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:
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!