PT's French Press Brew Guide

PT's French Press Brew Guide

The French press is a full-immersion brewer that touts simplicity as its claim to fame. The press itself has two basic parts: a brewing chamber and a plunger with a filter screen attached to the bottom. A French press produces a full-bodied cup with a rich flavor profile. When using a full immersion brew method, it is extremely important to monitor the brew time. Although it's one of the easiest brew methods, it is possible to over-extract the coffee by brewing for too long.

The guide below provides a foundation from which to start, though we encourage experimentation as you develop your personal preferences.

Things you’ll need: Brewing parameters:
  • Brew time: 4 minutes
  • Coffee: 60g
  • Water: 900g
  • Coffee to water ratio: 1:15
  • Grind: Coarse
  • Ideal water temperature: 195 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit
Step 1

Preheat brewer with hot water.

Step 2

Weigh out 60g of whole bean coffee. Using a coffee to water ratio of 1:15 is ideal for the French press. This ratio will help you scale up or down for different size presses.

Step 3

Grind the coffee at the coarsest setting. Discard rinse water from the brewer and add ground coffee.

Step 4

Place everything on your scale. Tare scale to zero.

Step 5

Start timer and vigorously pour 900g of water.

Step 6

When the timer reaches 1 minute, stir the coffee to help evenly saturate the grounds.

Step 7

Carefully put the lid onto the press, allowing the plunger to rest just above the surface of the brewing coffee.

Step 8

When the timer reaches 4 minutes, slowly press down the plunger.

Step 9

Serve immediately, allowing the coffee to rest in a mug/cup for a few minutes. Enjoy!