My husband and I are crazy about the coffee in France and have tried without complete success to duplicate it at home. We have come somewhat close, but it's still not there. Does anyone know exactly what the French do to get their coffee the way they do?

This is not to be meant as a joke. I really believe it is the water. I have ried to make the Bouillibaisse and forget the fish we can"t get here, it's the water I beliee. A Frenchie help!

Hi Lorraine,<BR> Have you tried the 'Cafe du Monde' coffee?

Lorraine,<BR>Yes, the French coffee is delicious! <BR>I second the Cafe du Monde coffees ... for the French flavor or while in New Orleans. I've purchased them on CajunGrocer.com.<BR>Good luck, happy travels.

Don't know about the cafes, but the families I've stayed with in France BOIL the coffee in a pan on the stove then strain it. One lady boils the water, adds fresh ground coffee, lets that boil, then pours the brew into a small &quot;French&quot; press that has even more ground coffee in it! An anxiety attack in a cup! Very strong, very potent, and VERY flavorful.

We received a French press for Christmas, and while it is a little closer, it is still not quite there.

The previous poster has an interesting story about the lady who boils the coffee. As we say in French (slang): &quot;Caf&eacute; bouillu, caf&eacute; foutu !&quot; which, roughly translated, means: &quot;Boiled coffee, ruined coffee!&quot; I believe the flavor is a combination of our heavy lime-filled water and the French coffee maker. Many caf&eacute;s use industrial packets of the same coffee we purchase in the shops.

There is another French-style brand in the US, at least here in New York.<BR>Try doing a websearch on<BR>La Semeuse brand.

Thomas is right. You may never boil the coffee. Then it becomes disgusting. But, coffee, made with boiling water(old method)is better than with a coffee-machine. And a French press? pff...a present you recieve, use it one or 2 times and then leave in the cupboard.<BR>The French don't use it eihter.

beans that are &quot;French Roast&quot; are as dark as it gets, which imparts an awesome smoky complex flavor to yer java.

While French roast beans are not quite as dark as it gets (that would be espresso roast) it comes close. But many of the French cafes serve espresso and then add hot water to make a cafe grande. Try espresso roast.

Gretchen is correct. Espresso is darker. But I would reccomend using French Roast beans, grining 'em fresh and use a french press (grind the beans pretty coarse) and use water from a Brita filter or the equivalent. Brew for about 5-6 mins.

Peet's. Really. It's just that good.<BR><BR>No, I don't work for them.

I agree with Coffee Lover - use French Roast or Expresso - grind coarsely - be sure to use enough coffee in the French Press - brew for 4-5-6 minutes - and enjoy! If you're drinking cafe au lait, be sure to heat the milk! We use our French press quite often - kept experimenting until we got it right. Now we are wishing for an Expresso pot after drinking coffee in Italy. We really loved the coffee in Italy! Any recommendations for an expresso pot?

While I also love French coffee, I think you are all missing the point. It will never ever, no matter what you do, taste the same as it does sitting in Paris at a cafe or sipping after dinner in a wonderful bistro. That's a simple fact of life.<BR>Just like the beaujolais you can get in a little pitcher while sitting at a cafe in Lyon you will swoon over, but if you drank it at home, you'd probably spit it out. Another fact of life!

<BR><BR>Patrick's point is a good one. Our state of mind influences the way things taste to us. <BR><BR>That aside, there's nothing wrong in having fun trying to duplicate a fondly-remembered taste. Bon Appetit!

next time any of you are in tucson az, go to cafe de'lisse (sp). You will swear you're in a parisian patiserrie(sp). order a baguette and some coffee and close your eyes and you'll feel you're back on rue st.germaine.<BR>By the way I always thought espresso was darker than french roast, butmost roasters list french as darker??? Need a coffee expert to clarift.

I don't know if I'm an expert, but I love coffee and drink it a lot, and often have French Roast at home. I don't care for espresso much except after dinner in cafes. Where I buy, Espresso is the darkest roast (it is roast until almost burnt), then French Roast a bit lighter and Viennese Roast is a bit lighter than French. I've also seen variations on those terms, such as French Espresso (which would be the darkest) or Italian Roast (but not espresso, which then may be lighter than French Roast). Different roasters seem to have their own customs and may use the terms differently, so I think you should just follow the definitions of the place you buy, to be safe, they usually tell you.

I hear Kenny Roger's Roasters are simply &quot;da bomb.&quot;

Use a good quality instant expresso, make it a little weaker. For a cafe au lait, use half coffee and half heated 1/2 and 1/2 or a rich creamy milk or single cream. In the states regular milk will not work.