French Press is a simple, straightforward coffee maker. It is the best way to make a full-bodied cup of coffee, with robust flavor and natural sweetness.
The French Press is just a medium-size metal-glass container filled with coffee and water. It is fully functional, requiring no special equipment, including measuring devices. All you need is a French Press Coffee Maker and some coffee beans.
With these two readily available items, making coffee with the french press is very easy.
In this article we will talk about how to make coffee with this method, to help you get the best possible results from your brew.
Let’s Talk About The French Press
The French Press was originally registered by Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta, Italian designers in 1928. It was called the “Caffettiera a stantuffo” in Italy, and became popular for making coffee in Europe.
Its design and appearance is supposed to mimic the manual coffee makers that are used around the world. It has a filter on the bottom of the pot, which is used to push grounds to one end until they are completely immersed in water.
Read Also: The History of French Press
Brewing With The French Press
Step 1: Grind Your Coffee Beans
To brew coffee with the french press you need a coarse grind. The best way to do this is to use a conical burr grinder. Flatten the beans with a cone texture and grind them just before you are ready to brew the coffee.
Step 2: Boil The Water
You need a water temperature of at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Boiling water is preferred because it will not add any extra flavors to the coffee, and it will get the best results from the coffee.
For better results try to use filter water.
Step 3: Check The Coffee to Water Ratio
For the french press method you should aim for a 1:15 coffee to water ratio, which means that for every 1 gram of coffee you should use 15 grams of water. It is recommended to weigh the coffee and water with an accurate scale to make sure that you have the exact ratio required.
Step 4: Add The Grounded Coffee And The Water into The French Press
First add the coffee and then slowly start pouring the water in, making sure the coffee grounds are fully immersed.
Step 5: Stir Gently
Stir the coffee gently while it’s brewing. This will make sure that all the grounds are completely soaked.
Step 6: Press The Plunger
Wait 4 minutes and then start pushing the plunger slowly down.
Step 7: Serve
Pour your coffee into a mug and enjoy!
Get this free cheat sheet to step up your coffee game and learn about the different grind sizes!
Some Tips To Consider!
- Always use coarse ground coffee (look for a grind setting on your grinder that is between drip and pour over).
- For the best flavor, use freshly roasted beans.
- If you are using pre-ground coffee, make sure it is not more than two weeks old.
- Decaf coffee will still taste great when brewed with this method. But make sure you do some due diligence before buying the decaf coffee beans.
Listed here are some of the best decaf coffee brands available on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I let French Press Brew?
Depending on the amount of coffee you use and the water temperature, it takes about 4 minutes to brew coffee with the french press method.
How can I make my French Press Stronger?
The french press method is designed to let your coffee’s rich flavors and aromas come out. The resulting brew is not very strong, because the fine grounds absorb the water and take up much of the space in the pot. If you want a stronger cup of coffee, try using more ground beans.
Can you use regular ground coffee in a French Press?
Regular ground coffee is much coarser than the French press method requires. This will result in a weak, watered-down coffee with a bad taste.
Why is my French Press coffee bitter?
If your coffee is too weak, it may be tasting bitter. To get a good tasting cup of coffee, make sure that you use coarse grounded beans and the water temperature is not too hot. French presses are designed to let your coffee’s natural flavors come out, so if it tastes bitter you have probably used ground coffee that is too fine for the grind setting in your machine or the water temperature was too high.
It may also be that you need to shake up the grounds and loosen them from the filter before pouring in more beans.
Why are there grounds in my French Press coffee?
The fine grounds may get through the filter and into your cup of coffee if you are using a high grind setting in the grinder or if your water is too hot. Brewing coffee slowly with cool water will make sure that those ground stay in the pot.
Why did my French Press brew taste like vinegar?
Acidity can be a problem when brewing coffee. If you let your coffee sit too long before you serve it, it may start to taste sour or have a vinegary taste.
Last Thoughts
To brew coffee with the french press is easy and simple. It gives a strong, full-bodied cup of coffee with natural sweetness. Its design makes it a great coffee maker for your at-home kitchen and it is easy to use on your camping trip or when you travel.
The glass and metal are also easy to clean up, so you don’t need any special cleaning equipment or instructions to use this method.
Related Articles:
- Cold Brew Recipe with French Press
- AeroPress vs French Press
- Moka Pot vs French Press
Evelina
Evelina’s passion for coffee could never been hidden. Having worked as a barista, she learned the true value of the coffee bean and its secrets. As she continued to evolve as a barista, so did her knowledge, techniques on making different coffee blends and most importantly how to operate every kind of gear when it comes to coffee. Having a degree in biomedicine and being a barista, allows her to provide our community with in-depth knowledge surrounding the topics of coffee.
Get this free cheat sheet to step up your coffee game and learn about the different grind sizes!