The Brew Guide
French Press
Easy to brew and super consistent, the French Press is very reliable. Its classic and well-engineered design hasn’t changed much since its invention in 1929, and it’s perfect for making multiple cups of heavy-bodied coffee in 4 minutes. Learn how to use the French Press to brew incredible-tasting coffee below.
The Brew Guide
French Press
Easy to brew and super consistent, the French Press is very reliable. Its classic and well-engineered design hasn’t changed much since its invention in 1929, and it’s perfect for making multiple cups of heavy-bodied coffee in 4 minutes. Learn how to use the French Press to brew incredible-tasting coffee below.
What you need
- 8 cup French Press brewer
- Grinder
- 56g (8 Tablespoons) of fresh coffee
- Hot water just off the boil (about 205°F)
- Wooden spoon or coffee paddle
- Scale
- Timer
- Mug
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1
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.
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2
Measure and grind
Measure out 56g (about 8 Tablespoons) of coffee and grind it as coarse as breadcrumbs.
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3
Add water
Now that your French Press is warmed up, discard the hot water and add coffee into 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, making sure that there are no dry spots.
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4
Stir
At 1:00, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the top layer we call the crust. We prefer to use wood and not metal so you don’t accidentally crack the glass. Give it a good stir.
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5
Add more water
Now, fill it all the way to the top with water. Put the top on and allow the coffee to brew without pressing it down.
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6
Press
At 4:00, you are ready to press. Firmly push the press all the way down.
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7
Serve and enjoy
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.
