Step-by-Step Guide to Brewing Great Coffee on a French Press
Posted on January 10 2017,
Ah, the French Press. A brewing method that has remained modern throughout its long history. Despite its name, an Italian designer is credited with the invention of the French Press we know and love today. Since 1929 the French Press has been making deep, full-bodied coffee, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Tools you’ll need
- A French Press!
- Water just off boil
- A wooden or plastic stir stick (metal utensils often crack French Presses)
- A timer
Recipe
We like 56g (about 8 tablespoons) of coffee for an 8-cup press
Recommended coffees
Step 1: Your Grind Size
Your grind for brewing with a French Press should be very coarse. As always, we recommend keeping your coffee whole bean until you’re going to brew! In our shop, we use the coarsest setting on our grinder. See the photo below for reference. Check out our guide to grind sizes for more info!
Step 2: Rinse Your French Press + Add Your Coffee
With some of your hot water, rinse the French Press. This not only removes any dust and other particles from the glass walls, but it gets the glass up to temperature. Discard the rinse water, and add your 50g of coffee to the French Press. Don’t forget to tare/zero your scale before the next step!
Step 3: Bloom + Stir
Add 100g of water, and let sit for about 20 seconds. Stir your grounds with a wooden or plastic utensil for about 10 seconds. This stage is called the bloom. Blooming the coffee grounds allows CO2 to be removed from the grounds and creates space for the water to begin the brewing process. Get your timer ready for the next step!
Step 4: Add The Rest of Your Water
Start your timer for 4:00. Pour the rest of the water (700g) over the grounds for a total of 800g. Place the French Press plunger on the top of apparatus, but do not begin pushing down.
Step 5: Press!
Once 4:00 minutes has passed, press the plunger into the coffee all the way to the bottom. Now your coffee is ready!
Note: Since your grounds remain immersed in the water, your coffee can turn bitter and over extracted if it sits in the French Press too long. We’d recommend serving it up quickly!
Remember there is no wrong way to brew! The great thing about manual brewing is the room for creativity. Have your own recipe for the French Press that you think is the bomb? Share it with us on social media!
Check out our other brewing guides!