Brewing French Press Coffee

The French Press is a simple manual coffee brewing method that was patenting in 1929 by an Italian designer. (Yes, Italian – but they say the first press was likely made in France). It’s a convenient way to brew great coffee – no filters are required, you can brew multiple cups at once with a larger press and a design like the Frieling (pictured here) brings serving coffee to the next level.

We recommend making French Press coffee with our Ethiopian Harrar for a bright cup of coffee with notes of strawberry. If you prefer chocolatey and smoky notes, try this brewing method with our Growers First Honduras coffee.

How to Brew with a French Press

The Tools:

• French Press (shown here is the Frieling Stainless Steel French Press)
• Coffee
• Grinder
• Water just off a boil
• Timer or a clock
• Kitchen scale (optional but very helpful)

1. Measure out 54 grams of coffee for an 8 cup French Press. If you’re not using a kitchen scale, use about 9-10 tablespoons of coffee or 1 tablespoon for 2 cups of water.

2. Set your grinder to a very coarse grind. On our Baratza Virtuoso grinder we use a setting of 30. Grind the beans and pour them into the French Press.

3. Add water. Use water that’s just off a boil, about 202 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, bring the pot to a boil, remove from heat and then let it sit for 30 seconds. For the 8 cup press we use 725 grams of water.

4. Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes.

5. Insert the plunger and carefully press down.

6. Pour and enjoy!

Also in All About Coffee