The French Press or plunger pot delivers good coffee like no other brewing method, and plenty of it. In this article, Swiss filter coffee master and German coffee taster of the year 2017 Benjamin Hohlmann summarizes his two favorite French Press recipes. This guide walks you through the preparation step by step. We answer the most important questions, explain how much ground coffee is needed for which amount of water, and how to find the right brewing temperature.
French Press, plunger pot, or coffee press
More important than the name of the coffee maker is the operating principle. First, coffee is added to a round glass or metal body. Hot water is poured in at a ratio of 1:15 to 1:16. Depending on taste, this corresponds to 60 to 70 grams of coffee per liter of water. The water has a brewing temperature of approximately 95 degrees. After a brewing time of 3 to 5 minutes, a central rod pushes down a filter, mesh, or paper plunger. The plunger separates most of the coffee particles from the brewing water. The plunger thus ends the brewing and gives the French Press its name.
So simple and so practical is this French Press. And this simple principle is one reason why the plunger pot is so popular. Anyone can make good coffee at home with a French Press. The following two recipes are simple and emphasize two different flavor profiles.
French Press Instructions: Recipe No. 1, classic, strong, good
The procedure already described in the introduction is the classic French Press basic recipe. Here it is again, step by step.
Since water with coffee is still in the plunger pot, extraction continues in principle. After pressing down, there is little movement, which greatly limits extraction. For best results, I serve the coffee right after the four minutes or pour it into another pot.
French Press Recipe No. 2: elegant, nuanced, and championship-worthy
For even better results with the French Press, a recipe that follows professional coffee tasting is suitable. This method of preparation is called cupping. Cupping or cup tasting is used in quality control by green coffee merchants and roasters.
With this method, the ground coffee is placed directly in a cup and poured over with hot water at approximately 94 degrees. After four minutes, the crust is broken and skimmed off. After another four minutes, tasting begins with a spoon from the top. This avoids stirring up the coffee that has settled to the bottom again.
Sensorially, the coffee thus tastes "clearer" and "cleaner" than the sensory results from brewing the plunger pot recipe 1. The mouthfeel is also "softer" and "more elegant".
This taste result can also be achieved with the plunger pot. Steps 1 to 4 are followed exactly as in recipe 1.
The ratio of coffee amount to water in the coffee press
The use of 60 to 70 grams of coffee produces the best taste result, which most Central European palates enjoy. The exact choice of amount can be made according to taste.
Basically, using more ground coffee, for example 7 grams of coffee per 100 ml or 70 grams per liter, results in a "stronger" coffee. When more grounds are used, the water has more extraction potential available. It is often overlooked that the coffee beverage becomes "more acidic" in the process.
By using more coffee, the drink becomes stronger. However, the same amount of water cannot extract substances from the coffee as effectively. This tends to result in under-extraction, which tastes more acidic.
If the coffee result should become stronger without increasing acidity, a finer grind often produces better results. However, it should be noted that a finer grind causes higher extraction of the ground coffee. This tends to taste more bitter.
When the ratio of ground coffee to water settles at 60 to 70 grams of coffee, the brewing is usually balanced and delicious.
What temperature for the French Press?
The right brewing temperature is quickly explained: we pour at about 95 degrees. If you have a kettle with temperature control, set it to 95 to 96 degrees. Everyone else boils the water and then waits about two minutes, which puts it in approximately the right range.
It shouldn't get much hotter, otherwise the brewing quickly emphasizes bitter notes. If the water is too cool, the coffee remains thin and flat. With very light roasted filter coffees, you can go to the upper end; with somewhat darker roasts, you'd rather take a degree or two less. Unlike with pour-over coffee, the French Press is forgiving here: a few degrees off is no problem.
If your coffee with a darker roast tastes too bitter, brew "cooler" next time, e.g., at 92-94 degrees.
Which coffee suits the French Press?
The French Press or plunger pot belongs to alternative brewing methods and is part of the family of "immersion brewers". Immersion means that water and coffee are in contact throughout most of the brewing—the coffee is submerged in water. In contrast are percolator systems like traditional drip coffee, where water flows through the coffee.
Another immersion method is the AeroPress, which works with shorter retention and some pressure. If you're looking for the difference from the classic pour-over: With the French Press, the coffee sits in the water the whole time; with a filter, the water flows through it. This makes the plunger pot stronger and uncomplicated, while the filter is clearer in the cup.
"The French Press is a very honest brewing tool. It shows the coffee as it is. Without filtering anything out. I like that."
Benjamin Hohlmann, German Cup Tasting Master and Swiss Brewers Cup MasterThe choice of coffee depends largely on the strength of the final beverage. This is roughly the same for both immersion and percolator systems. Strength is the concentration of dissolved coffee particles relative to water. The best taste results are achieved when coffee prepared with a plunger pot contains approximately 1.2 to 1.5% dissolved coffee particles. In technical terms, we call this "Total Dissolved Solids," or TDS in percent, or in English: total dissolved solids.
To put that in perspective: the remaining 98.5 to 98.2% of the coffee beverage is water! A reminder of the importance of the water used.
So which coffee is suitable for the plunger pot?
Filter coffees are best suited for preparing a plunger pot. The lighter roast provides flavor nuances and the coffee's own positive acidity, which balances very well with the water content (+98%).
We offer our filter coffees in Switzerland and also in Germany and the EU.
For preparing espresso, darker roasted coffee is used. This is also partly due to the ratio to water. Since only 90–93% water in the final espresso drink provides balance, the darker roast reduces the intensity of acidity.
Important: the acids mentioned here are especially important for the taste of the coffee. Like in wines, they help balance it. Acidity, sweetness, and bitterness are in equilibrium in good coffees.
What water should be used for the French Press?
As with all coffee beverages, coffee tastes best with the French Press when "soft" water is used, which is itself free of foreign flavors. Soft indicates lower hardness, meaning few minerals like magnesium or calcium in the water.
"Hard" water buffers the acidity of the coffee and removes an important factor from the taste equation. Without acidity, coffee becomes "dull", one-dimensional, and flavor notes cannot develop well.
For brewing methods like the plunger pot or traditional filter, water with a hardness of 2 to 5 degrees German hardness total hardness and corresponding carbonate hardness works best. With a table filter from BWT or Britta, the hardness of the water can be reduced. Mineral waters such as Lauretana, Black Forest, or Volvic are also very soft.
Who is the French Press suitable for?
The plunger pot is the simplest brewing method to make good coffee easily. It forgives more mistakes than the pour-over, the Moka pot, or espresso. Even if the grind isn't quite right, the French Press produces good results. A good, practical pot for beginners is, for example, the French Press Timemore U from our shop.
We always recommend grinding coffee fresh. However, if the coffee is not freshly ground and the grind cannot be adjusted, the plunger pot produces the best results. It is a brewing method that forgives. This is mainly because the coffee sits in the water. No or no incorrect movement affects the result. If water doesn't drain when preparing filter coffee because the grind is too fine, the result is always poor. Not so with the coffee press or plunger pot.
The plunger pot also brews larger amounts of coffee without problems. The 1 liter version of the Bodum Chambord plunger pot, for example, is suitable for preparing up to 800 ml of coffee. Results do not worsen with larger amounts of coffee; they remain consistent. This makes the plunger pot excellent for brewing coffee for larger groups. It also requires little "attention." And even if step 5 of either recipe is not followed to the minute, the plunger pot will forgive it in taste.
The Bestargot titanium coffee press* is one of the most interesting coffee brewing methods for outdoor use. In our article about coffee methods on the go, the plunger pot weighing only 216 g therefore achieved a top spot.
How much ground coffee per cup for how many people?
An average coffee cup holds 150 ml. To brew a full cup of coffee for four people, you should brew at least 600 ml of coffee.
If you pour 600 ml of water over 36 grams of coffee, you won't make enough coffee (remember: about 6 to 7 grams of coffee per 100 ml of water, see above). Additionally, 2 to 2.5 grams of water remain in the grounds per gram of coffee used—in our example, at least 72 grams. From the 600 ml we thus get only about 530 ml of coffee, or somewhat less if we consistently don't pour everything. This leads to better taste.
Therefore, with the plunger pot, it makes sense to always brew a bit more than 150 ml per cup. The brewing method conveniently makes it easy for us to brew larger volumes deliciously. We've published our own article on the perfect amount of ground coffee per cup.
Freshly ground is half brewed!
The same applies to the coffee press: freshly ground coffee tastes best. Grinding the coffee breaks its natural protective shell. It then begins to react with the oxygen in the air and with light. Volatile aroma components escape, and the coffee's oils begin to oxidize. The coffee thus loses its complexity and becomes rancid at the same time.
We tested 14 manual grinders under 100 euros, and almost all are well suited for grinding coffee for filter coffee and also for the plunger pot. We've included higher-priced and very good models from Comandante in our shop. We also now offer in our shop the Timemore C5 ESP PRO manual grinder, one of the test winners from the test series in the latest version.
What grind size for the French Press?
The grind is only slightly coarser than for filter coffee. Kruve has developed a good reference guide. While we don't agree with all the grain sizes they recommend for different methods, the grind reference is helpful.
A grain size of 700–1000 is perfect for preparing the recipes we've shown with the plunger pot.
Cleaning the French Press
After the coffee, wet grounds remain in the pot. Best to knock them out into the organic waste or compost, not down the drain, otherwise the pipe will clog over time. Then rinse the glass and plunger with warm water, and if needed, a little dish soap.
Once a week, it's worth taking a closer look at the plunger. The metal filter can be unscrewed on most models. Coffee oils accumulate there over time, and if they become rancid, you'll taste it in the next coffee. So occasionally separate the individual discs and clean them thoroughly. Most plunger pots are also dishwasher safe, but a quick look at the manufacturer's instructions doesn't hurt.
Cold brew with the French Press
The plunger pot is also excellent for preparing cold brew. For this, aim for a brewing ratio of 1:10, for example 30 grams of coffee with one liter of good water, refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Then filter and enjoy. Find more tips on making cold brew here.
