How to Make French Press Coffee? | A Beginner's Guide
To make French press coffee, mix coarse ground coffee and hot water at about a 1:15 ratio, steep for 4 minutes, then press the plunger down slowly. Use water at 92°C to 96°C and pour the coffee out as soon as you press, so it does not turn bitter. This beginner's guide shows you how to use a French press step by step, including how much coffee to use for each press size.
If you have never made coffee in a French press before, this guide walks you through your first brew from start to finish. You do not need any special skills, just a few basic tools and a little patience.
A French press is an immersion brewer. The coffee sits in hot water for a few minutes, and a plunger with a metal mesh pushes the grounds to the bottom. It is forgiving, which makes it a good first manual brewer, but small details like grind size and timing still change the cup.
Before You Start: The Three Things You Need
You only need three things to make a good cup of French press coffee.
A French Press
French presses range from about 350 ml to 1 litre. For a first press, 600 ml to 750 ml is a good size because it covers one generous mug or two small cups. Stainless steel holds heat better and is sturdier than glass, so it suits daily use. You can browse our French press range if you are still choosing one.
Coarse Ground Coffee
Aim for a grind about the size of coarse sea salt. A finer grind slips through the mesh and clogs the plunger, and it also over-extracts, which makes the cup bitter. Grinding fresh just before brewing helps, and a burr grinder gives a far more even coarse grind than a blade grinder.
Our guide to grind size shows how coarse compares across different brewers.
Hot Water at the Right Temperature
Use water at 92°C to 96°C. If you do not have a thermometer, let the kettle sit for 30 to 45 seconds after it boils. An electric kettle with variable temperature lets you set the number and skip the guesswork.
How Much Coffee to Use: Ratios for Every Serving Size
The standard ratio for French press is 1:15 by weight, which means 1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water. A scale that reads to 0.1 g makes this easy to repeat every morning.
|
Serving Size |
Coffee |
Water |
Press Size |
|
1 cup (mug) |
16 g |
240 g |
350 ml |
|
2 cups |
30 g |
450 g |
600 ml |
|
3 cups |
44 g |
660 g |
750 ml |
|
4 cups |
60 g |
900 g |
1 litre |
|
8 cups |
70 g |
1050 g |
1.5 litre |
Not sure how much coffee goes in a 350 ml or 600 ml French press? A 350 ml press takes 16 g of coffee and 240 g of water, and a 600 ml press takes 30 g of coffee and 450 g of water.
The French Press Coffee Recipe: My Exact Method With Timestamps
Here is the method I use, with timestamps so you can follow along with a timer. The example uses 30 g of coffee and 450 g of water in a 600 ml press.
Minute Zero: Pre Heat Everything
Fill the press with hot water from the kettle, add a splash to your mug as well, and let both sit for a moment. Pour the water out before you start. A warm press keeps the brew temperature steady for the full four minutes.
0:00 to 0:30: Set Up the Brew
Put the empty press on the scale, add 30 g of ground coffee and tare the scale. Give the press a gentle shake so the coffee sits level, then start your timer.
0:30: The Bloom Pour
Pour 60 g of water, about twice the weight of the coffee, over the grounds and make sure all of them are wet. You will see the coffee puff up as trapped gas escapes. Wondering if the bloom is worth it in a French press? Here is how blooming works for immersion brewing.
1:00: Add the Rest of the Water
Pour the remaining 390 g of water in a slow, steady circle until the scale reads 450 g. The grounds will rise to the top and form a crust.
1:20: Place the Lid and Wait
Put the lid on with the plunger pulled all the way up. This keeps the heat in. Leave the press alone until the timer reaches 4:00.
4:00: Stir Gently and Press
Remove the lid and stir gently to break the crust. Put the lid back on and press the plunger down slowly over 15 to 20 seconds. If it feels stiff, stop pressing so hard and let it settle.
4:30: Pour Immediately
Pour all the coffee out into your mug or a carafe straight away. Coffee left in the press keeps extracting and gets bitter.
What Beans to Use for French Press
Medium and medium-dark roasts work best in a French press. They bring out chocolate and nutty flavours and handle the full immersion well. Light roasts can taste sharp or thin at four minutes, so they may need a slightly longer steep. Choose fresh whole bean coffee and grind it just before you brew.
If Something Goes Wrong: Quick Troubleshooting
Your coffee tastes bitter. The grind may be too fine, the water too hot, or the steep too long. Go coarser, let the kettle rest a little longer and stop at four minutes.
Your coffee tastes weak or watery. You may be using too little coffee, a grind that is too coarse, or stale beans. Weigh your coffee to keep to 1:15, go slightly finer and use fresher beans.
Sediment at the bottom of every cup. The grind is usually too fine, often because it came from a blade grinder. Go coarser, use a burr grinder, and let the coffee settle for a minute before you pour the last sip.
The plunger is hard to press down. Fine grounds are clogging the mesh, or there is too much coffee for the size of the press. Go coarser and check your ratio.
Coffee tastes flat or stale. The beans are probably old, or oils have built up on the mesh. Switch to fresher beans and clean the mesh properly.
For more fixes, see these common French press mistakes.
Your First Brew Starts Tomorrow Morning
Read this guide once tonight. Tomorrow morning, weigh your coffee, grind it coarse, set a timer and follow the timestamps. Do not worry about getting everything perfect on the first try. If the cup tastes off, change one thing at a time, such as the grind, the steep time or the water temperature, and write down what you changed. After three or four brews you will know your own press better than any guide can tell you.
