The French press is one of the simplest and most honest ways to make coffee. No paper filter, no complicated machine, just coffee, hot water and a French press. In a few minutes, it gives you a generous, rounded cup full of aroma. With its see-through design and its unhurried ritual, the French press invites you to take your time. A homely coffee, straightforward, bold when it needs to be, always sociable. Simple, effective and truly timeless.
What you need
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What we used for this guide
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Tip: getting the ratio rightWhatever the size of your French press, a good rule of thumb is a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15. In other words, for every 1 g of coffee, add 15 g of water, which works out at roughly three and a half tablespoons of coffee per cup of water. From there, feel free to experiment until you find the ratio that suits your taste best. |
Method
Step 1: Grind the coffee
For 4 cups, use 15 to 20 g of coffee, depending on the size of your French press and how strong you like it. Grind the coffee coarsely, to a texture similar to coarse sea salt.
Step 2: Bloom
Start the timer and pour in roughly 60 ml (60 g) of water just off the boil, making sure all the grounds are wet (you can give it a gentle stir with a wooden spoon), then leave it for 30 seconds to bloom.
Step 3: Steep
Pour in the remaining 240 ml of water, then put the lid on without pressing the plunger, to keep in the heat and all the aromas. Leave to steep for another 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Step 4: Plunge
Gently press the plunger all the way down, then pour and enjoy.
What few people know about the French press
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Its origins are an international comedy: although it's called a French press, France, Italy, Switzerland and even Denmark all lay claim to its invention! Two Frenchmen filed a first patent in 1852, the Italian Attilio Calimani filed another in 1929, and a Swiss man named Faliero Bondanini started producing it in France in the 1950s… in a clarinet factory! Yes, the French press was made in the same place as clarinets.
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Its name is a bone of contention too: in France it's a "cafetière à piston", in the UK a "cafetière", elsewhere a "French press", a "coffee plunger" or even a "Bodum" (after the Danish brand that makes it).
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The happy accident behind the first cup: legend has it that a Frenchman out on a walk wanted to make himself a coffee and forgot to add the coffee at the right moment. In desperation, he bought a piece of metal from an Italian to separate the grounds from the coffee, and so invented the plunger by accident. Proof that forgetfulness can lead to innovation.
