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French Press Coffee Brewing Guide - How to Use a French Press to Brew Exceptional Coffee

How to use a French Press - french_press_heading

Commonly referred to as full-immersion because the grounds are allowed to steep, the French Press is undoubtedly the most popular manual brew method around.

The French Press is a very forgiving brew method and because of its simple design and construction it is an affordable way to make consistently good coffee. 

Learning how to use a French Press is simple, just stick with us and we will get you brewing in no time! With these instructions and a little care, your cup of coffee will be heavy, silky, and full of flavor.

HERES WHAT YOULL NEED

  • Filtered Water

  • Kettle

  • Fresh Coffee, ground coarsely

  • French Press Brewer

  • Stirring Utensil (not metal)

  • Timer

  • Digital Gram Scale, Tablespoon or 2 Tbsp. Coffee Scoop

How to use a French Press - A chart illustrating suggested water to coffee ratios for common sized French Presses.
BREWING RATIO

Using the right coffee to water ratio is key to making exceptional coffee.

  • 3 Cup (makes 1 serving): 17-19 grams coffee to 290 grams water (3-4 tablespoons coffee to 10 oz water)

  • 8 Cup (makes 2-3 servings): 50-56 grams coffee to 784-850 grams water (10-11 tablespoons coffee to 30 oz water)

  • 12 Cup (makes 4-5 servings): 82-88 grams coffee to 1350 grams water (1 measuring cup of coffee to 47 oz water)

STEP BY STEP BREWING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat your water up to 195-205F (Bring water to a boil then let it rest for 30-60 seconds).

2. Preheat French Press with some of that hot water for a better extraction. Don't forget to discard it before adding your coffee!

How to use a French Press - A photograph of a french press being pre-warmed with hot water.
3. Weigh or measure your coffee (see chart) then grind on a coarse setting (around the #30 on the Baratza Encore).
How to use a French Press - A photograph showing a shot glass filled with coffee beans being weighed on a digital kitchen scale
4. Add the ground coffee to your French Press.
How to use a French Press - A photograph of coffee grounds being poured into a French Press.
5. Start your timer and quickly pour proper amount of water over the coffee (No gram scale? Fill until the water line reaches around the top of chrome ring).
How to use a French Press - Photograph depicting water poured into French Press with a timer in the foreground for set to 4 minutes.
6. Give a gentle stir to ensure all the coffee grounds have been evenly wetted. If you have really fresh coffee, pour half of the water in, wait 30 seconds, stir, then add the rest so you don't overfill the brewer.
How to use a French Press - A photo of a wooden spoon being used to stir the coffee in a French Press.
7. Set the plunger into the top of the brewer to retain heat, but do not press yet.
8. After 4:00 minutes, gently press the plunger all the way down.
How to use a French Press - A photograph of a hand pressing the plunger of a French Press.
9. Serve and enjoy!

How to use a French Press - A photo of coffee being poured out of a French Press into a coffee mug.
TIPS

  • If you want a cleaner cup and have a little patience, wait about 4-5 minutes after you would normally, then press the filter down just below the water level (so as to not agitate the grounds at the bottom) and decant gently.

A CLEAN FRENCH PRESS MAKES BETTER TASTING COFFEE

  • All components of the Chambord product line are dishwasher safe

  • After each use:

    • Discard spent grounds from glass beaker, rinse and clean

    • Unscrew the filter assembly and clean

    • Don't pour those spent grinds down your drain, compost them!

Let us know what your favorite brewing method is by leaving a comment below, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.


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    1 comment

    • Video instructions are different from the written instructions. If you are instructing us on how to make French Press coffee, why confuse the issue with 2 sets of instructions??

      Gail Hill

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