French Press Recipe

Preheat

Pour a small amount of hot water into the French press to warm the glass (or metal) carafe and the plunger. Swirl briefly, then discard the rinse water. This helps stabilize brew temperature.

Measure & Grind

Measure 8 g (about 1 tablespoon or 0.0625 cup) of whole coffee beans and grind them to a coarse, even consistency — like sea salt. A consistent coarse grind prevents over-extraction and avoids fine particles passing through the mesh filter.

Add the 8 g (0.0625 cup) of coarsely ground coffee to the warmed, empty French press.

Start a timer and pour 120 ml (0.5 cup) of hot water (just off the boil, about 93–96°C / 200–205°F) evenly over the grounds, saturating them completely. Pour in a circular motion to ensure even wetting.

Gently give the brew a quick stir with a non-metal spoon or a chopstick to break up any dry pockets and ensure all grounds are wetted. Place the lid with the plunger pulled fully up on the French press to retain heat.

Let the coffee steep undisturbed for 3:30 to 4:00 minutes for a balanced extraction. For a stronger cup, steep up to 4:30 minutes; for a lighter cup, 3:00 minutes may suffice.

At 30 seconds before the end of your chosen steep time, gently press the plunger down about 1–2 cm to create a small seal and reduce grounds floating — then release. This helps settle the brew without forcing fines through the mesh.

At the end of the total brew time, steadily press the plunger down with even pressure until it reaches the bottom. Do not slam; a slow, controlled press (approx. 10–20 seconds) avoids agitation and channeling.

Immediately pour the brewed coffee into a cup or into a thermal carafe to prevent continued extraction (which will make the coffee bitter). Do not leave brewed coffee sitting in the French press with the grounds.

If desired, add 2 tablespoons milk or cream and/or 1 teaspoon sugar or sweetener to taste, stirring to combine.

Serve hot. After serving, disassemble the press and rinse the grounds from the carafe for easy cleaning.