What you'll need:
- Coffee Beans
- Hot Water
- Coffee Grinder
- French Press
- Timer
- Scale
- Spoon
Brew Time: 4 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total: 9 minutes
Grind: Medium Coarse
Welcome to an edition of Bean Brewing. Today we’re going to be teaching you how to use a French Press. I’m going to share with you my favourite way of making a great cup of coffee with a French Press. They come in a bunch of different sizes and designs making them highly customizable because let’s face it: you’re a bit extra. This brew method is unique because it does not require a filter. Sometimes filters can catch oils from beans that may yield a lot of flavour. With a French Press you’re getting the whole package as it steeps. That’s the other cool thing about this method: the grounds get to steep like a fine tea. This gives you the most out of full bodied coffees and ensures full flavours.
How to Use a French Press
Step 1: Warm It Up
You want to get everything warmed up so you keep your temperature as consistent throughout as possible. I fill the French Press with hot water right off boil and use some of the water to preheat my mugs as well.
Step 2: Measure Your Coffee
Grab your scale and a little container for your beans (I use a little 6oz cup). Make sure you zero that container because we do not mess around with rookie mistakes here. Measure out 56 g of whole, fresh beans. This is approximately 8 tbsp. Precision is important for consistent flavours when learning how to use a French Press.
Step 3: Grind Your Coffee
If you have an electric grinder that lets you adjust the grind, go ahead and set that to medium coarse and enjoy human ingenuity. If you’re using a hand grinder, stretch your shoulder. Do that windmill motion with your arms like in grade school phys. ed warmup and prepare to perspire a little. You’re going to want to make sure it’s set to medium coarse grind.
Step 4: Discard Warm-Up Water and Pour Ground Coffee into French Press
Carefully discard the water in the French Press. I know you’re eager, but safety first. Then you can pop your ground coffee in the French press. None of that sloppy on the side sticking-to-the-wet-glass crap, I’m talking straight in the middle on the bottom. Hey now I know it’s a little OCD, but this post is about how to use a French press, not how to make a French press with less stress.
Step 5: Start the Timer and Pour Water
For this part, we like to use our Hario Buono Kettle. Make sure you have enough water that is at approximately 95ºC (205 ºF) right off boil. Hit that timer for four minutes and pour hot water halfway. Be sure to pour water on all the dry spots to saturate them.
Step 6: Stir the Slurry and Keep Pouring Water
Once 1 minute has elapsed, give it a good stir, making sure you break the coffee layer that has blossomed at the top of the liquid. This layer is called the crust or slurry, stir it up until the grinds have sunken below the surface. Keep the timer running! Once you’ve drowned your grinds, continue adding your water until the liquid rises to where the glass meets the metal. Give it one last stir.
Step 7: Plunge
Once your timer goes off indicating that four minutes has elapsed, plunge that bad boy and serve it up. That’s it! Now you are fully versed on how to make a cup of coffee with a French press! Congratulations, you have been initiated into the French Press club (officially known as the FPC). Now get out there and enjoy the cup!