The French press is a classic, dependable brewing method that’s easy to make at home. It’s perfect for making multiple fresh cups of coffee to share with friends and family, all in around 4 minutes.
What makes the French press coffee unique?
The greatness of the French press is in how effective it is at producing a delicious, strong, aromatic coffee experience at a moment’s notice. In a French press, since the coffee grounds are submerged and steeped ( just like when you brew tea ) you end up tasting more of the coffee’s natural flavors and deep aromatics.
What makes the French press unique is how it easily gives you a much richer, full bodied coffee experience. Unlike any of the more traditional filtered brewing methods, like a Chemex or V60 that filter out some of the oils and particles that are more present in a cup of French pressed coffee.
How does a French press work?
As you may know, today’s French press is made up of a glass borosilicate container (or beaker) featuring a metal or sometimes plastic lid and plunger with a fine mesh filter; not much has changed since it’s first introduction around 1929.
” When brewing coffee in a French press you simply place the grounds inside a glass decanter then add fresh hot water, based on the brew recipe of your choice. “
For this stay at home brew, we asked our in-house coffee educators for a quick and simple French press recipe that everyone can enjoy.
What you will need :
- Coffee
- French press
- Grinder ( or pre-ground coffee )
- Hot Filtered Water (not distilled) 195°F – 200°F
- Gram Scale ( optional )
- Timer
- Wooden spoon or stirrer
- Your favorite coffee cup
For this recipe we will be using Gustos Reserva Juracán.
- We will be using a 1:15 ratio , which means that for every 1g of ground coffee, we are adding 15g of water.
- 25g ( or about 6 teaspoons ) of coarse, fresh ground coffee to
- 375g ( about 13.2 oz ) of water.
1. Start with freshly ground coffee.
- We recommend using a hand grinder or home grinder in a coarse setting. Your final grind should look like coarse sea salt.
- We are using Gustos Reserva Juracán for this particular brewing method.
- We can expect a heavy body, rich sweetness and a bright cup.
2. Add the ground coffee to the French press (glass container)
- In this recipe we will be adding 25g of coarse ground coffee
3. Set your timer to 4 mins.
- Set your timer to 4 minutes, begin as soon as you start pouring in the hot water ( 195°F – 200°F ) into your glass container.
4. Let your coffee bloom
- First pour, 100g (3.52oz) of water to start the bloom for 35 to 45 seconds.
” Rich and complex flavors take center stage when brewing with a French press; Giving you an entirely different experience from what you are used to. ”
5. Carefully pour the rest of the water,
- Make sure all the coffee grounds are properly saturated (immersed) with water
- At this point you will notice a type of crust will form at the top.
6. Stir it up
- Gently stir and break up the top layer crust incorporating the coffee with 3 simple stirs delicately moving forward and back.
7. Cover your French press
- Place the ”plunger” ( lid / filter ) to cover and seal the top of your French Press, making sure the filter is centered, right above the coffee, Not pressed down.
8. Press Down
- After the 4 minutes have passed, slowly and carefully press the plunger down. – This action filters the coffee, separating the coffee grounds from the ‘brewed’ coffee.
9. Serve and enjoy a fresh cup of French press style coffee, you’ve earned it.
- *Serve within that 4-5 minute mark after brewing for a robust cup of coffee.
- Some people let it sit for longer for a “stronger cup”, but we find this recipe to do just fine for almost any well roasted batch of coffee. Do be careful not to serve the coffee grounds that are left at the bottom. ( you don’t want to drink those )
Aromatic, rich flavors are developed when brewing with a French press. That’s why this classic brewing method is perfect for making quick batches of fresh, robust coffee giving you an entirely different experience from what you might be used to before.
So next time you brew coffee, why not give French press a shot? With a little patience and some practice you’ll gain the benefits of enjoying coffee on a deeper level. It’s a win-win.
We hope you’ve enjoyed brewing along with us from home and are doing alright during these unprecedented and difficult times.
How did yours turn out? We want to know. Tag us [ @ GustosCoffeeCo ] on social media by sharing your best coffee brews from home.
We will see you all soon!
