Follow these steps for a perfect brew every time.
- Preheat Your Press
Add a bit of hot water to your French Press and swirl it around to warm the glass. This prevents your brewing water from cooling down too quickly and helps maintain a stable temperature. Discard the water once the carafe is warm to the touch.
- Add Your Coffee
Place your French Press on a kitchen scale and tare it to zero. Add your coarsely ground coffee. A good starting ratio is 1:15 (1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water). For a standard 32-ounce French Press, that’s about 55-60 grams of coffee.
- The Bloom
[Blog Post Image 4: Hot water being poured onto the grounds in the French Press, causing them to bubble up and “bloom.” A timer is visible.]
Start your timer and pour just enough hot water (about 200°F or 93°C) to saturate the grounds. This “bloom” allows the coffee to release trapped carbon dioxide, which can interfere with extraction. Let it sit for about 30 seconds.
- The Pour and Steep
After the bloom, gently pour the rest of your water, ensuring all the grounds are fully immersed. Place the lid and plunger on top, but do not press down. Let the coffee steep for a total of 4 minutes.
- The Final Press
Once your timer goes off, it’s time to press. Place the French Press on a stable surface and press the plunger down slowly and steadily. Go all the way to the bottom. This separates the grounds from the liquid.
- Serve Immediately
Pour the coffee into a mug right away. If you leave the coffee in the press, it will continue to extract, and the flavor will become bitter and over-extracted.
Pro Tips for French Press Perfection
- Avoid the Spoon: Don’t stir the coffee with a metal spoon inside the glass carafe, as it can cause chips or cracks.
- Decant Completely: For the best-tasting cup, pour all the coffee out of the French Press as soon as you are done pressing.
- Embrace the Sediment: A small amount of fine sediment is a natural part of French Press coffee and is a hallmark of its rich body.
- Experiment with Time: Four minutes is a great starting point, but feel free to adjust the time to your liking. If the coffee tastes too weak, steep for longer. If it’s too bitter, shorten the time.
French Press Brewing in Action: A Visual Guide
For a great visual breakdown of this entire process, from grinding to the final pour, check out this excellent video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st571DYYTR8&list=PLxz0FjZMVOl38lo5Z6pO2g3LhI_32pKiU&index=8