How to prepare coffee with a French Press (plunger coffee maker)

Comment préparer un café avec une French Press (cafetière à piston)

The French Press is one of the simplest and most authentic methods to brew coffee. No paper filter, no complicated machine, just coffee, hot water, and a plunger coffee maker. In a few minutes, it offers a generous, round cup full of aromas. With its transparent design and pressure-free ritual, the plunger coffee maker invites you to take your time. A homemade coffee, straightforward, bold when needed, always friendly. Simple, effective, and definitely timeless.



What you need

  • A French Press
  • 15-20g of coffee beans, coarsely ground for a French Press
  • 300g of filtered water, just simmering
  • Spoon or stick to stir
  • Precision scale
  • Timer

What we used for this guide

  • An AdHoc 600ml French Press
  • Our seasonal coffee from Kenya, Kamwangi AA
  • Timemore Chestnut C3S Pro manual grinder
  • Timemore Basic 2.0 scale
  • Timemore Fish smart kettle



Tip for French Press ratios

No matter the size of your coffee maker, a good rule of thumb is to follow a 1:15 ratio between coffee and water.

In other words, for 1 g of coffee, add 15 g of water, which is about 3 and a half tablespoons of coffee for 1 cup of water.

From there, feel free to experiment to find the ratio that best suits your taste.


The preparation

Step 1: Grind the coffee

For 4 cups, use 15 to 20 g of coffee, depending on the size of the coffee maker and the intensity you are looking for. Grind the coffee coarsely, with a texture close to coarse kitchen salt.



Step 2: Pre-infusion

Start the timer and pour approximately 60 ml or 60 g of simmering water, making sure to wet all the grounds (you can slightly stir the mixture with a wooden spoon), then let it sit for 30 seconds for the pre-infusion.



Step 3: Infusion

Pour the remaining 240 ml of water, then close the French press without pressing the plunger to keep the heat and all the aromas, and let it infuse for another 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Step 4: Filtration

Gently press the plunger down to the bottom of the coffee maker, serve, and enjoy.


What Few People Know About the French Press

  • Its origin is an international comedy: Although it is called French Press, its invention is a source of battles between France, Italy, Switzerland, and even Denmark! Two Frenchmen filed the first patent in 1852, but the Italian Attilio Calimani filed a patent in 1929, and a Swiss named Faliero Bondanini started production in France in the 1950s... in a clarinet factory! Yes, the coffee press was produced where clarinets were made. 

  • Its name and look are also a source of discord: In France, it's called "cafetière à piston", but elsewhere it's known as "French Press", "coffee plunger", or even "Bodum" (after the Danish brand that produces it).

  • The lucky accident of the first coffee: The story goes that a Frenchman, on a walk, wanting to make coffee, forgot to add the coffee at the right time. Desperate, he bought a piece of metal from an Italian to separate the grounds from the coffee, thus accidentally inventing the plunger principle. It just goes to show, forgetting can lead to innovation.

THE COFFEES THAT PERFECTLY MATCH THIS EXTRACTION METHOD

10AM
10AM
From CHF 12.50
10AM
Buy now
Kamwangi AA
Kamwangi AA
CHF 19.00
Kamwangi AA
Ombligon
Ombligon
CHF 30.00
Ombligon

FAQ

For a French Press, opt for a coarse grind, similar to the texture of coarse salt.

A grind that's too fine will pass through the filter, resulting in a cloudy and more bitter coffee. Conversely, a grind that's too coarse might produce a cup that is bland and under-extracted.

Ideally, grind your coffee just before brewing to preserve the aromas and achieve a coffee that is round, balanced, and clean on the palate.

It's normal to have a few sediments with a French Press (this is what gives it body), but if it's excessive, it means your grind is too fine or your grinder produces too many "fines" (coffee dust).

No. Even once the plunger is lowered, extraction continues. If you leave the coffee in, it will become bitter and over-extracted. Pour all the contents into a cup or carafe immediately.

Cleaning the French Press is essential to prevent the buildup of rancid coffee oils, which cause bitter or flat tastes. After each use, disassemble the plunger and rinse all parts with warm water, without dish soap. Pay special attention to the metal filters, where oils tend to lodge between the meshes. Once a week, for a deeper clean, soak the filter and plunger in hot water with a bit of baking soda or white vinegar, then rinse thoroughly with clear water. Let everything dry completely before reassembling.

Result: a clean French Press, clear aromas, and coffee that retains only the good.

The French Press and the Aeropress are two immersion brewing methods, but with very different results:

  • French Press: It usesfull immersion and a metal filter. The result is a heavy and textured coffee because the oils are preserved.

Aeropress: It generally uses paper filters and pressure to extract the coffee, resulting in a cleaner and lighter drink on the palate.