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French pressed coffee may seem to be a luxury. But really it's an instant way to save money and green your daily coffee fix (especially if you choose organic coffee).
Why a French Press is Green
- A French Press is less expensive than a coffee maker
- You don't plug it in, so you save energy and there's no chance of accidentally leaving it plugged in all day/week/month!
- You save paper since there's no filter or paper is used.
- You can save more energy and save water by heating up only the amount of water that you need in the microwave (remember: cooking on an electric stove produces 2x the emissions of microwaving).
- The end result if often more concentrated than a cup of a coffee maker's watered down version, so you need fewer cups (which translates to less water use) to get you through the day!
- Add organic coffee to the mix and you've got a fully green morning wake-up routine!
Make the Perfect Press:
- Use filtered tap water for a clean taste. Better than bottled, filtered water still has a few extra elements that the coffee molecules actually attach to, intensifying the taste.
- Heat the water to a temperature too hot for your tongue.
- Place 2 tablespoons of ground organic coffee beans for each 6 ounces of water into the Press Pot.
- Pour the water over the grinds.
- Gently swirl the murky water in the press to make sure all of the grounds are saturated.
- Place the Press onto the Pot, being careful not to actually push it down into the water yet.
- Let the grounds steep for two to five minutes.
- Slowly push the Press down, separating the grinds from the water.
- Pour your coffee into the same mug you used to heat the water in the microwave (so it's still a little warm).
Here are a few French Presses we like
- Planetary Design helps you live a little greener every day with their multi-tasking French Press/Reusable Mug called the French Press Mug. More than negating the need for paper cups, these Mugs are packaged with as little material as possible in order to minimize waste. They are even in the works to green one step further by offsetting manufacturing energy expenditure with wind energy credits.
- Bodum is the "original" French Press and, thanks to the stainless steel and glass design, there is no metal, plastic, or paper waste in manufacturing of the press itself. Not to mention that pro-coffee tasters determine bean quality using this type of pure and simple press since it imparts no extra flavor to the coffee—yup it's untainted coffee perfection! More than lowering the carbon footprint of your coffee, Bodum has lowered their company's footprint too by implementing sustainable manufacturing processes and utilizing renewable energy. We love the new green BEAN French Press—kinda drives the whole ?green? concept home. Cute.
- Frieling Stainless Steel French Press lets you avoid potential glass breakage by opting for stainless instead (Bodum also makes a stainless press). Yes, it's gorgeous, sleek, and has a definite upscale appeal, but it also keeps the coffee warmer longer because stainless naturally insulates much more effectively than glass.
Want to really green your coffee experience? Opt for organic beans.
A few to try:
- Jim's Organic Single Origins Tanzanian Peaberry
- Organic Shade Grown Mexico by Starbucks Coffee
- Green Mountain CoffeeFair Trade Organic Rain Forest Blend?
- Peets Coffee Gaia Organic Blend
*Plus, Peets' new artisan roastery has been awarded LEED Gold level status by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
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