Introduction: How to Make Perfect Tea With a French Press

The French Press is most commonly used for brewing fresh coffee, however it can also be used to brew tea. If you already have a French press and love tea, try using your French Press Coffee Maker to steep the tea leaves for a full and flavorful taste. Follow these simple steps for brewing tea with a French press:

Step 1: Clean Your French Press Thoroughly

This is the first and perhaps most important step as you’ll want to remove any left over sediment from coffee. Bitter alkaloids found in coffee tend to remain behind on the metal components of the French press, so be sure to scrub the plunger.

Step 2: Bring Water to a Boil

While the water is boiling, add your desired amount of dry tea leaves to the French press carafe. For example, in a four-cup press, you may want to add around a quarter of a cup of dry tea.

Step 3: Steep the Tea Leaves

Pour the almost boiling water over the dry tea leaves. Steep the tea leaves for the desired strength of the brew. Tea takes less time to steep in the French press than coffee, so 1-2 minutes should be plenty of time.

Recommended Steep Times & Water Temperatures:

  • White Tea: 175-185ºF (80-85ºC) | 1-3 min.
  • Green Tea: 175-185ºF (80-85ºC) | 2-3 min.
  • Oolong Tea: 175-185ºF (80-85ºC) | 3-5 min.
  • Black Tea: 206ºF-210ºF (~100ºC) | 3-5 min.
  • Herbal Tea: 206ºF-210ºF (~100ºC) | 5-8 min.

Step 4: Press

Press down on the plunger to use the filter as a sieve to separate the tea leaves from the liquid.

Step 5: Pour the Tea Into Cups

Pour the tea into cups, not allowing and liquid to remain in the carafe so that you may use the leaves again.

Step 6: Enjoy

Flavor your tea with cream or sugar to reach your desired taste preference and enjoy a steaming fresh cup of tea prepared with your French Press!