5 Steps to a French press
French press coffee is a fun, and relatively easy, way to make your coffee taste better. When we started making French press, I thought the process was frustrating and didn’t yield the cup of coffee that I was craving. Once I learned a few tips and tricks, it quickly became my favorite way to make coffee.
Gear you will need:
A french press
Hot water maker (electric kettle, teapot, pot on a stove)
Coffee!! (Ground or whole bean)
Something to stir with (wood or silicone spoon, not metal)
What to do:
Step 1: Start by heating water for the amount of coffee you want. My press holds about 32 oz when I fill it but only yields about 24 oz of drinkable coffee. The grounds will soak up some of the water.
At this stage, it is important that you do not boil the water. Boiling the water causes you to burn the beans which result in a bitter and flat taste. I look for a light whistle from my kettle or steady steam. If you want to be precise, get the temperature between 195-205 degrees F.
Step 2: While you wait for the water to heat up, prep your beans! Grind your beans fresh if you can but keep them at a coarse grind. If you get the grind too fine, your coffee might end up super strong or very sooty. Using already ground beans will still allow you to enjoy a great cup of coffee!
The bloom
Put the amount of coffee grounds you desire into the bottom of the press and gently shake it so that it lays flat.
When I make a full press, I will use 4 tablespoons for a mild cup, and 6 tablespoons for a strong cup. This is something you can play with as you make more coffee so that it matches your taste preferences.
More coffee grounds = darker flavor.
Less coffee grounds = lighter flavor.
Step 3: Once your water is hot, but NOT boiling, pour just enough water in to saturate the grounds. If you need to, swish the water around until all the grounds are wet.
Without immediately filling the press full of water, you are giving the grounds time to bloom. This releases the carbon dioxide gasses trapped in the beans and creates bubbles in the grounds (really fun to watch happen). This is where natural coffee flavors and flavoring from the roast are released. (Read our post to learn more about this.)
Pour in a circular motion to wet and agitate all the grounds. Don’t end up with clumps like you see in the picture. (P.S. That was intentional.)
Step 4: After you have given it about 30 to 45 seconds to bloom, slowly pour the water into the press in a circular motion, disturbing and mixing the grounds as you go, until the press is as full as you want it.
Let the coffee sit in the hot water for an additional couple of minutes. Right now, the coffee is still releasing the flavors that have been stored inside during the roasting process.
Step 5: Right before you are about to press the coffee, use a plastic, wood, or silicone cooking utensil and stir the grounds to agitate them one more time. This allows for any trapped flavors to release and helps the grounds settle at the bottom.
Then press down slowly until you have trapped all the grounds.
Viola! A delicious cup of French press coffee!
Note: If you have a finer ground coffee and find that your cup is filled with grounds at the end, cut a paper coffee filter to fit the size of the press’s filters and place it between the layers. This will be more difficult to press but traps a lot of the grounds and filaments.
Allowing time for the bloom, swirling the water as I pour, stirring before I press, and occasionally using a paper filter has truly made the difference for my French press experience. I hope you are able to find joy in this experience too! Please reach out with questions or just let us know how the French press works for you.
Cheers,
Mrs. Brew