Perfect French Press Coffee Ratio Guide for Beginners
If you love intense coffee or looking to try something a little heavy body, this brewing method is for you.
Prepare a rich and full-bodied cup to satisfy your palate at any time. If you have never used a french press before, no worries; it is a very easy and practical brewing method to make coffee.
How to make French press coffee Step by step
We will start with a single-serving size (12oz), but depending on the size of the French Press you have at home, you can use the cheet sheet we share in this article.
If you do not have a French press but want to try it, check out the Bodum French press.
What is French press Coffee?
This is a coffee method that works by immersion. It was invented around 1929 by Italian designers. It is very popular around the world, especially in Europe. It offers a bold and silky cup of coffee, for those who like intense brews.
What grind is used in the French Press?
You should use coarse ground coffee, like sea salt, maybe at the coarsest setting on your grinder. Another grind type you can use if you want to increase the intensity will be medium-coarse, specially if you will add creamers or milk.
Are you ready to take your French Press Recipe to another level?
How to prepare a French Press?
You will need the following:
- 20 grams (2.5~3 tablespoons) of coarse grind Killer Coffee
- 350ml (12oz) hot water
- A French Press.
Directions:
- Place the French Press on a flat surface, hold the handle firmly, and pull the plunger up and out of the carafe.
- Pour a little hot water into the carafe (about 90ºC/195ºF) to preheat the glass. Discard the water after a few seconds.
- Add 20 grams or 3 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee.
- Pour the hot water filling the glass about 1/4 full and let the coffee bloom start; after 30 seconds, stir with a wooden spoon.
- Continue pouring the rest of the water until it is about 3/4 full, leaving some room for the plunger on top.
- Brew time: Brew for 4 minutes, press plunger down, open spout, pour coffee. If you can, preheat your mug with hot water while the brewing is happening.
If you taste the coffee and the body is watery and the taste acidic, make the grind a little finer. If you see that the infusion is bitter and has a chalky body, grind it coarser. This drink is very balanced and works best with medium roast coffees.
And that's it! If your feeling fancy or want to be a pro, get your scale with a built-in timer to prepare a consistent cup.
Remember that recipes are not written in stone, and you can play with ratios; we recommend not going under 16 grams or over 30 grams to have a balanced flavor in your 12 oz cup of coffee.
What type of roast is recommended?
You can use ANY roast; since we are talking about an immersion method, you can control the extraction time for a light roast, dark roast, or medium roast, although we prefer medium roasted coffee beans.
In addition, we highly recommend getting your coffee grinder to grind your beans in small quantities and right before brewing.
The best option is a burr grinder, offering an even result than using a blades grinder that is not consistent with coffee particles.
The French Press is the perfect low-maintenance brew method for lazy weekend mornings.
It also offers an intense flavor and heavy body since it doesn't filter out the natural oils, giving you a richly flavored brew with a silky body.
This coffee maker is very simple to use and the most constant and easy to repeat, which is why it is found in many coffee-tasting laboratories of roasting companies.
What is the coffee to water ratio for a french press?
We like to use the 1:15 ratio for a french press. If you are a coffee snob you might want to use different ratios for each method and that's okay, to each their own.
A 1:15 ratio means, for every 1 gram of coffee you will need 15 milliliters of water.
Example:
1 liter French press will need
1000ml (1L) / 15 = 66.6 g grams (5 tablespoons)
Here is a cheat sheet for different sizes to get a delicious french press brew:
We know..dont' want to over complicate your ritual so we recommend to download an app to help with the task:
Brew ratio App for iOS. You just need to input the amount of coffee and it will calculate the water needed. The built-in timer is also fantastic.
We hope this guide will help you improve your skills as a barista. Ready to brew the best French press? Let's get started!
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