Are you on a quest to find the best way to make awesome coffee at home?  Look no further–the French press is the answer!  I’ve been amazed at how much better my homemade coffee tasted using the French press.  With the tips and tricks below, you can make some of the tastiest coffee you’ve ever had.   Let’s get started!

The Anatomy of a French Press

A French press is made up of three basic components: the carafe, the plunger, and the filters.  The carafe holds the coffee grounds and water, while the plunger separates the coffee grounds from the water as it’s pushed down.  The coffee flows through the holes in the fine mesh filters, leaving the coffee grounds underneath.

It All Comes Down to the Grind

One of the most important part of making French press coffee is getting the coffee ground correctly.  If the grind is too fine, the coffee will be muddy and bitter; if the grind is too coarse, the water won’t be able to extract very much coffee from the beans.  Here’s another way to tell if your grind is correct: the plunger should push down with some resistance.  If it slips down too easily, the grind is too fine; if it’s hard to push, the grind is too coarse.

Ground coffee for a French press should be evenly-sized pieces about the size of breadcrumbs, or a little larger than kosher salt.  It’s best to start with whole coffee beans and grind them in a burr grinder or in a commercial grinder to make sure that the coffee grounds are a consistent size.

The Right Ratio

A crucial aspect of making awesome French press coffee is getting the right ratio of coffee to water.  Fortunately, it’s pretty simple!  Most people like a 1:10 ratio of coffee to water by weight (1 gram of coffee to 10 grams of water).  Feel free to experiment with this ratio based on your tastes and the type of coffee beans you’re using.

How to Make French Press Coffee

Warm up the French press carafe by filling it with hot tap water, then letting it sit for a minute.

Dump out the water and add the ground coffee.

Boil fresh water in a kettle, then let it cool for 60 seconds.  Pour half of the hot water over the coffee, making sure to get all the grounds wet.

Let it brew for 1 minute, then pour the rest of the water on top.  Gently stir, put the lid on with the plunger up, and let the coffee brew for 3 more minutes.

Slowly but firmly push down the plunger to separate the coffee from the grounds.

Immediately pour the coffee into a mug or carafe.  If desired, pour the coffee through a paper towel-lined sieve to remove any fine grounds that went through the filters.

Add cream, sugar, or desired flavorings, and enjoy!

Pro Tips for Great-Tasting Coffee

• Make sure the ground coffee is about the size of breadcrumbs.
• Grind the beans fresh each time for optimal flavor, or grind a week’s worth of coffee and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Store coffee beans in the freezer for long-term storage.
• Use fresh water that hasn’t been sitting in the kettle.  “Stale” water won’t give the best-tasting results.
• Pour the brewed coffee out of the French press as soon as it’s done brewing to prevent bitter coffee.
• Remove nearly all the muddiness from the coffee by pouring it through a paper towel-lined sieve.

Use your freshly brewed coffee in these delicious drinks.

• How to Make a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte: savor the flavors of fall in this easy-to-make latte.
• Non Alcoholic Irish Coffee: a really easy coffee drink that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
• Salted Caramel Mocha: a luscious combination of warm caramel, chocolate, and coffee.

Did these tips and tricks for French press coffee help you?  Let us know in the comments below!

How to Make French Press Coffee

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• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 9 minutes
• Yield: 16 fl oz
• Category: Beverages
• Method: Boiled
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Learn the ratio to make the best coffee you’ve ever had with this simple recipe!  With these tips and tricks, brewing a hot, tasty cup of French press coffee at home is super easy.

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coffee beans (20g)
• 2 cups water (473 ml)

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Instructions

1. Heat the French press.  Fill the French press with very hot tap water and let it sit for a minute to warm up, then pour out the water.
2. Coarsely grind the coffee beans until they’re the size of breadcrumbs or kosher salt.  Pour the ground coffee into the French press carafe.
3. Boil the water.  When it comes to a boil, let it cool for a minute.
4. Pour half of the water over the ground coffee.  Make sure to saturate all the coffee grounds.  Let it brew for 1 minute, then gently stir.  Pour the rest of the water on top, put the lid on with the plunger rod up, and let it brew for 3 more minutes.
5. Slowly push down the plunger. If you go too fast, hot coffee might squirt out the lid.
6. Immediately pour the coffee into a mug or carafe.  The coffee will continue to brew if it’s left in the French press with the coffee grounds, making it bitter and muddy.

Notes

• It’s best to use a burr grinder, since it grinds the coffee into equally sized pieces.  If you don’t have a burr grinder, use a regular grinder and just shake the canister of coffee a couple times to mix up the coffee.
• Don’t use re-boiled water that’s been sitting in the kettle; it won’t taste as fresh.
• Be careful not to let the coffee brew too long, because it will make the coffee bitter.  Experiment with different brewing times based on your personal preferences and the type of coffee you’re using.
• If you find that there’s a lot of muddy grounds in your coffee, try stacking a second or third mesh filter in the French press plunger and grinding the coffee beans more evenly.  Also, try pouring the coffee through a paper towel-lined sieve to catch the extra sediment.

Keywords: ratio, grind