Guides / Brewing

How to make better French press coffee

5 min read

Use 30 g of coarsely ground coffee to 500 g of water just off the boil. Steep 4 minutes, break the crust, skim the foam, then wait another 5 minutes before plunging gently to the surface and pouring. The wait is what removes the sludge.

A French press brews by immersion. The grounds sit in the water, then a mesh screen holds them back. The result is heavy and rich, which is why it pairs so well with chocolatey, nutty Indian coffees from Chikmagalur, Coorg and the Shevaroys.

What you need

Coffee ground coarse: 95 clicks on a K-Ultra for light roasts, 100 for medium and dark.
30 g of coffee for 500 g of water (1:16.7). Use 1:15 if you like it stronger.
Water just off the boil for light roasts, about 92 °C for dark roasts.
A spoon and a timer.

The clean-cup method

Add 30 g of coffee to the press and pour in 500 g of water. Start the timer.
Leave it alone for 4 minutes. A crust of grounds forms on top.
Stir the crust gently so most of it sinks. Scoop off the foam and floating bits with two spoons.
Put the lid on and wait another 5–8 minutes. The fines settle to the bottom.
Press the plunger only to the surface of the liquid, not to the bottom.
Pour slowly and leave the last bit in the press.

Tip: Pour everything out as soon as you are done. Coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Muddy, gritty cup	Fines in suspension	Wait longer before pressing, do not plunge to the bottom
Bitter and harsh	Too fine or water too hot for a dark roast	Grind coarser, drop to about 92 °C
Weak and watery	Too little coffee or too coarse	Use 1:15, grind a few clicks finer
Sour	Light roast with cool water or short steep	Use water off the boil, steep 5 minutes
Plunger is hard to push	Grind too fine	Go coarser, press slowly