Look, coffee is a personal journey. Feel free to play with:
- Grind Size: You might need to adjust the coarseness if your coffee tastes like a rejected demo tape.
- Water Temperature: Aim for hot, but not boiling. You don’t want to scald the rockstar.
- Steeping Time: More time = stronger coffee. But don’t overdo it unless you want to go from Led Zeppelin to Death Metal in a sip.
Alright, here’s the deal on brewing. French Press coffee needs a little extra time to shine – around 4 minutes. And don’t forget to use water just off the boil, around 195-205°F (or 90-96°C). Let that coffee magic happen!
French Press Coffee Ratio
The coffee-to-water ratio for French press coffee is typically around 1:15. For every 1 gram of coffee, you will use 15 grams of water.
To make a cup of French press coffee, you will need about 8 ounces (240 ml) of water and about 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of coarsely ground coffee. You can adjust the amount of coffee and water to taste. Some people prefer a stronger coffee, so they may use more coffee, while others prefer a weaker coffee and use less. If you need a French press, I like Bodum.
How To Use a French Press
I’m using a 34 ounce Bodum French Press which really holds about 32 ounces of water.
1: Begin heating 4 cups of filtered water. Ideal temperature is 195-205 degrees F.
2: Measure or weigh about 64 grams / 12 Tbsp of coffee. Add to the French press.
If you like a slightly weaker coffee, use 10 tbsp. If you like a stronger coffee, try 16 tbsp.
3: When the water boils, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 30 seconds. Add enough water to the French press to bloom the coffee. This will give the water a chance to extract the coffee’s oils for maximum flavor. Set a 30-second timer.
4: Continue to add water and fill the carafe. Cover and set a 4-minute timer.
5: Press down the plunger to push the ground to the bottom of the carafe. Take it slow. Pushing hard and fast will only negatively impact the flavor.
