How to make French Press Coffee

Variations of French Press have been around for over 100 years, but design concepts as we know was patented by Attilo Calimani from Italy in 1929, not France. The French Press has a straightforward design and is made from the carafe (also known as braker) and a plunger assembly.

The French Press is the most affordable and easy to use coffee maker for brewing that tasty cup of Joe or tea in the mornings. But, as we all know, the devil is in the details!

It is ideal for:

• fuller-bodied coffee
• darker roasted coffee beans

Step by step to a perfect French Press

Step 1: Prepare

Preheat your french press with hot water, make sure to include the plunger as well. Although this is optional, I highly recommend having a warm carafe for extracting all the flavors into your cup.

While your french press is warming up (for ~30 seconds), it’s a perfect time to grind your coffee beans. Use your burr grinder to grind coffee grounds with the coarseness of sea salt. After 30 seconds, empty hot water from your carafe. Now, your French Press is warmed up! 

–>After 30 seconds, empty hot water from your carafe.

Now, your French Press is warmed up!

Step 2: Add your coffee

Add freshly roasted coffee to your carafe. Give a gentle shake to make sure that the grounds are evenly leveled.

Tip: French Press works well with darker roasts.

Our coffee picks for French Press, give it a go:

Step 3: Add water

Pour over hot water (200° F) in a circular motion to ensure that all the grounds are submerged. Fill up your carafe till about half full.

Tip: To reach 200° F temperature without a thermometer, boil water, and let it sit for 30 seconds. That’s it!

Step 4: Let it Bloom!

Start your timer and wait for 30 seconds. This process is called Blooming!

During Blooming, your coffee grounds will release gases like carbon dioxide, which will allow a much better extraction when you add the rest of the water.

After 30 seconds, the blooming process is complete, and your coffee will become bubbly and increase in volume.

Please give it a gentle stir with a wooden spoon (anything of your choice) to break the crust.

Tip: Wetting the grounds simultaneously, will give your coffee a much better extraction and flavor.

Step 5: Add more water

Pour over hot water to fill the carafe rest of the way. Add the lid and lower plunger just a bit till the mesh slightly touches the water surface.

Do not push the plunger all the way down yet. 🙂

Tip: Please keep in mind the coffee to water ratio. It should be 1:15 (coffee to water).

Step 6: Coffee Brewing

Start your timer and wait for four minutes while your coffee is brewing.

Step 7: Plunge and pour

Almost there!

Now, you can press the plunger all the down. Please make sure to push it gently and slowly without applying extra force.

Next and right away, decant your coffee into a favorite cup or a container. Please do not leave it sitting in a carafe to avoid over-extraction and, therefore, bitterness in your coffee.

Tip: Avoid pushing the plunger too fast and too hard. It will agitate your coffee grounds and might add bitter flavors to your coffee. For fancy flavors, you might want to try some fancy coffee beans such as Kona Coffee

Done!

Enjoy your tasty cup of Joe, and I’m sure it came out excellent!

Final Thoughts

Congrats! You have mastered a new coffee skill – The French Press!

What’s next?

More tips

• Buy good quality freshly roasted whole bean coffee.
• Select darker roasted beans when buying coffee.
• Grind just before brewing.
• Grinding is super important. Always use Burr Grinder to grind your coffee with the coarseness of sea salt.
• If you do not have a Burr grinder, ask a barista in your local coffee shop to do it for you.
• Keep in mind a 1:15 coffee ratio, but please experiment; every coffee is different.
• Decant your coffee to avoid over-extraction and, therefore, bitterness.
• Use our French Press timer-calculator to play around with ratios and volumes as well as timing your brew with step-by-step instructions.

The cold-brew coffee trick with French Press:

1. Add 15 grams (~ 1 tablespoon) of coffee grounds (coarseness of sea salt), evenly shake the grounds. Here is a good list of cold brew coffee beans for you to pick from.
2. Pour over 225 grams (1 glass) of water (room temperature).
3. Stir a bit.
4. Put the lid on without pushing a plunger.
5. Leave it in the fridge for the night.
6. In the morning, gently push the plunger down.
7. Your cold brew is ready.

Video: French Press Coffee Tips