A French press soaks the coffee in hot water, then filters it through a metal mesh, so more of the coffee's oils end up in your cup. That gives you a heavier, rounder coffee, and it's very hard to get badly wrong.
Use this as a starting point, then adjust to taste. Most of the time is just waiting.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 30 g |
| Water | 500 g |
| Ratio | About 1:16 |
| Grind | Coarse |
| Water temperature | Just off the boil |
| Total brew time | 4 min, then 4–5 min to settle |
Swill some hot water round the press and pour it away. A warm press keeps the brew at a steady temperature.
Add the coffee, put the press on the scales and pour in all 500 g of water. Make sure all the grounds are wet.
Leave it alone for four minutes. A crust of grounds forms on top. That's normal.
Stir the crust gently with a spoon and most of the grounds will sink. Scoop off the foam and any bits still floating on top.
Wait another four or five minutes so the fine bits settle to the bottom. Then push the plunger down only as far as the top of the coffee. It's there to hold the grounds back while you pour, not to squash them.
Pour slowly and leave the last bit in the press, where the silt collects. Pour out everything else straight away, because coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps brewing and turns bitter.
| If it tastes… | It probably means… | Try this next time |
|---|---|---|
| Sour or thin | It hasn't brewed for long enough | Steep a minute longer, or grind a little finer |
| Bitter or harsh | It's brewed too much | Grind a little coarser, and don't leave coffee sitting in the press |
| Gritty or muddy | Fine bits are getting through the mesh | Wait longer before pouring, and leave the last bit in the press |
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