How To Use French Press With Ground Coffee

French Press is one of the most popular coffee brewing methods. It allows coffee lovers to brew a cup of great coffee by immersing ground coffee in the boiled water within a few minutes.

The French Press coffee brewing method is ideal for those coffee lovers who do not own a coffee machine but are constantly looking for a simple method to brew their daily favorite. The brewing process takes only about 5-6 minutes. With the right technique and applying a few simple rules, you can easily achieve a consistent taste of coffee each time.

To start brewing, you will just need to prepare these items: A spoon or stirrer, a scale, freshly boiled water, ground coffee, and a coffee brewing equipment known as a coffee plunger. To those who do not know what is a coffee plunger, it is a container that allows you to do coffee brewing, pressing, and straining all in one.

To make a good cup of coffee using French Press, it is important to know the grind size of the coffee beans. 

Note: For those who purchase coffee beans from Mister Coffee, we recommend using coarse size. However, the size indication varies for different coffee roasters. For example, A definition of coarse size is different between Roaster A and Roaster B. 

Here are the steps to help ensure you achieve a delicious cup of coffee using a French Press: 

Step 1: Prepare freshly boiled water with the water temperature between 92°C to 96°C. Before brewing the coffee, it is important for you to preheat the plunger by filling it with the boiled water. This is to ensure that the plunger stays warm during the brewing process. 

Note: If the plunger is not preheated, the temperature of the hot water will reduce when it is in contact with the cold coffee plunger to achieve thermal equilibrium, thus affecting the flavor of the coffee. To highlight, the temperature is one of the key variables in brewing a cup of great coffee.

Step 2: Discard the hot water from the plunger and place it on the scale. Then, tare the weight to 0 grams. It allows you to measure the amount of coffee and water used during brewing for a consistent cup of coffee. Next, you can gently pour your ground coffee into the French Press.

Step 3: Tare the weight to 0 grams again and begin pouring the freshly boiled water in a spiraling motion. This is to ensure all ground coffees are properly immersed in the water. At this point, you may notice that the aroma of the coffee rises up with the ground coffee “bubbling” in the hot water. It is a process called blooming which gases such as carbon dioxide resided in the coffee during roasting are released.

It is also important for you to check on the amount of water you pour during the brewing. We recommend a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:17. For instance, if you have added 30 grams of coffee previously, you shall only pour 510 grams of water into the plunger. However, you may also adjust the coffee-to-water ratio according to personal preference.

Step 4: Gently stir the coffee with a spoon or a stirrer. This will help the top of the remaining layer of ground coffees to brew consistently, and fully immersed in the hot water.

Step 5: Close the lid but do not press the plunger for now. Let the coffee sit for 4 minutes.

Step 6: Slowly press the plunger down and make sure you press it down all the way, or your coffee will continue to brew into over-extraction. 

Note: If you are experiencing too much resistance when you plunge, then your coffee grounds are too fine. Not enough resistance, meaning your coffee grounds are too coarse.

Step 7: Once you have finished pressing, serve the coffee immediately. Do not let it sit, as this will cause more flavor and bitterness in the coffee. 

Share with us your achievement in making a delicious cup using Mister Coffee beans. We’d like to know about it and don’t forget to tag us!