Good Coffee from a French Press

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The operating principle of the French Press is simple: put coffee into a metal or glass French press, pour hot water over it, and after a certain time, push down the central rod with the filter screen. Brewing is done with a brew ratio of 1:15 or 1:16, meaning 60-70 grams of coffee grounds per liter of water. We have summarized two proven and delicious recipes for you:

French Press Recipe 1: classic, strong, good

• Add 60 to 70 grams of coffee grounds per liter of water (for 500 grams of water, 30-35 grams of grounds) to the pot.
• Heat water to approx. 96°C. E.g., boil and wait 2 minutes.
• Stir twice so everything is well distributed.
• Place the lid on and wait four minutes WITHOUT pressing down.
• Break the coffee crust with a spoon, then gently press down the plunger.

Since the coffee grounds are still at the bottom of the pot, the coffee will continue to extract. Therefore, we recommend pouring the beverage into another pot after pressing down.

French Press Recipe No. 2: elegant, nuanced, and championship-worthy

This method is often used for coffee tasting. The coffee grounds are placed directly into the cup, hot water is poured over them, and after four minutes, the crust is skimmed off. Then, the coffee is tasted from the top with a spoon. This procedure can also be performed in the French press:

• Steps 1 – 4 are performed as in recipe 1.
• Now skim off the coffee crust using one or two spoons.
• Place the lid on and wait four minutes WITHOUT pressing down.
• When transferring, make sure not to pour everything, so that the heavy particles that have settled at the bottom are not transferred along.

The ratio of coffee to water in a French press

Between 60 and 70 grams of coffee per liter of water will make you happy. The more grounds you use, the stronger the beverage will be. However, it will also become more acidic. This is because the same amount of water cannot extract "more coffee" as effectively. The coffee tends to be underextracted and therefore acidic.

To avoid this, instead of more coffee, a finer grind size should be set. This will give you stronger but still balanced coffee.

Which coffee suits the French Press?

The French press is an immersion brewer, meaning the coffee floats in the water for a while. In contrast to percolator systems (e.g., V60), where water only passes through the grounds, there is a longer contact time between water and coffee grounds.

The goal of brewing should be a beverage with approx. 1.2 - 1.5% dissolved coffee solids. Many filter coffees are excellently suited for this. Lighter roasts have wonderful flavor nuances, and the acidity of these roasts is well integrated into the high water content (approx. 98%).

Darker espresso blends are less suitable. Their acidity is too reduced for the high water content. As with a good wine, acidity is important for coffee, as it tastes bland without it. Ideally, one should achieve a balanced ratio between acidity, bitterness, and sweetness with one's brew.

Which water should be used for the French Press?

As with any coffee preparation, the water should be soft. This means the amount of dissolved minerals should be low, and there should be no foreign particles floating in the water. Hard water buffers the acidity in your coffee, thus destroying the balance of the beverage.

For filter coffee and French press, we recommend a water hardness of 2 to 5 German hardness degrees. Ask your water utility or simply test the water yourself (water testing kit) and, if necessary, get a table filter or mineral water.

Who is the French Press suitable for?

The French Press is well suited for beginners, as it is inexpensive and forgiving of preparation errors. Even with a sub-optimal grind size, you'll get delicious results.

We recommend grinding the coffee freshly, as pre-ground coffee has already lost a lot of aroma. This is because the natural aroma-protective layer of the coffee bean is broken by grinding. The grounds react with the air, and the aroma fades. Buying an electric or a hand grinder is definitely worth it!

In addition, larger quantities of coffee can be prepared quickly and easily, ideal for a larger coffee gathering.

Which grind size for the French Press?

The grind size should be set slightly coarser than for filter coffee. The grind size should settle somewhere between a particle size of 700 - 1000. This will guarantee the success of the recipes presented above!