French Press
The French press (or cafetière) is a glass or steel jug with a mesh plunger. You steep the coffee in hot water, then push the mesh down to hold the grounds back. It needs no paper filters and very little skill, and it gives a heavy, full-bodied cup because the oils and some fine particles pass through the mesh.
Water by roast: light 96 °C · medium 94 °C · dark 91 °C
Steps
- PrepPreheat the press with hot water, then discard it
- PrepGrind 33 g coffee coarse, like breadcrumbs, and add to the press
- 0:00Pour 500 g water just off the boil, wetting all the grounds
- 1:00Stir gently to sink the floating groundsPut the lid on with the plunger up
- 4:00Press the plunger down slowly and steadily
- 4:15Pour everything out into cups or a carafe straight away
Variations
The Ultimate French Press TechniqueJames Hoffmann
Steep, break the crust, skim the foam, then wait 5-8 more minutes so the grounds settle. Push the plunger only to the surface and pour gently for a clean, sediment-free cup.
30 g · 500 g water · 100 °C · medium-coarse
- PrepAdd 30 g coffee to the press
- 0:00Pour 500 g just-boiled water
- 4:00Stir the crust so the grounds sink, then skim off the foam and floating bits with two spoons
- 4:30Leave it alone for 5-8 minutes while the fines settle
- 10:00Lower the plunger just to the surface of the coffee, don't press down
- 10:15Pour slowly, leaving the last bit in the press
Quick + Easy French PressCounter Culture Coffee
Lighter 1:18 ratio with a longer 6-minute steep.
45 g · 800 g water · 96 °C · medium-coarse, like kosher salt
- 0:00Start a timer and add 800 g hot water
- 0:30Stir, then put the lid on
- 6:00Slowly press the plunger to the bottom and pour
Two-Stage PourStumptown Coffee Roasters
Fill halfway, stir at 1:00, then top up to the collar. Stronger 1:15 ratio.
56 g · 850 g water · 96 °C · coarse, like breadcrumbs
- PrepPreheat the press and discard the water
- 0:00Pour 450 g water, saturating all grounds, lid on without pressing
- 1:00Stir the grounds into the water
- 1:15Top up to 850 g, lid back on
- 4:00Press all the way down and serve
Fix your cup
| Taste | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, thin | Under-extracted or water too cool | Steep longer or use water just off the boil |
| Bitter, dry | Over-extracted or left sitting on grounds | Grind coarser, decant right after pressing |
| Muddy, gritty | Too many fines | Grind coarser, skim the crust, let it settle before pouring |
| Plunger very hard to push | Grind too fine | Grind coarser, press slowly |
| Weak | Dose too low | Go to 1:15 or stronger |
Tips
- Grind coarse and as evenly as you can. A burr grinder makes a big difference here because blade-ground fines slip through the mesh.
- Pour the coffee out once it's done. Left on the grounds, it keeps extracting and turns bitter.
- Want less sludge? Try Hoffmann's method: skim the crust, wait longer, and don't plunge all the way.
- Leave the last 20-30 g in the press. That's where most of the silt sits.
- Take the plunger apart and wash the mesh now and then. Old oils go rancid and flavour the next brew.
Common mistakes
- Using pre-ground filter coffee. It's too fine for the mesh and gives a gritty, bitter cup.
- Plunging hard and fast, which stirs up the sediment you're trying to trap.
- Brewing a full pot and leaving the rest in the press for later.
- Using a metal spoon hard against a glass carafe. It can crack.
What you need
- French press (1 L / 8-cup)
- Scale
- Kettle
- Spoon or stir stick
- Timer