How to Use a French Press: How to Make Delicious Brazilian Coffee with a French Press

What Makes the Best Coffee in a French Press?

This largely comes down to personal preference, but generally speaking, medium and dark roast beans are the best choices. Here are the basic methods for French press coffee brewing, brought to you by FrontStreet Coffee.

Preheat the Press

The first thing you need to do is preheat your French press. This is an important step in every brewing method. Preheating the equipment prevents fluctuations in brewing temperature, as the cold vessel and the hot water balance each other out. Simply add some hot water to the press and swirl it around until it feels warm to the touch. A further benefit is that a preheated French press will also keep your coffee hot for longer.

Measure and Weigh Your Coffee

The ideal grind size for a French press is medium-coarse. It is best to grind fresh coffee beans right before brewing, and to use a scale rather than a spoon to measure your ground coffee.

Measure and Weigh Water, Then Check Temperature

Likewise, to get the right coffee-to-water ratio for your French press, aim for a core ratio of 1:15. That means one part coffee to fifteen parts water.

Add Coffee Grounds and Hot Water

Add the coffee grounds to your preheated French press, then pour in the correct proportion of hot water all at once. Take a spoon and quickly stir the coffee to make sure all the grounds are properly immersed in the water.

Put On the Lid and Start Timing

Putting on the lid helps insulate the press, keeping the heat inside while the coffee brews. Set your timer. The standard French press brewing time is 4 minutes, though you can adjust this later according to your preference.

Press Down the Plunger Slowly

After enough time has passed, slowly press down the plunger. Make sure to press it down completely, otherwise the coffee will continue to over-brew.

Pour Out the Coffee

It is best to pour out the coffee immediately. The longer coffee sits in the container with the grounds, the more flavor will be extracted, and over-extracted coffee becomes very bitter.

Finally, it is time to enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee.

How Long Should French Press Coffee Steep?

Reviewing the steps above, we first pour in a small amount of boiling water, stir and wait. Then we pour in the remaining water, stir again and wait.

Three to four minutes is the "optimal" time to get coffee of average strength from the press.

If you prefer lighter coffee, finish brewing earlier. If you like it stronger, give it more time. It is best not to leave it too long, though, or you may ruin a good cup with bitterness from over-extraction.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A French press rewards beans that are roasted a little darker and built for a round, full body, which is exactly where FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian coffees shine. FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic single-origin, half-washed and roasted medium. It brings creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel and hazelnut, with a round body, low acidity and a faint bitter edge. Besides the press, it works well in a moka pot, as an espresso SOE, in a siphon, or as pour-over, so one bag covers almost every brewer on the shelf.

For a sweeter, fruitier Brazilian option, FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon comes from Mogiana, near South Minas, where the fertile red volcanic soil lets the cherries take up abundant nutrients. It is a rare yellow Bourbon, a natural mutation of Red Bourbon, and its fruit character is cleaner, offering a sugarcane-like sweetness found in few other regions along with gentle fruit and chocolate notes. Brewed in a French press, its sweetness and body make it feel especially rich.

Because Brazilian coffee is low in acidity and well balanced, it is also the backbone of many espresso recipes. If you enjoy a heavier, sweeter style, FrontStreet Coffee Classic Blend combines a Brazilian base with medium-dark Mandheling and a touch of Robusta for butter, roasted chestnut and caramel character, and it also works beautifully in a moka pot when you want that thick, syrupy body at home.