French Press Recipe

The French press is a full-immersion brewing method, where coffee steeps directly in hot water before being separated by a metal mesh filter. Unlike paper-filter brewing, it allows more of the coffee's natural oils and body into the cup, creating a rich, smooth and full-flavoured brew.

It's one of the simplest ways to make exceptional coffee with very little equipment.

What You'll Need

Equipment:

  1. Grinder or preground coffee (not ideal)
  2. 1 Litre French Press
  3. Kettle (with temperature readings)
  4. Wooden Spoon
  5. Scale

Recipe Overview:

  1. Brew Ratio: 1:15 (Coffee to Water) 
  2. Grind: medium/coarse 
  3. Dose: 65g 
  4. Water Amount: 1000g 
  5. Water Temperature: 95°C 
  6. Total Brew Time: 4-5mins 

Advised Methods:

Step 1: Measure and Grind Coffee

Coffee- 65g

Brew Ratio- 1:15 (1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water)

Grind size plays a key role in how your French press tastes. Because the coffee is fully immersed in water, a coarse grind allows for a slower, more even extraction while reducing the amount of sediment in your cup.

If your grind is too coarse, the coffee may under-extract, leaving the cup tasting sour or lacking sweetness. If it's too fine, the coffee can become bitter, over-extracted and muddy as fine particles pass through the metal filter.

A grind slightly coarser than you would use for a pour over is a great place to start. Aim for a total brew time of around 4 minutes, then make small adjustments based on taste.

Rinse the French press with hot water to warm the glass, then discard the water.

This helps improve extraction as you want to avoid brewing into a cool or cold French Press.

Step 3: Add to French Press and Bloom.

Water Amount- 1000g

Heat 1000g of fresh spring or filtered water to the recommended brewing temperature for your roast. As a guide, lighter roasts benefit from slightly hotter water, while darker roasts perform best at a slightly lower temperature.

Pour 60g of the heated water over the coffee, ensuring all the grounds are saturated.

Allow the coffee to bloom for 30–45 seconds.

Once your coffee has bloomed, pour the remaining 940g of water over the grounds and start your timer. A steady, confident pour works best here, so there's no need to use a gooseneck kettle.

After pouring, place the lid on the French press with the plunger fully raised. This helps retain heat while the coffee steeps, giving you a more even extraction.

Break the Crust.

Time- 3:30

At 3 minutes 30 seconds, remove the lid if you've been using it to retain heat.

Using a spoon, gently stir the crust that has formed on the surface. This allows the floating coffee grounds to sink, helping create a cleaner, more even extraction.

Skim away any remaining foam from the surface before plunging. Removing this layer reduces sediment and leaves you with a smoother, cleaner cup.


Avoid plunging early—the full brew time helps produce a sweeter, more balanced cup.

Step 5: Attach Filter and Plunge

Time- 4:00 minutes.

After allowing the coffee to settle for 30 seconds, place the lid on and plunge slowly and steadily. A gentle plunge helps keep fine particles below the filter, giving you a cleaner, smoother cup.

French press coffee will always have a little more body and sediment than paper-filter methods—that's part of its character.

Gently and slowly pour your brewed coffee into your cup. Pouring slowly will help keep coffee grounds in the brewer and out of your cup.

Leaving coffee sitting on the grounds will continue extraction and can make it taste bitter.

Frequently asked questions

What brew rations should you use for french press?

For the Cold Start French Press Guide, we'd recommend:

  • Coffee: 65g
  • Water: 1,000g
  • Ratio: 1:15
  • Grind: Coarse
  • Water Temperature: 93–96°C
  • Brew Time: 4:00 minutes

This ratio produces a cup with plenty of body while maintaining sweetness and clarity. It's rich enough to showcase chocolate, caramel and nut notes without becoming heavy or over-extracted.

Adjusting Your Ratio
  • Want a lighter, cleaner cup? Try 1:16–1:17.
  • Want a richer, fuller-bodied brew? Try 1:14–1:15.
  • Make only one adjustment at a time—either the coffee dose or the grind size—so it's easy to dial in your perfect cup.

Cold Start Tip: Start with 1:15. Once you've found a brew you enjoy, fine-tune the ratio to suit your
what is the ideal temperature for french press?

Roast Level : Water Temperature

  • Light Roast: 95–96°C
  • Medium Roast: 93–95°C
  • Dark Roast: 90–92°C
Cold Start Recommendation

For most of our coffees, we'd recommend:

  • Water Temperature: 93–96°C
  • Brew Time: 4:00 minutes

Water that's too cool can leave your coffee tasting sour and under-extracted, while boiling water (100°C) can over-extract darker roasts and introduce bitterness.

No Temperature-Controlled Kettle?

Simply bring your kettle to the boil, then let it rest for 30–60 seconds before pouring. This usually brings the water into the ideal brewing range.
How long should the process take?

Here's the timeline we recommend for the Cold Start recipe:

Steps:

  1. Add coffee, pour water & Bloom- 0:00-3:00
  2. Skim & Steep- 3:00–3:30
  3. Slow plunge- 4:00–4:30
  4. Pour & enjoy- Around 5:00 mins
Total Brew Time
  • Approximately 5 minutes
  • Cold Start Tip: Don't leave your coffee sitting in the French press after brewing. Pour it straight into your mug—or a separate carafe—once you've plunged. Keeping the coffee in contact with the grounds will continue extraction and can leave your cup tasting bitter.