Heat and grind
Boil the kettle and give it about 30 seconds off the heat. Some recipes pour at the boil, so treat 30 seconds as a starting point. Rinse the press with hot water to warm it, then tip that water out. You want coarse grounds. Without a grinder, ask a coffee shop to grind your beans for French press. For how much coffee, open the French press ratio page.
Pour and stir
Start a timer and pour in about half the water, enough to wet the grounds. At one minute, give it one stir and top up, leaving about an inch of space under the rim. Another roaster pours all the water at once and stirs at 30 seconds. You can follow either one. One press maker suggests a wooden or plastic spoon for the stir.
Cover and wait
Set the lid on with the plunger pulled up, and don't press yet. Four minutes is the common steep, and you can start there. One roaster goes to 6. A slower method skims the foam at 4 minutes, then waits 5 to 8 more before pressing. Pick one recipe and repeat it for a few brews, so you can taste what each change does.
| If your coffee is | Try this |
|---|---|
| Sour or thin | Grind finer or steep a little longer |
| Bitter | Grind coarser, steep less, and don't leave it on the grounds |
| Gritty | Grind coarser and even, and leave the last bit in the press |
| Hard to press | Grind coarser |
Press the plunger
Hold the handle and let the weight of your hand push the plunger down. Give it about 20 to 30 seconds. A hard push points to a grind that is too fine. Lift it and stir, then try again with less force, since pushing hard can make hot coffee spurt out. A plunger that drops with no resistance means your grind is too coarse.
Pour and clean
Pour out all the coffee after you press, into cups or a thermos. Tip the grounds into the trash or compost. City sewer departments ask you to keep coffee grounds out of the sink, because grounds clog pipes. Unscrew the filter and rinse it after each brew, and check your manual before you load the press into the dishwasher.
