French Press Coffee Recipe and Ratio

Before you start

A French press is an immersion brewer: the grounds sit in hot water for the whole brew, and a metal mesh filter separates them at the end. Because the mesh lets fine particles and natural oils through, the cup is heavier and rounder than filtered coffee. That body is the reason to use a press, and also the source of its main problem, the silty last inch in the cup.

Three things decide the result. Use a coarse, even grind, about the size of coarse sea salt, so extraction is steady and less sediment slips through. Keep the ratio near 1:16, which here means 30 g of coffee to 480 g of water. And handle the end gently: skim the foam, press slowly, and pour the coffee off the grounds right away so it does not keep extracting and turn bitter.

Ingredients

• 30 g (about 5 tbsp) whole coffee beans — medium or medium-dark roast
• 480 g (480 ml) water — plus extra to preheat, at 93 to 96°C (200 to 205°F)

Method

1. Heat the water to just off the boil, about 93 to 96°C (200 to 205°F). Without a thermometer, let boiled water rest for 30 seconds.
2. Preheat the French press with a little hot water, swirl, and discard it.
3. Grind 30 g of coffee coarse, with particles roughly the size of coarse sea salt. Add it to the press and set it on the scale.
4. Start a timer and pour in all 480 g of water, wetting every part of the grounds. Place the lid on top with the plunger pulled up to hold in heat.
5. At 4 minutes, remove the lid and stir the crust that has formed on top gently with a spoon. Most of the grounds will sink.
6. Use two spoons to skim off the foam and any floating particles. For an even cleaner cup, wait another 3 to 5 minutes so the fines settle.
7. Lower the plunger slowly, only until it rests just below the surface. Pressing hard to the bottom stirs up sediment.
8. Pour all of the coffee into mugs or a thermal carafe right away. Stop before the last few spoonfuls, which hold most of the sludge.

Tips for success

• Weigh the coffee and water once, then mark your press so you can repeat the ratio quickly on busy mornings.
• A blade grinder makes a mix of dust and chunks that clouds the cup. A burr grinder, even a basic hand grinder, makes the biggest difference here.
• Taste and adjust one variable at a time: grind for clarity and extraction, ratio for strength.

Substitutions

Ratio

Use 1:15, about 32 g to 480 g, for a stronger cup to drink with milk. Use 1:17 for a lighter cup that suits fruity light roasts.

Hot water

For French press cold brew, steep 60 g coarse coffee in 480 g cold water in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours, then press and dilute to taste.

Pre-ground coffee

Choose a coarse grind labeled for French press. Standard drip grind passes through the mesh and makes the coffee muddy and bitter.

Variations

Single mug

Use 15 g coffee and 240 g water in a small press, with the same timing.

Spiced press coffee

Add a small cinnamon stick or two crushed cardamom pods to the grounds before pouring the water.

Troubleshooting

Thick sludge at the bottom of the cup

The grind is too fine or uneven, or you poured the last dregs. Grind coarser, let the coffee settle before pressing, and leave the final spoonfuls in the press.

The coffee is bitter

It steeped too long or sat on the grounds after pressing. Decant immediately, and try a slightly coarser grind.

It tastes sour and weak

The water was too cool or the grind too coarse. Use water just off the boil and grind one step finer.

The plunger is very hard to push

Fine grounds are clogging the mesh. Grind coarser and press gently; forcing it can spray hot coffee.

Storage

Pour the coffee off the grounds as soon as it is brewed. It holds best in a preheated thermal carafe for about 30 minutes. Leftover coffee can be refrigerated, covered, for a day for iced drinks.