French press method

A French press is a manual coffee pot in which coffee grinds and hot water are added to create a slurry, which steeps in the pot for several minutes. The pot has a plunger with an attached lid and a screen attached at its bottom. Liquor is the name given to the portion of the slurry that we love to drink, the good stuff— brewed coffee! When the plunger is pressed downward the screen pushes the grinds to the bottom of the pot, separating the grinds from the liquor.

French press coffee is known for its weighty mouthfeel; the sensation we detect when drinking liquids. An extreme example of mouthfeel is water and whole milk. Would whole milk be as delicious if it felt like water in our mouth? The screen plunger acts as a filter; a filter with much larger holes than a paper filter used for drip or pour-over coffee. The heavier mouthfeel of a French press coffee can be attributed to the increased amount of coffee particles that fit through the larger holes of the screen filter.

Many people love the French press method because there’s no need to find an outlet for a machine or electricity during a power outage. No need to find more counter space for a small appliance. And for others it’s a joy having not to decipher cryptic buttons or confusing and obnoxious lights that flash at them in the wee hours of the morning. And for some people, and certain pots, a French press is just plain pleasing to see on a kitchen counter.

Patented in France around 1850, the French press also goes by the name of coffee press, plunger pot or press pot. French presses can be made of plastic, metal, or stoneware, with glass being the traditional material.

When it comes to materials other than glass, plastic is the safest. Stoneware can be heavy. Double walled glass or metal is best for keeping your coffee hot, longer. And metal is by far the most durable and will last you a lifetime. Literally.

French presses come in all sizes, with options to make anywhere from 12 ounces to a half a gallon of brewed coffee.

Dark roasted coffee (aka, French roast) is the traditional roast for a French press, but you can use any roast that’s to your liking. There is no exact definition of French roast, but it is expected to be a very dark roast. Other dark roasts with equally vague definitions of darkness include Italian roast, Spanish roast, and Vienna roast. Many of these roasts have shiny oil on the surface of the beans, a result of the very high temperatures achieved during the roasting process. The very high temperatures push the beans’ inherent oils to the surface. These oils also contribute to the big mouthfeel of a French pressed coffee.

As a quick aside, the longer a coffee bean is roasted, the darker it gets; just like bread in a toaster.

A French press gives you the ability to brew your coffee to your preference; creating a cuppa that’s handcrafted. Varying your grind, water temperature, and brew time will give you very different cups of coffee. A press pot may look intimidating but it’s incredibly easy to master. The only thing challenging with a French press is the cleaning. One needs to be incredibly mindful of the wet, spent grounds that can make a mess of things.

basics of the French press method

Necessary equipment:

French Press: Choose one that makes the volume of coffee you want to drink. And being they come in various materials, styles and colors– choose one that makes you smile!
Filters: Psyche! One of the best parts of a French press is the fact there’s no need to purchase paper filters– enjoy the bliss (and money savings) of never running out! And that leads to another great thing about the French press method— no filters to contribute to a compost or landfill!
Water kettle: Stove top or electric will work just fine. No need for one that whistles for that’s a signal your water is now too hot to make a French press that meets barista specs.
Thermometer (digital): Unless you’re using an electric kettle that has the ability to hold water at a specific temperature you will need a thermometer to get water to your perfect temperature; too hot could prove bitter, while too cold could give you a cup that’s lacking flavor and body. Be sure to select a thermometer that can reach the bottom of your kettle safely. And please, don’t place your hand in a hot kettle— steam is hotter than boiling water!
Measuring cup: A liquid measuring cup to measure-out your water.
Measuring spoon: 1 Tablespoon in size is perfect.
Long Spoon or Chop Sticks: Used to stir the coffee grinds into the water. If you’re brewing in a glass press, choose wood or plastic because a metal spoon could crack the pot.

Optional ways to improve your brewing game:

Preheat: Preheat the press– not only will your coffee taste better for it will help keep brewing temperatures steady, but it will keep your cuppa hotter, longer. Ahhh…
Grinder: Grinding whole bean coffee immediately prior to brewing almost always tastes better. Unground beans have a little extra somethin’ locked within their cell structure. The more of those tasty locked-up bits that make it to your cup, the more flavor you’ll get out of your French press.

Blade grinders: Blade grinders are just that, two blades spin to cut and smash the beans into grinds. A blade grinder is better than no grinder, but if you want to step-up your game, burr grinders are the way to go.
Burr grinders: The grinding mechanism of a burr grinder are the burrs. Burrs come in pairs, each having an etched surface that faces each other. One burr remains stationary and the other burr spins. Beans fall between the burrs and are crushed to a size dictated by the adjustable gap between the burrs. You set the gap; the smaller the gap the smaller your grinds. Burrs deliver a more consistent grind than blades for the bean passes between the burrs only once. A more consistent grind allows for more consistent extraction, and thus a more predictable cuppa. Burr grinders cost more than a blade grinder but are worth it for the consistency they deliver. There are two styles of burr grinders, both are great:

Conical: Got its name based on the fact one of the burrs is shaped like a cone!
Flat burrs: Both burrs are flat, circular, and pretty much identical.

Water and Beans

Let’s dive into the details…

Water: Your cup of coffee contains approximately 2% coffee, the other 98% is water so needless to say, water is very important:

Home filtered or bottled water is better than chlorinated tap water.
Don’t use distilled water for it lacks the minerals needed to help extract the delicious flavors from the coffee.

Temperature: Heat the water. Notice we said heat, not boil. We want to brew the coffee grinds, not cook them; the ideal temperature being somewhere between 195 - 205℉. We think 202℉ works best with our coffees, that temp extracts the sweet spot of the bean, pulling out some of the sugars and tasty acids without going deeper into the less tasty stuff.
Grind size: The universal grind we use for our happy® cubes works in a French press— nothing more to do here! If grinding from whole bean a slightly more coarse grind may work best; something that’s more coarse than Sugar In The Raw. If in doubt when choosing your grind, opt slightly coarser; this way you’re guaranteed not to clog the pot’s plunger.

Let’s get brewin’…

Let’s put all of the above into action. Remove the plunger from the pot. If you plan on pre-heating your pot– now’s the time to do it! And get your stirring spoon (or chopsticks!) ready.

Water:

Use a measuring cup or scale to measure the amount of water you will use. Just make sure your French press can accommodate the amount you choose!
Heat the water somewhere between 195 - 205℉ (we like 202℉ for our happy® ground coffee)

Grinds:

Add grinds to the pot. We recommend starting with 1 Tablespoon of coffee for every 5 ounces of hot water. If you like stronger coffee, add a touch more. If a slightly milder cup is to your liking, add a touch less. It will probably take a few pressings to dial-in your exact preference– so don’t get deterred! If you want to impress your friends with your barista skills, a scale is the way to go. Weigh 1.63 grams of coffee for every ounce of water. Or use any ratio of 1:17, coffee to water.

When water is ready pour a slow steady stream, being sure to saturate all the grinds.

After pouring approximately 1/2 the hot water over the coffee grinds, give the coffee slurry a few stirs to knock down any floating grinds. Make sure all the grinds are soaked.

Within a minute of water first coming in contact with the grinds, pour the remaining 1/2 of water. If you forgot to pre-measure the water, keep pouring until the slurry is an inch or so from the top of the pot (pots vary slightly). Give the slurry a quick stir. Then carefully place the lid of the plunger atop the pot– hold off on pressing the plunger!

Two and a half to 4 minutes from water first hitting the grinds is a good time to start plunging. Plunge slowly, taking approximately 20 seconds to finish pressing. Ideally the weight of your arm is enough to move the plunger screen to the bottom of the pot, if not choose a coarser grind for your next pot.

Before pouring, give the pot 30 seconds for any fines (the tiniest of tiny grinds capable of passing through the screen filter) to settle– Enjoy!

Sometime things don’t go as planned— no biggie!

Did the above not create a cup of coffee that put a smile on your face? Not to worry— there’s plenty of ways to fix it! All it takes is a little trial-and-error and a bit of patience. You got this! Here are 5 variables to look into for improvement: