A French Press, also known as a cafetiere, cafetiere a piston, Cafeteria, press pot, coffee press, or coffee plunger, is a coffee brewing device that provides a heavy mouth feel and intense profile taste. Coffee is brewed by placing coarsely ground coffee in the empty beaker and adding hot—between 93–96 °C (199–205 °F) water, in proportions of about 30 g (1.1 oz) of coffee grounds to 500 ml of water, more or less to taste. The brewing time is about two to four minutes. Then the mesh plunger or piston is pressed, to separate the grounds and hold them at the bottom of the beaker.
Step 1:
Bring enough water to fill the French press to a boil (198 – 205°F). For a 17-oz press, you’ll need about 360 grams (12 ounces).
Step 2:
While the water is heating, grind your coffee. French press coffee calls for a medium coarse, even grind. We recommend starting with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. If you’re using 360 grams of water, you’ll want 24 grams of coffee.
Step 3:
To start, gently pour twice the amount of water than you have coffee onto your grounds. For example, if you have 24 grams of coffee, you’ll want to start with 50 grams of water.
Step 4:
Give the grounds a gentle stir with a bamboo paddle or chopstick. Allow the coffee to bloom for 30-45 seconds.
Step 5:
Pour the remaining water and place the lid gently on top of the grounds. Don’t plunge just yet. Let the coffee steep for minimum three minutes and max for four minutes.
Step 6:
Gently remove your French press from the scale and place it on your counter. Press the filter down. If it’s hard to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger “thunks” immediately down to the floor, it means your grind is too coarse. Adjust your grind size.
When you’ve finished pressing, immediately serve the coffee. Don’t let it sit, as this will cause it to continue brewing and over-extract.
