French Press Brewing 101

Posted by Hannah Mercer on Aug 11th 2017

French Press Brewing 101

A French Press is one of the easiest and most recognized manual brew methods. Since they come in a variety of sizes they can be perfect for making a personal cup, or a brew for six people to share. This is often described as a “set it and forget it” method - perfect for beginners or for people who want an easy way to experiment with brewing variables like time or coffee-to-water ratio. French Presses are characterized by their full body and heavy sediment in the finished cup.

Equipment Needed:

Calculator
Timer
Gram scale
Serving Vessel (optional)
Filter
French Press
Freshly Ground Coffee (coarse)
Brew Ratio: 1 gram Coffee:15 grams water
Water Temperature: 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit
Brew Time: 4 minutes


How to Brew:

1) Add 20 grams of coarsely ground coffee to the bottom of the French Press.

2) Using a scale, slowly add 300 grams of water, making sure to evenly wet all the coffee. Start your timer as you begin pouring the water.

3) Once your water is added, place the lid on the French Press, and depress the plunger just far enough to hold the coffee under the surface of the water.

4) At four minutes, press the plunger all the way down, separating the coffee grounds from the water and stopping the extraction process.

If desired, pour the coffee from the French Press to another pre-heated serving vessel for serving.