If you have ever tried to make coffee using a French Press, you know it is not as simple as it looks! Overfilling, spilling, under-extracting or gritty coffee, it can all happen if you use a French Press incorrectly. But with a few simple steps, you can make coffee at home that rivals your favourite coffee shop.

The French Press is one of the simplest forms of coffee making equipment available. It basically consists of a beaker and a lid with a plunger, which includes a filter inside. It works through immersion, with the coffee grounds submerged to brew in hot water for a few minutes before being pushed out of the way by the plunger, so you can pour a cup of hot, delicious coffee.

Steps to Making a Great Cup of French Press Coffee

1. Get the right coffee grounds.

The French Press works by pressing on the beans to maximise flavour and extraction and pushing them to the bottom of the beaker to keep the coffee clear and non-gritty. That means the size of the coffee bean grind is essential to getting the best possible brew – too fine and the coffee will be stronger, but more likely to be over-extracted and have gritty bits in the cup. Too coarse and there won’t be enough flavour extracted. Getting the grind just right may take some experimenting, or you could ask your favourite coffee shop to give you beans that have been ground suitable for a French Press.

2. Measure out the coffee grounds and add to the bottom of the beaker.

The amount of coffee grounds you use depends on the size of your press and how strong you like your coffee. Small personal ones might take only a single scoop, whereas bigger presses for multiple people may require quite a few scoops.

3. Heat the water and add to the beaker.

Heat your water to the perfect coffee brewing temperature, 200 degrees Farenheit (90 degrees Celsius), and slowly add to the beaker. Depending on your desired strength, you should aim for a ratio of coffee grounds to water of anything from 1:10 up to 1:16. Add the water in stages, initially just covering the beans and stirring gently, before adding the rest of the water slowly. This will help the beans mix in the water rather than just floating around.

4. Put on the lid and wait.

For most brews you should wait for 3-4 minutes, although again, it depends on how strong you want your coffee.

5. Slowly press the plunger down.

Slowly is the key word here. If you go too fast and the water will spill out the beaker’s spout. Make sure you press the plunger all the way to the bottom.

6. Pour your coffee and enjoy!

And that’s it!

Using a French Press is one of the quicker and easiest coffee brewing methods, it just needs a little bit of practice to perfect.

Have you made coffee with a French Press?

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