French Press Brew Guide

French Press brew guide

In 1852, two Frenchmen, a Paris metalsmith and a merchant, Henri Otto Mayer and Jacques-Victor Delforge, patented a forerunner of the French press, which did not create a seal around the filter. A patent was filed by a Frenchman, Marcel-Pierre Paquet dit Jolbert, officially published on August 5, 1924. The first patent of a French press that resembles what we use today was patented by the Italians Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta in 1928.

The French press is reminiscent of intense aromas, deep flavors, and rich mouthfeel. It is great for beginners to start their journey into specialty coffee. This brewer will also allow you many creative opportunities as your skills grow. Experiment with brew ratios in search of the next best cup of coffee.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
French Press
Kettle
Grinder
Two spoons
Fresh Coffee beans
Filtered/bottled water
Digital scale
Timer

Coffee is always about what tastes best for you. This includes the grams of ground coffee to water ratio as well as grind size. Be creative and build your home barista skills.

BREW TIME: 8:30 minutes
Grind size: Medium-Coarse
Water temperature: 96 °C

Tip: If you like a stronger cup of coffee than suggested above, simply increase the amount of ground coffee. The opposite goes if you prefer less strong coffee. Make sure to record your results in order to duplicate them in the future.

 

STEP 1:

Boil water in the kettle of your choice, then allow it to cool to approximately 96°C, just below boiling point.

STEP 2:

Remove the lid with the attached filter and preheat with water. Place about 200ml of hot water in a 1L French press and swirl to heat the glass. Be careful not to spill over the sides.

 

STEP 3:

Put your French press on your coffee scale and zero out the scale. Add fresh medium-course grounded coffee into your French press. The grind size is totally up to your preferred taste.

STEP 4:

Add twice the amount of water than the gramage of coffee used. If you used 30g of coffee, add 60ml of water to bloom. Stir if necessary to ensure all coffee grounds are saturated. Allow the coffee to bloom for 30 seconds.

STEP 5:

Add the remaining water and give a quick stir again. Put on the lid with the filter without pressing down. Allow the coffee to extract for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, take the lid off and break the crust with your spoon. Then allow the coffee to brew for another 4 minutes. This will allow the crust and other finer coffee particles to move to the bottom of the French Press.

STEP 6:

Remove the lid, take two spoons and remove any remaining crust still left on top. This will allow for a coffee that has much more clarity in the cup. 

STEP 7:

Place the lid back ontop without pushing down, ensuring the sieve is below the spout. Then pour and enjoy with friends and family.

 

Tip: If your brew tastes sour, check your water temperature, because it might be too cold. It should be in the range of 90-96 °C. Also,
Sour coffee means your coffee is under-extracted. Consider grinding finer.
Bitter coffee means your coffee is over-extracted. Consider grinding coarser.