If want to brew coffee in your home, French Press is hands downs the easiest way to do it. You don’t need any skill and yet the coffee brewed is rich in flavor and aroma. But, what is the perfect recipe or technique to brew the most amazing coffee on a French Press.
Today, you will be learning all about that with step by step instructions. If you are already brewing coffee in a French Press, try this technique and you will notice the difference in taste straight away.
So lets’ dive in –
Step 0 – A little bit of patience
To brew the perfect cup in a French press, you’ll need some patience. Follow the timeline we recommend and more importantly measure before you brew. The ratios recommended below are tried & tested and are used by some of the best baristas in the world.
Step 1 – The Coffee
The choice of coffee is completely your choice and depends on flavor profile you like. Generally, darker roasts are preferred for French Press and Ethiopian coffee is considered the best for a French Press.
The most important thing is roasting fresh coffee beans. You can use pre-ground coffee, but the for optimum flavor grinding fresh beans is highly recommended.
You can get any decent burr grinder to do the job and the grind for French should be medium coarse.
Step 2 – The All Important Ratio
The ratio is considered the ‘holy grail’ in French press brewing. Generally, the ratio recommend is 1:12 i.e. for 1 gram of coffee you’ll need 12 grams of water. If you a like a stronger coffee you can increase it to 1:15, but anything beyond that and the coffee starts tasting bitter.
To measure the quantities, it is recommended to getting a small kitchen weighing scale. After 5-10 brews you’ll get a hang of it and will be able to decide, how many fluid ozs. of water you need for X grams of coffee, but again nothing beats pinpoint accuracy.
Generally, for brewing 32 oz. of water (standard French press size) you’ll need half a cup of coffee beans. (This is considering the standard size for cups and it is highly recommended to weigh both the coffee and water in grams, before every brew)
Step 3 – Boiling Water
Once you are done with measuring, start boiling water in a kettle. While the water is getting heated up, you can ground your beans and then simply pour them in the French Press. When the water reaches boiling temperature, let it cool down for 15-20 seconds, then pour the water into the French Press.
Step 4 – The Wait
Once you poured the water let it sit undisturbed for exactly four minutes. The ‘4-Minute Rule’ is sacred for French Presses. After that give the top a gentle stir with a spatula. Then place the lid over the carafe and wait for another 30-45 second. This makes sure that all the tiny coffee grounds get immersed and settle at the bottom of the press.
Step 5 – The Plunge
Once the wait is over, gently press the grounds using the plunger. The key here is to take it slow. This keeps the sediments in the brewed coffee to the minimum.
Step 6 – Serve
You can then pour in the coffee into the cups. To get the perfect taste it is recommended to add a scoop of cream over the coffee.
This sums up the ultimate guide for brewing a delicious cup of coffee using a French Press.
If you are in the market for buying one, then check out our recommendations for the best French Press Coffee Maker.
If you have any doubts regarding the process, feel free to ask in the comments below and our team will assist you.
Happy Brewing!
