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How to use French Press for a Perfect Brew

Brewing coffee in a French Press without having appropriate directions is nothing less than a nightmare. However, following a proper guide can not only save you time but also some extra bucks you spend to buy that perfect cup from the barista.

Nevertheless, efficiently using the French Press is not enough to fetch the desired results. The quality and condition of the coffee beans you are using is what drives the taste of your joe. Hence, not buying the freshly roasted or good quality coffee beans will result in a bland cup of coffee.

Read the full review if you are interested in finding the top-rated coffee beans to brew perfect French Press coffee.

How to use a French Press to make Coffee

You’ll need the following additives to prepare a boosting cup of brew:

  • French Press

  • Freshly roasted coffee beans

  • Purified water

  • Burr grinder or the ordinary hand/electrical grinder (if it works)

  • A kettle

  • Timer

Step 1: Preheat Your French Press

Preheating the beaker helps your coffee to be brewed at a temperature which will perfectly go hand to hand with the coffee extraction process.

For this, you’ll need to add some warm water into the beaker, allow it to stand for a few minutes while you finish the preliminary operations.

Step 2: Grind Your Coffee Beans

Meanwhile your French Press is getting ready, add the coffee beans to a burr grinder and crush them to a medium-coarse size (similar to the grain size of kosher salt or bread crumbs).

A proportion of 3:8 for 3 tsp of coffee beans and 8 ounces of water is the perfect start-up. 

Step 3: Pour Out the Hot Water from Beaker

As you finish the grinding process, your French Press has also gained heat. Now gear up, pour out the hot water and get ready to start brewing.

Step 4: Add the Grounded Coffee Beans

Convert the measured grounded beans into the pre-heated beaker. This step needs to be done right after the warm water is poured out of the carafe so it does not lose the heat gained.

Step 5: Add Heated Water into The Beaker

Make sure that you don't add boiling water as it is going to scorch the taste of your coffee. The optimum temperature is around 195℉-205℉ or you can stand the boiling water for a minute or two before adding in the beaker.

Step 6: Grab A Timer

While you pour the hot water, mix the coffee grounds with the help of a spoon. Set up your timer at 4 minutes and start it.

You’ll see the extraction of color, taste and aroma altogether. Enjoy it, period.

Step 7: Time to Press Piston!

As soon as the timer rings, your coffee is ready to pour out, press down the plunger. The plunger will trap all the grounds to the bottom. Pour the coffee straight away in any other carafe or mug to stop the brewing process as over-extraction will lead to a bitter-tasting java.

How to Clean the French Press?

Cleaning your coffee press after brewing is mandatory.

Here’s an easy way to do so.

Wait for the French Press to cool after you are done brewing.

Avoid using your hand or spoon to take out the coffee grounds or draining down the coffee grounds. You’ll end up clogging the channel.

Pull out the plunger and add some water into the carafe, swirl it once or twice, and pour it out in a mesh strainer. Dump the collected grounds into the dumpster. Repeat until all the grounds have been discarded.

Now, fill the chamber halfway with some warm water and add soap in it. Take the plunger and pump it for a few times. Remove plunger, wash the chamber again with water and dry it with a cloth.

Your French Press is ready to use again.

Once in a while, you can disassemble the plunger’s filters for in-depth cleaning. For this, unscrew the filters and wash them individually with water. Pat dry and screw them back.

Coffee Beans Suitable for the French Press

Buying freshly roasted coffee beans and grinding them right before brewing is recommended while using the French Press. However, pre-ground beans are also available in the market but they might lack the freshness and aroma rendered by beans grounded just before brewing.

For French Press, a coarse grind is considered ideal. If you want to brew a strong, jolting cup of coffee, alter the immersion time or coffee to water ratio. Minimizing the ground size is not recommended as it may lead to choking of the plunger.

Also, there are three different types of coffee roasts available namely light, medium or dark roast coffee. All of them can be used in a French Press depending upon the buyer’s priority.

French Press – In a Nutshell

The French Press is amazing in all manners. 

It is simple, easy to clean, inexpensive, portable, and most importantly allows you to get your desired cup of coffee.

Just follow the guideline suggested and I can see you becoming a barista.


Photo by Purple Smith from Pexels


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