Making coffee in a French Press is an easy, inexpensive way to brew coffee at home. Oh, and the coffee is really, really good!
French press coffee is known for being aromatic and full-bodied, with a rich, well developed flavor.
If you've never had French Press coffee... well, you'll see.
Here's what you'll need:
What You'll Need:
French Press
Coffee Beans (Whole Bean)
Grinder (Preferably Burr)
Kettle
Scale
Water
Timer
Your Favorite Mug
Total Time Required: 5-10 minutes
What's that? You don't have a French Press?! Have a look at these 7 French Press options.
Ready? Let's get brewing.
Cleaning
Don’t worry, the majority of French Presses these days are dishwasher safe! Take a quick look to make sure there’s no residue or anything in the container before you begin.
You can also clean your French Press pretty easily by hand, just soap it up and plunge up and down a few times!
Heating
Add some hot tap water to your French Press, insert the plunger and press it all the way down.
Start heating up some water in a kettle or whatever you use to boil water. You want the water to be about 90° C / 194° F, which is just below boiling, so you'll want to let it cool a bit after it begins to boil.
Coffee to Water Ratio-ing
The magic French Press ratio floats somewhere around 1:15.
This means that for every 15mL of water, you'll want to use 1 gram of coffee. We recommend using a scale for precision!
Don't worry, we've done the math for you.
Serving Size | Coffee (g / oz) | Water (mL / oz) |
|---|---|---|
1 cup | 16g / 0.56 oz | 237mL / 8 oz |
2 cups | 32g / 1.13 oz | 473mL / 16 oz |
3 cups | 48g / 1.69 oz | 710mL / 24 oz |
4 cups | 64g / 2.26 oz | 946mL / 32 oz |
5 cups | 80g / 2.82 oz | 1182mL / 40 oz |
6 cups | 96g / 3.39 oz | 1420mL / 48 oz |
7 cups | 112g / 3.95 oz | 1656mL / 56 oz |
8 cups | 128g / 4.52 oz | 1893mL / 64 oz |
Cups | Coffee | Water |
|---|---|---|
1 cup | 16g / 0.56 oz | 237mL / 8 oz |
2 cups | 32g / 1.13 oz | 473mL / 16 oz |
3 cups | 48g / 1.69 oz | 710mL / 24 oz |
4 cups | 64g / 2.26 oz | 946mL / 32 oz |
5 cups | 80g / 2.82 oz | 1182mL / 40 oz |
6 cups | 96g / 3.39 oz | 1420mL / 48 oz |
7 cups | 112g / 3.95 oz | 1656mL / 56 oz |
8 cups | 128g / 4.52 oz | 1893mL / 64 oz |
Grinding
It’s essential that you use a coarsely ground coffee when brewing in a French Press. If your grinds are too fine, your coffee will be bitter due to over-extraction.
Most grinders will have a specified French Press setting.
We highly recommend that you use a Burr Grinder to get the best results.
Blooming & Mixing
Discard the water you added to your French Press in step 2 and add your coarsely ground coffee into the container.
Fill the container with just enough water to cover the coffee and start your timer! Allow it to sit for 20-30 seconds and then gently stir. Try to ensure that all of the grinds come in contact with the water. This will allow the coffee to bloom, which enhances the flavor.
Next, add the remainder of the water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. Try to ensure that all of the grinds are wet and well mixed.
Steeping
Place the lid on and position the filter just on top of the water. You want to ensure that the lid covers the entire top of the container and just barely comes in contact with the water.
Now it’s time to play the waiting game. Don’t worry, it doesn’t take long. Wait the remaining 3 minutes or so with bated breath.
Pressing
You’re almost done!
It’s now time to press your French Press coffee.
Slowly push down on the plunger, all the way to the bottom of the container.
Enjoying
Serve and enjoy!
We recommend drinking your French Press coffee right away. If it sits too long, you'll risk over-extraction.
You can experiment with grind size, coffee to water ratio and steeping time until you find your sweet spot. Happy brewing!
Can't be bothered to read the guide? Fair enough, how's this?
