Recommended French Press coffee-to-water ratio is higher than some other methods. The French Press coffee ratio can range from 1:12 for a strong cup of coffee to a 1:17 ratio for a weaker cup (1:15 being a typical starting point). These ratios are based on weight and are measured in grams. In standard kitchen measurements, a large mug of coffee (16 oz of water) requires 6 Tbsp of ground coffee for a 1:15 ratio, 8 Tbsp for a strong 1:12 ratio, and 5 Tbsp for a weak 1:17 ratio. Most French presses are 32 oz, which means 12 Tbsp of ground coffee at regular strength.
What you need:
- Freshly roasted coffee
- Kitchen scale
- Timer
- Coffee grinder
- Spoon
- Kettle for boiling and pouring water
- French press
What you do:
Use scale to measure out coffee and water for brewing. A good starting ratio of coffee to water for a French press is 1 to 12, and since we’ll be brewing a 12oz cup with this recipe, we’ll be using 1oz of coffee, or 30 grams of coffee to 350 grams of water for you metric folks.
Boil water and grind coffee to coarse grind setting (around the consistency of coarse salt).
Once water is boiling, pour some into French press to preheat. Discard water.
Place French press on kitchen scale, add coffee, shake to level, and tare.
Start timer and begin pouring water. The first pour should contain around 60g of water and take 15 seconds. Pour in a circular motion. Once pour is complete, use spoon to stir the coffee and ensure even saturation of all grounds. Allow coffee to bloom for 30 more seconds, or until the timer reads 45 seconds.
Add remainder of water (290g) to French press, pouring in a circular motion to ensure that the coffee and water are mixing evenly. When the scale reads 350g, stop pouring and place plunger on top of the steeping coffee.
Allow coffee to steep until the timer reads 4 minutes. Depress plunger with firm but gentle pressure, then decant.