How to Use a French Press

The French press is a full-immersion brewer that makes a rich, heavy-bodied cup. It is simple and needs no paper filters.

What you need

A French press, a coarse grind, and hot water just off the boil. Use a 1:12 to 1:15 ratio for a full body.

Brewing

  1. Add the coarse grounds to the empty press.
  2. Pour in hot water and give it a gentle stir.
  3. Place the lid on with the plunger up and steep 4 minutes.
  4. Press the plunger down slowly and steadily.
  5. Pour off all the coffee right away to stop extraction.

Tips

Decant immediately. Leaving coffee sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and turns it bitter. A coarse grind also keeps fewer fines in your cup.

Coarse grind, four minutes, decant. Use a coarse grind, steep four minutes, then pour everything out at once. Coffee left on the grounds gets bitter fast.

See the French Press Calculator and the Coffee Grind Size Chart.

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