How to Make French Press Coffee

This step-by-step guide will teach you how to brew the perfect cup of French press coffee at home. Plus tips and tricks for your French press.

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You did it! Congratulations! ”world’s best cup of coffee” great job everybody. -Elf 2003 film
French press coffee is actually one of the easiest things to make. It is faster than brewing a pot of coffee, and aside from the initial cost of buying a French press, it is usually cheaper. It can easily be catered to your personal taste you can always make just the right amount. No more 8-hour-old coffee you feel obligated to drink because it’s a shame to waste almost a whole pot.
But before we get to the recipe I would like to clear up a couple of things.

Myths about French press coffee.

1. French press coffee isn’t actually cheaper

Now I understand this will depend on where you live and what access you currently have to whole coffee beans. And Yes you will have to invest in a Frech press, however, those can be found for less than $25 in most places. You can check out my recommendation HERE. But Using whole coffee beans and a French press will, in the end, I promise, come out cheaper than your standard coffee maker, and way, way cheaper than coffee from your local coffee shop(not to mention it tastes better).

2. French Press coffee leaves sludge at the bottom of your cup.
   To be fair I can’t exactly say this isn’t true. However, I can say, and take it from someone who worked as a Brista, all coffee, especially hot, strong, fresh coffee will always leave a bit of sludge in your cup. So don’t blame it on the French Press, separation is natural(this also happens more if you add stuff to your coffee), it happens, there are hundreds of people on the internet who can give you tips and tricks on cutting down on the amount of sludge in your coffee if it really bothers you, but personally, I don’t mind it.
3. French Press coffee doesn’t stay hot
   Since most French presses don’t have a heater this is generally true, that being said I’ll be the friendly reminder that French presses are meant for single servings, not to brew a whole pot and drink throughout the day. I also learned through much trial and error that this is always caused by skipping one small step. Heater the press before brewing the coffee, simply pouring in a little hot water swirling it around, and dumping it out makes a world of difference. As the queen of skipping steps, I would highly advise that you don’t skip this one.

Tips And Tricks
Thanks to working in a coffee shop for a bit, I learned a few other tricks to keep drinks warm.

1. If coffee is going to sit, make your base warmer. This was something I had to figure out while prepping pickup latte orders. The tick is to think of how hot you want your coffee to be when you drink and make it 20 to 50 degrees hotter, to begin with. Because French Press coffee has to sit in order to brew you’ll want to start with hotter water than the temperature you want your coffee to be when it is finished.
2. This one is for anyone that like me lives in a very old and rather drafty farmhouse. I swear my mugs are about 10 degrees most winter mornings when I pull them out of the cupboard, needless to say, my drinks weren’t staying very hot. I found that rising my mug under hot water for a minute or so before pouring my coffee makes a world of difference.

French Press Coffee – Basic method.

Supplies
Coffee grinder – you use an electric one OR a manual one
French press
Something to heat water in(I use our teapot)
Your favorite mug.

Ingredients
water
whole coffee beans(I like to try out different brands and roasts)
Heavy cream – optional but highly recommended

Directions

1. Grind the beans to a coarse sand-like texture. The goal is to get them about the same texture as the preground coffee you get at the store.
2. Heat your water to just about boiling
3. Pour a little water into the french press and swirl it around a few times then dump it out.
4. Add 4 tbsp. ground coffee into the press and cover with water(enough to fill your press, mine is about 4 cups). Give a quick stir, then put on the top of the press. Be careful not to touch the actual coffee with it yet.
5. Let steep for 4 minutes.
6. Push down the press*(see note)
7. Pour into your favorite mug add a splash or two of heavy cream and enjoy!

Notes

If the press feels really hard to press down or way too easy to press down. It is usually due to the texture of your coffee grounds. If it is too hard your grounds are too fine, if it is too easy then the grounds are too large. Simply adjust the texture next time around(grind the beans longer or for a shorter amount of time depending on the issue).

You can find all my favorite kitchen things and recommendations on my Recommendations Page