French Press Brew Guide
At a Glance
- Total brew time: 4:30
- Yield: 1-3 short mugs
- Mugs per 12oz bag: 18
- Cup characteristics: Heavy and robust
What You Need
- French press
- Craft Coffee beans (see below for amount)
- Water (see below for amount)
- Stirring utensil
- Kettle
- Timer
- Mug
- Burr grinder (recommended)
- Scale (recommended)
Measurements
| French Press Size | 3-Cup | 4-Cup | 8-Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee | 17 grams (2-3 tbsp) | 27 grams (4-5 tbsp) | 54 grams (8-10 tbsp) |
| Water | 275 mL, plus additional for pre-heating | 430 mL, plus additional for pre-heating | 860 mL, plus additional for pre-heating |
Before You Brew
- Make sure your French press has been thoroughly cleaned since you last used it. Any old grounds stuck in the mesh filter will ruin your coffee with bitter flavors.
- For best results, we strongly recommend starting with whole bean coffee and grinding with a burr grinder immediately before brewing. If you grind your coffee too soon, it will quickly lose many of the compounds that give it such delightful aromas and flavors.
- While it may seem complicated, we think using a scale actually makes brewing easier by taking any guesswork out of the equation.
Step by Step
Step 1
Heat your water to 205 degrees by bringing it to a boil and letting it sit for 30 seconds.
Step 2
Fill your French press about one-quarter full with hot water and press the plunger all the way down. Swirl the hot water around inside the French press for about 10 seconds, then pull the plunger up and remove the lid. Discard the rinse water.
Step 3
If using pre-ground coffee skip to Step 4. Otherwise, weigh out your whole bean coffee and grind it on a coarse setting. See our guide on how to grind your coffee for reference.
Step 4
Pour your ground coffee into the French Press and gently shake it back and forth to settle the grounds.
Step 5
Time: 0:00-0:30
Pour about half of your hot water evenly over the grounds. This step is called the bloom. Hot water forces the ground coffee to release trapped gases, leading to expansion of the coffee and wonderful aromas for you to enjoy. During the bloom, a thick “crust” of coffee grounds will also form.
Start your timer once you’ve finished pouring.
Step 6
Time: 0:30-0:35
Once your timer hits 30 seconds, stir the coffee gently for 5 seconds to break up the crust and mix the grounds evenly with the water.
Step 7
Time: 0:35-4:00
Pour the remaining half of your hot water over the coffee. Place the lid on your French press with the plunger pulled all the way up. Let the coffee steep until your timer reads 4:00.
Step 8
Time: 4:00-4:15
Slowly press the plunger all the way down to filter the grounds from the coffee. Pour the coffee immediately into your mug - if it sits for too long in your French press it will turn bitter.