# Brewing less than a full can (french press)



## kexchokladhejhej (Mar 28, 2018)

I just bought a Bodum Chambord 8 cup (1 litre). I will probably be brewing 1-2 mugs of coffee most of the time, but I bought this size to be able to brew more occasionally.

I completely new to french press, and I was wondering if there are any downsides to brewing a much smaller amount of coffee than the whole can allows, for example a single mug in my 1 litre french press? I noticed the filter/plunger doesn't go all the way down (stops about 2,5 cm/1 inch) above the bottom. Will this be a problem? Should I get a smaller 4 cup (0,5 litre) french press instead?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

The plunger won't be a problem, the plunger plays no part in the extraction, it just stops big chunks getting in your cup. In fact, you can leave it above the brewing slurry, hold it in place and pour through the mesh without plunging. Skim/pour off any floating foam & grinds before decanting.

As to brewing smaller amounts, this will make it harder to keep silt out of the brew as the slurry will swill about in the bottom & kick up more silt. The smaller water amount will also see the brew cool faster (may need a finer grind). See what the minimum brew size is that you can use & still make a fairly clean (but always still hazy) cup.

It's billed as a 1L brewer but you can't really fit 1L and a decent coffee dose in there, you're more likely to be making 800-900g brews with it, these will just about make 3x 200g mugs of coffee. You might be better off making 2 mugs minimum, either to share, or you can decant & microwave the 2nd cup later.


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