Finessing the brew method

We at the Coffee Chronicles are really getting into the French press brew method recommended to us by Scott Richardson of Herkimer Coffee:

1. Once pouring the water, allow 3 minutes with the cap off the press so the bloom can aerate.
2. Gently shake in the bloom (no spoon).
3. Allow the grind to settle.
4. Press.

This process seems a lot gentler on the coffee, and has been given the thumbs-up flavor wise from members of our team. We would like to do a head-to-head comparison with this method and our traditional approach.