Learn how to become a master of making French Press Coffee at home! If you enjoy a morning coffee ritual, mastering these tips and tricks for the best French press coffee is worth the extra few minutes you’ll spend. You’ll find my recommendations for the best tools to use, along with the best coffee choices!
If you are a coffee aficionado like me, you might also want to learn how to make Cold Brew Coffee, or try this delicious Vanilla Almond Latte recipe (which can use French press or cold brew coffee!).
Contents
What is French Press Coffee?
French press is my favorite way to brew coffee. It’s a simple method that produces rich, full coffee in minutes, without the need for an expensive machine.
French Press is a manual method of brewing coffee, meaning you don’t need a machine to make the perfect brew.
The Italians first used a pot similar to today’s French press back in 1929. In the 1950’s, it gained popularity in France, and has since spread through the world.
If you’re on the fence about whether or not to buy a French press, or how to make the best cup, read on!
Be sure to also check out this guide on making French Press Espresso!
The Best French Press Tools to Have on Hand
French press coffee is an inexpensive method, because you don’t need a large coffee machine. However, having these items will help you learn to brew the perfect cup.
Burr Grinder: The OXO Burr Grinder is my favorite, and it gets excellent reviews from other coffee lovers, or opt for a cheaper option, like this Krups Burr Grinder.
French Press: You’ll of course need a good French Press. “Good” to me means it’s easy to clean, the mesh sieve doesn’t allow grounds to come through, and you can buy replacement filters. This version is not only beautiful on your counter, but it comes with replacement filters and will last for years.
Food Scale: If you don’t already have a food scale, one of these will come in handy! The one I use is no longer available, but this is Amazon’s recommended kitchen scale and it is very inexpensive.
Whole Bean Coffee: The freshest coffee comes from freshly ground beans. If you don’t want to take the time to buy whole beans, ask your coffee shop to grind the beans specifically for French press.
Tips for Brewing the best French Press Coffee
- Experiment with ratios. I give you baseline ratios down below, but *the* perfect cup of coffee is different for everyone! Try yours with an extra tablespoon, or with 1 tablespoon less, and then just take not of your perfect ratio.
- French presses aren’t meant to last forever. When your coffee isn’t as filtered as you’d like, it’s time to replace it. If you’re making coffee daily, this is probably once a year. A good French press will come with replacement filters and will last longer.
- The grind is really important! French press coffee needs a coarse grind. I am asked often what the “measurement” is for pre-ground coffee. Use it if you want, but that’s not how you’re going to get the best cup of coffee.
French Press Coffee to Water Ratio
The rule of thumb for French press coffee to water ratios is 1:15.
- 1 gram of water, use 15 grams of coffee
For a Full Pot, that is:
- 50 grams of coffee per 750 grams of water
- 2 ounces of coffee per 20 ounces of water
Some aficionados will use a scale every day. I am just not that picky!
I weighed my coffee when first trying to find the perfect balance for me, and measured it.
For me, that’s 2/3 cup coffee to 3 cups of water.
How Long Should a French Press Steep?
Depending on how you like your coffee, allow the coffee grounds to steep about 4 minutes.
If you like your coffee on the lighter side, try 3 minutes. If a darker cup is your goal, allow it to steep up to 5 minutes.
Step by Step – How to Make French Press Coffee
Step 1: Grind your beans using a Burr grinder set on the coarsest setting. This will allow the beans to steep at a slower rate, and also prevent too much silt in your coffee.
Step 2: Weight out your desired amount of coffee. A good baseline is to start with 50 grams of coffee and 750 grams of water (which is about a full pot in a standard sized French press).
Step 3: Add hot, but not boiling, water to your French press on top of the grounds. Some coffee lovers recommend you start with about 1/4 of the amount of water, and give your coffee 1 minute to “bloom,” before adding in the rest of the water. Whatever you choose, be sure all the coffee grounds are submerged. Give your coffee about 4 minutes to steep.
Step 4: Use the French press filter to slowly press the grounds down to the bottom, leaving the smooth and rich coffee above the filter. Pour into a mug to enjoy, black or with cream and sugar!
Note: It’s recommended to pour all coffee out as soon as it’s ready, rather than leaving coffee in the French press, which will make it continue to steep and result in bitter coffee. If you don’t drink a full pot at once, consider brewing half a pot, and then brewing the rest when you’re ready for another cup. You can also pour two mugs and reheat the second when ready.
French Press Coffee Grind
Using the French press method is one of the simplest methods for making coffee. Add the coffee, pour in the water, wait a few minutes, and it’s set to go.
The part that is really important is to properly grind the coffee for French press. This method means the grinds are in contact with the hot water for a long period of time (rather than hot water being poured through, like in a drip filter). Then, a mesh screen filters the grounds out, leaving the coffee at the top ready to drink.
Using beans that are too finely ground results in:
- Over steeped coffee, because more surface area of the grounds are in contact with the water.
- “Silty” coffee, because the French press filter isn’t able to adequately remove the smallest particles.
I *thought* I wasn’t a fan of the French press years ago because it was so thick and silty. The issue was, I was over-grinding my coffee.
Beginning to use a Burr Grinder changed the game for me. In the past, I’ve used blade grinders and my even my blender to make coffee grounds. Both of these methods work – just not well.
A blade grinder (or a blender!) break up the beans, but in uneven sizes. So even if you are able to coarsely grind most of the beans, there will be some silty small grounds in the batch. This is what results in silty cold brew or French press coffee.
Can I use a French Press for Cold Brew
Yes, using a French Press is a great method for making cold brew coffee. The directions for cold brew are the same as making French Press coffee, but instead of steeping the coffee for 4 minutes, the coffee is steeped for 24 hours.
After, filter the coffee with the French press and pour off the grounds to enjoy. Read this post on how to make Cold Brew Coffee for a full tutorial!
Sit Back and Enjoy!
Once you’ve mastered how to make French Press perfect for you, it’s an easy and meditative routine first thing in the morning.
If you’re learning to make French press to enjoy for a special occasion, like a holiday or a brunch, consider serving it with this Raspberry Pear Coffee Cake or these delicious Blueberry Buckwheat Muffins.
Also try to make Cold Brew Coffee – a method that allows you to make coffee to enjoy for days, or easily use for iced lattes.
Coffee Recipes to Try (that use French Press Coffee!)
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French Press Coffee
Equipment
Ingredients
- 50 g coffee beans
- 750 ml hot water not boiling
Instructions
- Grind your beans using a Burr grinder set on the coarsest setting. This will allow the beans to steep at a slower rate, and also prevent too much silt in your coffee.
- Weigh out your desired amount of coffee. A good baseline is to start with 50 grams of coffee and 750 grams of water (which is about a full pot in a standard sized French press).
- Add hot, but not boiling, water to your French press on top of the grounds. Some coffee lovers recommend you start with about 1/4 of the amount of water, and give your coffee 1 minute to “bloom,” before adding in the rest of the water. Whatever you choose, be sure all the coffee grounds are submerged. Give your coffee about 4 minutes to steep.
- Use the French press filter to slowly press the grounds down to the bottom, leaving the smooth and rich coffee above the filter. Pour into a mug to enjoy, black or with cream and sugar!
Video
Notes
- 1 gram of water, use 15 grams of coffee
- 50 grams of coffee per 750 grams of water
- 2 ounces of coffee per 20 ounces of water
- Experiment with ratios. I give you baseline ratios down below, but *the* perfect cup of coffee is different for everyone! Try yours with an extra tablespoon, or with 1 tablespoon less, and then just take not of your perfect ratio.
- French presses aren’t meant to last forever. When your coffee isn’t as filtered as you’d like, it’s time to replace it. If you’re making coffee daily, this is probably once a year. A good French press will come with replacement filters and will last longer.
- The grind is really important! French press coffee needs a coarse grind. I am asked often what the “measurement” is for pre-ground coffee. Use it if you want, but that’s not how you’re going to get the best cup of coffee.
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