French Press: The perfect way to enjoy coffee

Posted on 16 January 2025
By Arno
Posted in Coffee brewing modes

With the French Press you can easily make delicious coffee at home. In this guide, we explain step by step how to prepare a perfect cup of coffee with just two ingredients - good coffee and water. In the process, you not only preserve the valuable oils and fats in the coffee, but also contribute to the environment by not using filters. Here is the ultimate guide to the French Press in six easy steps.

What you need.

For a good cup of coffee, you need the following things:

Coffee: Use 65 grams of coffee per liter of water. That's about 8 tablespoons.
Grind: The coffee should be medium coarse ground (slightly coarser than filter coffee).
Water: Boil water and let it cool to 95°C for about 3 minutes.
Brewing time: Allow the coffee to brew for 3 to 4 minutes.
A French Press (from Bodum, for example).
A coffee grinder (or already ground coffee).
A measuring cup and a scale.
Your favorite coffee cup.

Which coffee suits the French Press?

The French Press extracts strong flavors from the coffee because the water makes long contact with the coffee. Therefore, lighter coffees, such as filter roasts, are best suited. These contain less bitterness and allow the flavors and aromas of the coffee to come out well.

How to prepare coffee in the French Press?

Here is a simple 6-step guide:

Grind the coffee Grind the coffee fresh in a medium coarse grind. This ensures that the flavors and aromas come out well. Don't have a grinder? Then buy freshly ground coffee.
Heat the water Boil enough water. Use a small amount to preheat the French Press. Then let the water cool for 3 minutes so it is not too hot.
Put the coffee in the jug Add the coffee to the empty French Press. Use about 6.5 grams of coffee per 100 ml of water. You can adjust this to taste.
Pour in the water Pour the water over the coffee in circular motions. This ensures even extraction. Let the coffee stand for a while without stirring.
Stirring After 2 minutes, you can gently stir the coffee. Want a stronger coffee? Then stir again after 3 minutes. Then put the lid on the French Press.
Press the stamp down Slowly press the stamp down. Pour the coffee directly into your cup and enjoy. It is important to pour the rest of the coffee into another jug, otherwise the coffee will become bitter.

Tips for experimenting

With the French Press, you can play with different factors to adjust the taste:

Grind: Coarsely ground coffee makes the taste milder, finer grind makes the coffee stronger.
Coffee quantity: Use more or less coffee to adjust the strength.
Brewing time: For a stronger coffee, you can let it brew longer, such as 4 minutes. Note that brewing too long makes the coffee bitter.
Watt temperature: The warmer the water, the stronger the coffee. Just make sure the temperature does not exceed 95°C.
Stirring: Stirring less creates a milder flavor, while stirring more often makes the coffee stronger.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Bitter coffee: This may be due to too hot water, too long brewing time or too fine a grind.
Weak coffee: Possibly the coffee is too coarsely ground, the amount of coffee is too little or the water is too cold.

So

The French Press is a simple and environmentally friendly way to brew coffee. By experimenting with the grind, amount of coffee and brewing time, you can find the perfect taste that suits you. Try it yourself and discover your ideal cup of coffee!