French Press Coffee Recipe

  • 30g coarsely ground coffee (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 450ml water (just off the boil — 93–96 degrees C, or boil and rest 30 seconds)
  • A French press (plunger pot), any size — scale the ratio accordingly
  1. 1

    Preheat the French press

    Pour a little hot water into the empty press, swirl and discard. This pre-heats the glass or steel, preventing the water from cooling too rapidly during brewing.

  2. 2

    Add coarsely ground coffee

    The grind is critical for French press. Use a coarse grind — similar to coarse sea salt or breadcrumbs. Fine grinds pass through the metal mesh filter and produce a muddy, bitter cup. If you do not have a grinder, ask the cafe or supermarket to grind for French press.

  3. 3

    Pour hot water and stir once

    Pour water that is just off the boil (not at a rolling boil — let it rest 30 seconds). Pour in a circular motion to wet all the grounds. Stir once gently with a wooden or plastic spoon to ensure all grounds are submerged.

  4. 4

    Put the lid on but do not plunge — wait 4 minutes

    Place the lid on with the plunger pulled all the way up (not pressed). Leave for 4 minutes. A timer is helpful — under 3 minutes produces weak, under-extracted coffee. Over 5 minutes produces bitter, over-extracted coffee.

  5. 5

    Press slowly and steadily

    Press the plunger down using firm but slow, steady pressure. If it feels very easy, your grind was too coarse. If it requires a lot of force, the grind was too fine. Aim for 20–30 seconds of steady pressing.

  6. 6

    Pour immediately

    Do not leave coffee sitting in the French press after pressing — the grounds continue extracting through the mesh and the coffee becomes bitter and over-extracted. Pour into cups or a thermal carafe immediately.

Getting a cleaner cupFrench press coffee naturally has more sediment than filter coffee. For a cleaner cup: after pressing, let the press sit undisturbed for 1 minute so sediment settles further, then pour slowly. Alternatively, pour through a paper filter into a cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Coarse grind — the same coarseness as coarse sea salt or breadcrumbs. This is coarser than what you would use for a drip machine or espresso. The coarse grind prevents fine particles passing through the metal mesh filter and also reduces over-extraction during the 4-minute steep.
Discard the spent grounds (into the bin or compost — not the sink where they clog drains). Rinse the press with warm water. Disassemble the plunger (usually unscrews) and wash all parts in warm soapy water. The mesh filter can be cleaned with a small brush. Rinse thoroughly and leave to air dry with the plunger assembled loosely.