The Gadget That Martha Stewart Chooses For Her Morning Coffee

Between Martha Stewart's adventures with Snoop Dogg and her perfectly curated Instagram feed, her jet-setting looks like a life of luxury. However, when it comes to her morning coffee, Stewart's go-to preparation is easily attained by any home cook. Martha Stewart's recommendation is to use the classic French press. As she divulged on her now-defunct morning show "Martha", Stewart's personal favorite French press is the Bodum brand, a brand this writer also likes because Bodum offers plastic travel varieties alongside more traditional glass models. (RIP, the Bodum x Alfred collab press I used every day for years until it fell apart.)

This device endures in popularity because a French press is easy to use and allows you to make a cup of joe without a coffee maker. And if you want an aesthetically pleasing kitchen, then a French press certainly looks prettier on a countertop than a common coffee maker. If you have four minutes, hot water, and the right grind on your coffee beans, you're all set for a lovely cup of joe every morning.

The first step to coffee the Martha Stewart way is to make sure you're using the correct grind level of coffee beans for the vessel. Different coffee makers call for different grinds on the bean being brewed. The goal is to coordinate the grind for water to permeate it in enough time to brew for optimal strength and taste. Use a fine grind for espresso machines, so it can quickly pull flavor from the beans in its 30-second process. The grounds will steep for longer in a French press, so a coarser ground is preferred to more fully leach out caffeine and the coffee's taste. Many coffee shops will grind beans for purchase specifically for French press usage for free upon request, so if you don't have a grinder at home — or are uncertain as to what constitutes a coarse grind — leave it to your local barista or roaster.

Once you have optimally ground coffee beans, the rest is as simple as boiling water. Heat a cup of water, add it to the French press with at least two tablespoons of ground coffee, and place the press's plunger on top of the cylinder. After letting the grinds and water steep for 4 minutes, place your hand on top of the plunger and slowly push it all the way down into the container. This action separates the grounds from the liquid by pushing the grounds through a built-in mesh filter on the plunger. The coffee is now ready to drink.