Three Common Mistakes in French Press Coffee Brewing! What's the Right Grind Size for Delicious French Press Coffee?

Introduction to French Press

The French press is arguably the most well-known and widely used coffee brewing device in the world. Whether in the homes of coffee novices or seasoned connoisseurs, one can easily find a French press tucked away in a corner where brewing equipment is stored.

There was once a coffee beginner who lacked confidence in their pouring technique but wanted to experience more complete and refined coffee flavors, so they sought help from FrontStreet Coffee. In such situations, besides encouraging more practice, FrontStreet Coffee also brought out a long-unused French press from the shop.

Different people use French presses in various ways—some prefer to brew tea, while others use it for coffee. Regardless of the beverage, the French press demonstrates its fundamental function of separating grounds from liquid. Like various coffee brewing devices, the French press also has its origin story.

The first known written record of the French press dates back to 1852, when two Frenchmen, Henri-Otto Mayer and Jacques-Victor Delforge, submitted a patent application for this device. Due to design flaws that prevented creating a sealed container, other designers had the opportunity to develop and release their own versions.

In 1929, Italians Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta obtained a patent for the French press in the United States, creating the prototype for the modern French press. Today, French presses can be found in many home goods catalogs. Made from borosilicate glass, they are durable, reliable, reasonably priced, and simple to operate, making them an ideal choice for beginners entering the world of specialty coffee.

How the French Press Works

When brewing coffee with a French press, coffee grounds are placed into the pot and completely immersed in hot water. Then, using a plunger with a metal filter, the coffee liquid is separated from the grounds. This brewing method produces coffee with excellent body, enhancing the coffee's texture and oils.

Important Considerations for French Press Operation

The simple operation steps of the French press make many beginners feel nurtured by the coffee world. However, there are still some important considerations during brewing. After all, the French press primarily uses an immersion method for making coffee, so there are certain limitations regarding coffee bean grind size, water temperature, and coffee-to-water ratio.

Grind Size

Since the French press is an immersion-type device, the grind size is generally coarser than that used for pour-over coffee. However, fine particles are also an important source of coffee flavor, and overly coarse grounds may struggle to extract the coffee's flavors, ultimately resulting in a weak taste. If the grind is too fine or if there's an excessive amount of fine particles, the metal filter may fail to effectively separate the coffee grounds, leaving unpleasant grainy particles in the coffee and significantly affecting the mouthfeel.

Both French press and cupping are immersion methods for extracting coffee. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a grind size with 70-75% retention on a Chinese standard #20 sieve. Since different grinding equipment varies in specifications, burr types, and maintenance conditions, the resulting coffee powder may differ. Therefore, when FrontStreet Coffee describes grind size, it typically uses standard sieve retention rates as a benchmark, which you can then calibrate according to your own equipment.

Water Temperature

Regular readers of FrontStreet Coffee articles may have noticed that FrontStreet Coffee uses different water temperatures for coffee beans with different roast levels.

This is because as the roast level of coffee beans deepens, the water absorption efficiency of the coffee particles increases and flavor dissolves faster. Higher water temperatures accelerate the reaction rate between these factors, which can easily produce bitter and burnt flavors. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using water temperatures between 86-88°C for medium to dark roasted coffee beans.

For lighter roasted coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using water temperatures between 90-93°C, utilizing higher temperatures to extract the aromatic substances and quality acids from lighter roasted beans.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

In the coffee community, the concept of "Golden Cup Extraction" has always been emphasized. The so-called Golden Cup Extraction refers to: coffee concentration between 1.15-1.35% and extraction rate between 18-22%. When FrontStreet Coffee used the same coffee beans, water temperature, and grind size to compare different coffee-to-water ratios of 1:13, 1:14, 1:15, and 1:16, they found that the 1:15 ratio could meet both the concentration and extraction values mentioned in Golden Cup Extraction.

Although an extraction rate of 18-22% has gained widespread consensus, different people have different dietary cultures, and preferences for coffee concentration vary greatly—some prefer strong, while others prefer light. FrontStreet Coffee suggests that based on the 1:15 ratio, those who prefer strong coffee can try 1:13 or 1:14; while those who prefer lighter coffee can try 1:16 or 1:17, and even experiment with the 1:18 ratio commonly used in cupping.

Practical Brewing Demonstration

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate using the Flower Queen coffee beans from their selection of over fifty varieties to create a cup of Flower Queen coffee with more substantial juice-like qualities. First, FrontStreet Coffee needs to introduce the flavor profile of Flower Queen coffee.

Flower Queen coffee beans are produced in the Hambela sub-region of Ethiopia's Sidamo region. Since winning the TOH Ethiopia sun-dried category championship in 2017, Flower Queen coffee has captivated numerous coffee enthusiasts in China with its rich berry notes and persistent creamy aftertaste.

When creating roast curves for African coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a medium-light roast to highlight the bright fruity acidity of African coffee. Therefore, when brewing with a French press, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a grind size with 75% retention on a Chinese standard #20 sieve, along with higher water temperatures.

Brewing Parameters

Equipment: French press
Water temperature: 90°C
Coffee amount: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Time: 4 minutes

First, preheat the French press, pour the ground coffee into the press, add 90°C water according to the 1:15 ratio, lift the plunger to its highest position and cover with the lid. After steeping for four minutes, gently press the plunger down to the one-quarter position and pour out the coffee to enjoy.

The Flower Queen coffee brewed by FrontStreet Coffee using the above parameters and steps offers distinct mixed berry aromatics upon entry, with complex juice-like qualities, subtle orange blossom notes, and evident creamy smoothness, resulting in an overall full-bodied, rich experience.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, ID: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473