy if you want to prepare your own home-brewed French roast coffee. Start with a bag of freshly roasted whole beans. You can grind only what you need, and the whole beans will remain fresh longer than store-ground ones. Ground coffees usually stays fresh up to 2 hours only after it was ground.

Most coffee grinders will have at least three settings: fine, medium, or coarse grind. Most coffee brewing machines are designed to perform best with medium grind. But French roast coffee requires a coarse grind, which is perfectly suited for brewing in a French press.

A French press is recommended for your brewing because you will want to use water as close to boiling as possible, and soak your grounds thoroughly, to bring out every bit of flavor from the ground coffee as you can.