How to Make Perfect Coffee With French Press at Home!

by frenchpresscoffee

19K14523

Intro: How to Make Perfect Coffee With French Press at Home!

A French Press is one of the best methods for brewing your daily cup of coffee. It is simple, elegant and produces a rich and flavorful brew. While making French Press Coffee is not as easy as simply “adding water and waiting,” if you follow these three steps, you will be on your way to brewing an excellent cup of French Press Coffee. The most important considerations are to start with clean equipment, use filtered or bottled water (do not use distilled water, however, as it does not have the necessary mineral content to bring out the flavors in coffee), and measure and time to your tastes with precision and consistency. With some practice, you will be able to produce an ideal cup of coffee consistently using a French Press.

STEP 1: Boil Water (195 °F - 205 °F)

Water temperature is extremely important when making French Press Coffee. It is not enough to simply boil the water it has to be at the right temperature to create the best brew. The ideal temperature for brewing coffee is 195 degrees Fahrenheit to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a thermometer to measure the temperature, you can determine an approximate temperature in the following way: Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. If you allow the water to sit for a couple of minutes after it has come to a full boil, it will cool to the ideal temperature. Pour the water directly over the coffee grounds in the French Press carafe.

STEP 2: Grind Your Coffee Beans (use Coarse Grind)

The beans you pour the water over should be the freshest roast of beans you can find - ideally roasted within 3 days of purchase. The type of bean will depend on your preference in taste. For instance, coffee lovers who prefer a complex, rich flavor may choose a Sumatra dark roast or a French roasted blend. Grind the beans you purchase to be coarse. Too fine a grind will make for a bitter brew, while too coarse will cause the coffee to be weak. Try grinding at 8 to 10 seconds, and experiment from there to find the right grind for you.

STEP 3: Brew and Wait (ideal Time - 4 Min.)

Recommended brew time for French Press coffee is 4 minutes. From the moment you pour the water over the grinds, time the brew. Experiment to discover what your ideal brew time is. Some coffee lovers prefer a French Press brew time of 3 minutes, for instance, while others swear by 5 minutes. You will find your ideal time with some trial and effort.

STEP 4: Pour and Enjoy!

Pour and enjoy :)

23 Comments

nevermore0069 8 years ago

I'm a five minute guy. Also, I prefer to stir vigorously right after pouring water over the grounds. French press is the best method for brewing coffee, in my opinion. Thank you for writing this for people who have not experienced the awesomeness for themselves.

Rubidium402 8 years ago

How much coffee grounds per how much water? Thanks.

frenchpresscoffee 8 years ago

Start with 8 grams of coarse ground coffee per 4 oz. of water. Then adjust to your taste.

suncoaster2 8 years ago

This is pretty well the exact method I use for my single cup French Press. Works great every time. One thing you didn't mention that is very important, is CLEANLINESS. Make sure the grinder and the press are squeaky clean at all times to avoid bitterness in the coffee.

chienline 8 years ago

Clean equipments is already stated in introduction :)
I use French Press daily, simply from a water dispenser stated 95 degrees Celcius and fine grind coffee beans sold in the market. I pour the water just before breakfast and press after breakfast, approx. 5 to 10 minutes. I will try this controlled temperature and timing method on Sundays.
I always want to build a machine for this routine which I would have called One Button Coffee Machine :D

frenchpresscoffee 8 years ago

Thanks. Bodum Bistro will do that for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmLE4-GXpqM :)

chienline 8 years ago

Wow.. Bodum Bistro is nice. But you still need to fill up the water, fill up the coffee, pull out, stir, press. I am thinking about truly one-push-button to do all of those, even to the cleaning with a microcontroller #SpoilingMySelf :D

BeachsideHank 8 years ago

We make our initial brew with two heaping tablespoons of grounds, for a second infusion we simply add one more heaping tablespoon to the grounds and brew again as if new, we call the second visit our "value coffee". ☺

frenchpresscoffee 8 years ago

That is interesting way to brew. You do second infusion right before you press?

BeachsideHank 8 years ago

This is our way of getting two servings each from just 3 tablespoons of coffee. The first is of course the most potent after it's press, but the second press ain't half- bad either.

Bill Rose 8 years ago

I will try this method to improve my coffee making... Thanks.

samnjoeysgrama 8 years ago

I live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains at 8500 ft. Readers should be aware that water boils at 212 only at sea level. To achieve the right temperature, you should use a thermometer until you know what temperature you get at your altitude. In space, water will "boil" without added heat. It's a pressure thing. On top of the highest mountains on earth, you can stick your bare hand in boiling water and not get burned. We have a difficult time boiling eggs and cooking spaghetti up here. Heating the water longer won't change it's temperature. It is what it is at altitude. But with this article and a thermometer, you should be able to make perfect French press coffee! Great article over all.

Wolfbane221 8 years ago

Thanks for this tutorial, I had bought some dark French roast blend of beans and it has been bitter every time compared to my Kona blend. I grind a couple weeks of coffee at a time and always espresso grind when I do it because I use an espresso machine.. so ALWAYS have been putting very fine coffee in my French press. Went and ground it coarse and wow. So much flavor improvement, dumb me. Thanks for this! :)
More Comments