HOW TO MAKE FRENCH PRESS
Deliciously lazy. Pour, wait, press the plunger down. Full-bodied and a little cloudy, just the way we like it. No filter to rinse, no pouring technique to master.
Looking for coffee for a cafetiere or coffee for a French press? It’s the same brewer, and the answer is right below.
THE NUMBERS, FOR ONE CUP
THE NUMBERS, FOR ONE CUP
TIME
4:00 min
COFFEE
15 grams
WATER
200 ml
RATIO
1:13
GRIND
Coarse, like sea salt
TEMP
93°C
MORE CUPS?
1 CUP
COFFEE
15 g
WATER
200 ml
FRENCH PRESS SIZE
0,35 L
3 CUPS
COFFEE
45 g
WATER
600 ml
FRENCH PRESS SIZE
0,8 L
5 CUPS
COFFEE
75 g
WATER
1000 ml
FRENCH PRESS SIZE
1 L
TIME
0:28 sec
COFFEE
18 grams
YIELD
36 g out
RATIO
1:2
GRIND
Extra fine
TEMP
93°C
SHOT
SINGLE
YIELD IN
9 g
YIELD OUT
18 g
COFFEE
0:25
DOUBLE
YIELD IN
18 g
YIELD OUT
36 g
COFFEE
0:28
RISTRETTO
YIELD IN
18 g
YIELD OUT
27 g
COFFEE
0:25
LUNGO
YIELD IN
18 g
YIELD OUT
54 g
COFFEE
0:35
NO SCALE? NO PROBLEM.
8 GRAM
About the size of a large strawberry, or two level tablespoons.
200 ML
Is a regular mug.
GRIND
Should look like sea salt, coarse enough to count the individual grains.
93°C
Is thirty seconds after the water stops bubbling.
THE STEPS
01
GRIND YOUR COFFEE FRESH AND COARSE, LIKE SEA SALT
Coarsely ground coffee isn’t a minor detail here. Fine particles slip through the mesh and end up in your cup.
02
ADD THE COFFEE, THEN POUR IN ALL 200 ML OF WATER AT ONCE
No need to bloom, the plunger does the work.
03
STIR ONCE, THEN PUT THE LID ON WITH THE PLUNGER RAISED
Let it steep.
04
WAIT 4:00 MINUTES
Set a timer. Walking away is part of the method.
05
PRESS DOWN SLOWLY AND EVENLY
If it’s hard to press, your grind was too fine. Pour immediately, as the coffee will keep extracting while it sits on the grounds.
TRANSLATED FROM BARISTA
"A full immersion brew maximises extraction uniformity"
Everything steeps at the same time, so there’s not much you can mess up.
"Decant promptly to halt further extraction"
Pour it out; don’t leave it sitting in the French press.
HOW THE FIVE COFFEES TASTE WITH THE ESPRESSO
COFFEE
AT 4:00, THE STANDARD
SHORTER (3:00)
LONGER (5:00)
MICROLOT
Full-bodied, bringing out the dark fruit notes beautifully. Rich and satisfying
Thinner, lacks depth
Heavy, slightly bitter
SINGLE
Fruity, but rounder than in a V60
Underdeveloped, with a slightly sour edge
Cloudier, loses clarity
DOUBLE
Sweet, syrupy, the favourite here
A little astringent
Good, still balanced
TRIPLE
Chocolatey, full-bodied, right where Triple belongs
Watery
Very full-bodied, still delicious
DARK
Big, bold, and ready for milk
Weak for a dark roast
Bold and powerful, right where Dark belongs
COFFEE: MICROLOT
AT 4:00, THE STANDARD
Full-bodied, bringing out the dark fruit notes beautifully. Rich and satisfying
SHORTER (3:00)
Thinner, lacks depth
LONGER (5:00)
Heavy, slightly bitter
COFFEE: SINGLE
AT 4:00, THE STANDARD
Fruity, but rounder than in a V60
SHORTER (3:00)
Underdeveloped, with a slightly sour edge
LONGER (5:00)
Cloudier, loses clarity
COFFEE: DOUBLE
AT 4:00, THE STANDARD
Sweet, syrupy, the favourite here
SHORTER (3:00)
A little astringent
LONGER (5:00)
Good, still balanced
COFFEE: TRIPLE
AT 4:00, THE STANDARD
Chocolatey, full-bodied, right where Triple belongs
SHORTER (3:00)
Watery
LONGER (5:00)
Very full-bodied, still delicious
COFFEE: DARK
AT 4:00, THE STANDARD
Big, bold, and ready for milk
SHORTER (3:00)
Weak for a dark roast
LONGER (5:00)
Bold and powerful, right where Dark belongs
THE FRENCH PRESS IS THE MOST FORGIVING BREWING METHOD ON THIS SITE,
and it’s where Triple and Dark really shine. The fuller extraction and lack of a paper filter make it particularly well suited to darker roasts.
THE FRENCH PRESS IS THE MOST FORGIVING BREWING METHOD ON THIS SITE,
and it’s where Triple and Dark really shine. The fuller extraction and lack of a paper filter make it particularly well suited to darker roasts.
TASTES WEIRD?
BITTER OR GRITTY
Grind coarser. Fine coffee particles are probably slipping through the mesh.
WEAK AND WATERY
Use more coffee, or grind a little finer.
SEDIMENT AT THE BOTTOM
Normal. Just leave the last sip in the cup.
THE PLUNGER IS HARD TO PRESS DOWN
Ground too fine. Don’t force it, or it might splash.
BITTER OR GRITTY
Grind coarser. Fine coffee particles are probably slipping through the mesh.
WEAK AND WATERY
Use more coffee, or grind a little finer.
SEDIMENT AT THE BOTTOM
Normal. Just leave the last sip in the cup.
THE PLUNGER IS HARD TO PRESS DOWN
Ground too fine. Don’t force it, or it might splash.
BITTER OR GRITTY
Grind coarser. Fine coffee particles are probably slipping through the mesh.
WEAK AND WATERY
Use more coffee, or grind a little finer.
SEDIMENT AT THE BOTTOM
Normal. Just leave the last sip in the cup.
THE PLUNGER IS HARD TO PRESS DOWN
Ground too fine. Don’t force it, or it might splash.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A fuller roast works best. Triple and Dark are particularly well suited to this brewing method, although all five work well.
If you have to choose just one: Triple. Full-bodied, low in acidity, and chocolatey enough to handle the fuller extraction of this brewing method.
As coarse as sea salt, the coarsest grind after cold brew. Ask your coffee supplier for a French press grind, or set your grinder to its coarsest setting.
15 grams for one standard 200 ml mug, a ratio of 1:13. For a 1-litre French press, that’s 75 grams.
4 minutes, from pouring the water to pressing the plunger. Longer makes it bitter, shorter makes it weak.
Your grind is too fine, allowing coffee particles to pass through the metal mesh. Grind coarser, aiming for a texture like sea salt.