title_body: Can I just put the coffee on top of the water in a French Press?
upvoted_answer: Confession:
  Many rules about making coffee are writen by perfectionists (or snobs or self-declared experts...) that are always on the hunt for the elusive perfect cup of coffee. So the general advice for making a certain type of coffee has to be taken with a grain of salt - which some people actually like to put in their coffee, btw.
  
  To be honest, if you are using pre-ground beans anyway1, which is a compromise based on convenience already, and if you like your coffee, I see no reason why you should not continue your current process. I personally might give the grounds a quick stir, just to make sure they are all wet and there are no dry lumps, before putting the lid on. If you are unhappy with what your method produces, I would suggest giving the “official” order a try or start tweaking the various parameters. 
  
  1 There are affordable and good hand-cranked grinders available, just saying.