French Press Recipe
locally roasted Central American blend with notes of chocolate and light spice
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Ingredients
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Coffee
Water
Optional additions
Method
Preparation
Preheat
Preheat the French press and serving vessel by rinsing them with hot water. Discard the rinse water. This stabilizes temperature so brew isn’t chilled on contact.
Grind coffee
Weigh 15 g (about 1 level tablespoon; ~0.0625 cups) of whole-bean Central American blend and grind to a coarse, even texture (similar to sea salt). A consistent coarse grind is important to avoid over-extraction and to make plunging easier.
Brewing
Add coffee to the press
Put the 15 g (0.0625 cups) of coarsely ground coffee into the bottom of the warmed French press (ideal size: 12–18 oz / 350–500 ml).
Bloom
Pour about 2 tablespoons of the hot water (just off boil, 92–96°C / 195–205°F) over the grounds to saturate them and allow trapped CO2 to escape. Let sit 30–45 seconds.
Add remaining water
Slowly pour the remaining hot water up to 180 ml (0.75 cups), pouring in a gentle spiral to wet all grounds. Do not agitate aggressively. Place the lid (plunger up) on the press to retain heat.
Brew time
Let the coffee steep undisturbed for 3:30 to 4:00 minutes total (counting the bloom time). For a brighter cup, aim for 3:30; for fuller body, 4:00.
Plunge
After the chosen brew time, press the plunger down steadily and evenly over about 15–20 seconds until the filter contacts the grounds. Do not force; a slow, constant pressure preserves clarity.
Serve and finish
Immediately pour the brewed coffee into your cup or into a thermal carafe to avoid continued extraction from the grounds left in the press. Taste and add milk/cream or sweetener to taste if desired.
If keeping coffee in the French press, transfer spent grounds to compost before they over-extract and turn the remaining liquid bitter.