French Press Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need:
French Press
Freshly Roasted Coffee
Your Favorite Mug
Kettle
Third Wave Water
Gram Scale
Grinder
Spoon
Timer
Coffee to Water Ratio: 55g / 900g
Brew Time: 4 minutes
Grind: 29 on Baratza Encore
Before You Brew
Start with Third Wave Water (or fresh filtered water) just off boil. We suggest 210 degrees if you're using a Fellow Stagg EKG kettle.
Fill your French Press beaker about halfway with hot water and set the lid back on, plunge the filter to the bottom. This will ensure that your equipment is nice and hot, so it will not draw heat away from your coffee as it brews.
Refill your kettle with fresh water and bring it back up to temperature. You’ll need nearly a liter for the brew, so fill it as much as you can.
Grind & Bloom Coffee
Grind 55g of fresh roasted coffee on a coarse setting (about a 29 on a Baratza Encore). Pull the lid off of your French Press, set the lid aside, pour the pre-heated water out of your beaker, and add your freshly ground coffee. Give the press a gentle shake to flatten the bed of coffee.
Pour 900g of water over the coffee while starting a timer for 4 minutes. Note: 1g of water = 1ml of water.
Let the coffee sit. You should see the coffee bed start to rise. This is called the bloom.
Break the crust and stir your coffee grounds.
Agitation (aka Stir)
When your timer has counted down one minute, gently stir circles into the bloom 5-6 times, breaking up the crust of coffee grounds that have formed on top.
Set the lid on top, but don’t press the filter down just yet.
Use the plunger to press the coffee down.
Plunge & Serve
When your timer goes off, gently press the plunger down, stopping when you meet the resistance from the coffee grounds. Pressing too hard at this point can result in a muddier cup.
Immediately pour your coffee into mugs and drink up. If it will be a while before you pour the second cup, you could pour the coffee into a carafe to hold the coffee until you’re ready. Leaving the coffee with the grounds for an extended period can result in a bitter cup.
A Note on French Press Sizes
This recipe uses the 34 ounce Bodum Chambord French Press. French Presses come in a lot of shapes and sizes. If you’d prefer a different size or style, use the same recipe but change your dose to fit the size.
For example, if you choose a larger size French Press (this one is 51oz), use a ratio of 73g coffee to 1200g(ml) water; for a smaller one like this 12oz size, use a ratio of 21g coffee to 340g(ml) water.