Brew Guide: French Press

The French Press is all about simplicity in design as well as function. Its visually impressive brewing process renders a heavy-bodied cup rich with texture and flavor.

What You Need:
8-cup French Press
Burr grinder
56g fresh coffee, ground coarse
Hot water just off the boil (about 205° F)
Wooden spoon or coffee paddle
Scale
Timer
Carafe

Warm Up the Press:

Warm up your empty French Press by rinsing it with very hot water. This helps maintain the temperature while brewing for best extraction.

Measure and Grind:

Measure out 56g of coffee and grind it coarse.

Add Water:

Now that your French Press is warmed up, discard the hot water and add coffee to the empty press. Start your count-up timer as soon as you add hot water. Fill it up halfway to the top saturating all the grounds and making certain that there are no dry spots.

Stir and Add More Water:

At 1:00, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the top layer known as the crust. We prefer to use wood and not metal so you don’t accidentally crack the glass. Give it a good stir.

Now, fill it all the way to the top with water. Set the lid/filter on top of the French Press. Be sure the filter is submerged below the surface of the water to ensure the coffee is fully saturated and allow the coffee to brew without pressing it down.

Press and Serve:

At 4:00, you're ready to press. Firmly push the press all the way down.

Serve it up. Pour coffee into a carafe immediately to avoid over extraction. If the coffee sits on the grounds too long, it continues to extract and will become bitter. To clean the French Press, we find it easiest to add a little water to the grounds, give it a good swirl, and empty into the trash or compost bin.