Tribune photo by James F. Quinn
Proponent: Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks
“I use a coarsely ground Sumatra, and I make it in a French press with water right off the boil,” Schultz said. The Starbucks chief likes the “rich
mouth feel” of French press coffee but acknowledges that “it isn’t for everyone.”
How it works: The French press, or plunger pot, has a cylindrical glass carafe that holds the grounds. Hot water is poured to fill the carafe;
after about four minutes you push down a plunger with a stainless-steel mesh filter to the base of the pot, thus straining and pressing the coffee grounds to the bottom. Good for those who will drink their java very soon after plunging and who like a full, rich body to their coffee.
Price: Bodum French press pots range from $20 to $50 at target.com and other stores. 
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
What is the best method of brewing coffee? This question seems to be more important than ever, as the latest studies show that even if Americans are clinging to their coffee during this recession, more and more are making that fine java at home. In discussions with coffee experts, we found general agreement on the four best ways of brewing it. None of them includes America’s most popular method, the automatic drip machine. –Monica Eng
