Today, we’re going to talk about How to Make French press coffee what it is, where it came from, and how to brew the best coffee from one of the best budget-friendly immersion brewers on the market today. And up your recipe game to make your brews even tastier than before.
So What Is A French Press?
A French press, commonly known as a cafetiere, is an immersion coffee brewing device in which coffee and hot water are immersed together in a chamber. Once steeped for a period of time, the press has a plunge feature with a mesh filter that filters out all the coffee grounds, allowing you to pour coffee into a cup.
The French press has been around for a very long time, dating as far back as the 1850’s where several patents were introduced with different versions of the French press varying in design. The French press has now revolutionised the way people make coffee at home. It is by far one of the easiest and cheapest ways to make a great cup of coffee at home.
So let’s get started on a couple of recipes to up your French press game!
What you will need:
- A French press
- Scale or scoop
- Fresh, well-rested speciality coffee beans
- Soft, filtered or bottled water
- A timer
- A grinder
Recipe 1
The first step is to prepare your brew, so let’s start with a recipe. We will start you off with a 1:15 ratio for this recipe, meaning our 1 being our amount of coffee then multiplying it by 15 to get our desired water yield.
So, using our 1:15 ratio, let’s use 30g of coffee. We then need to multiply 30g by 15, which will give us 450. So just under half a kettle if your kettle holds 1 litre of water.
Start by weighing and grinding 30g of coffee beans to a medium coarse setting, If you don’t have a scale around 3 tablespoons will be enough. I’ve always found going slightly finer for French press coffee gives the brew slightly more flavour.
Then boil your kettle.
Place your French press on the scale without the plunger and tare the scale to 0.0.
Add your 30g of coffee to the bottom, then tare out to 0.0 once more.
Start your timer then add 450g of water from your kettle.
When your timer reaches 5 minutes, give the brew a stir with a spoon
Wait another 2 minutes
Then plunge to the top of the coffee.
Warm your mug/cup.
Then pour your coffee and enjoy!
Easy right? Now you and your loved ones can enjoy better French press coffee at home.
The good thing about this recipe is you can alter and experiment by changing different variables like the amount of coffee and water you use (the ratio), your grind size and pouring different amounts of water at varied times.
Now let’s try another recipe,
Maybe the legendary James Hoffmann recipe?
This is one of the methods I love to use when I go to my in-law’s house in London as I don’t like travelling with my precious origami dripper. All I take is my hand grinder, and some beans and use a 1-litre French press so I can still brew great coffee when visiting family.
So who is James Hoffmann?
In the speciality coffee world, James Hoffmann is a legend. He’s the winner of the 2006 world barista championship, a coffee consultant, YouTuber, content creator, and owner of Square Mile coffee roasters all around he’s just an extremely knowledgeable person and he’s one of my favourite YouTubers by far.
Let’s dive into the James Hoffmann French press recipe.
The same equipment we used in the previous recipe still applies but this time you’ll need a couple more things, so let’s go through a new list of equipment.
- Freshly roasted and well-rested coffee beans
- A French press
- A scale
- A grinder – a burr grinder is better
- Two large spoons
- A timer
- A small bowl
The James Hoffmann French Press Recipe
Step 1
Boil your water. While the water is boiling you can prepare everything else needed to make your brew.
Water quality does matter, so try to use soft, filtered or bottled water for a tastier brew. Remember, if your water doesn’t taste good neither will your coffee.
Step 2
Weigh and grind your coffee.
For James’ method we will use 30g of coffee to 500g of water, but if you want a stronger brew, up your dose to about 35g and if you want a weaker brew do about 20-25g.
If you don’t have a scale, around 3.5-4 tablespoons should be enough.
Then grind your coffee to a medium to coarse grind. You can use pre-ground coffee but it’s recommended to use freshly ground coffee. If you don’t have a grinder, have a look here and you’ll be able to find one that’s great quality but won’t break the bank. Medium-coarse coffee is the desired grind size for French press brewing, but I always say play about with the grind size and see how you can make your brews better and tastier.
Step 3
Put your French press onto your scale and tare it out to 0.0, then add your ground coffee. Tare it out again then add 500g of boiling water onto the coffee grounds making sure you cover all of the grounds with water, leaving no dry spots and start your timer.
Step 4
Wait 5 minutes.
This would be a great time to start prepping your morning breakfast or lunch for work or feeding your dog or cat, whatever you can get done in 5 minutes just while your delicious brew is steeping.
You can always enjoy the beautiful smell and aroma of the coffee while you’re waiting.
Step 5
Stir the coffee grounds.
After the five minutes is up, grab a spoon and stir the coffee grounds. You’ll notice a small crust will form on top of the coffee. Give it a nice gentle stir, ensuring all the coffee can steep nicely and evenly.
Step 6
Scoop the bits that have formed on top of the coffee, grab the two spoons and scoop the foam and any gritty-looking bits of coffee grounds that may have formed, then discard them.
Step 7
Wait another 5 minutes.
I know it may seem like it’s taking a while to brew, but this part is crucial. This is where the coffee grounds sink to the bottom of the French press and it’s still most likely too hot to drink anyway.
Step 8
Plunge the coffee.
Now it’s time to plunge, but for this recipe make sure you only plunge to the top of the liquid. This is so we don’t mix up what’s been settling and steeping for the last 5 minutes. It will make your brew smooth, clean, crisp and grit-free.
Step 9
Pour and enjoy.
Be careful when pouring, and enjoy your delicious cup of coffee made with the legendary James Hoffmann recipe!
Here is a video if you get stuck from James himself
That’s it for now, I hope this has helped you brew some great French press coffee. These are the two go-tos for me when I make my coffee with a French press and they haven’t disappointed yet.
So keep trying and experimenting. Like I always say, enjoy the process, try new things and recipes, take notes so you can make your brews better every time, and enjoy and I hope you have gained some valuable knowledge today.
Thank you for reading.
Until next time.
I’ll catch you on the next one.
