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How to French Press Your Coffee Into Perfection

Heya, welcome to my French Press guide. Let’s save the details for later and for now just go through the steps you need to follow to perfectly French Press your coffee:

That was definitely more steps than you thought there would be, right? Well, perfection requires getting lost in the details, so what can you do?

Although all these steps are recommended, feel free to skip a few of them if you are late for work for the 4th time this week. You can skip step 9 of letting it sit for a few minutes and just press down the moment you add the water, this way it may actually taste less bitter as less of the coffee would have had time to concentrate in the water. Now, let’s get into the details.

Check out our list of top French Press coffee makers

What Grind For French Press is Best?

You can grind the coffee in 2 ways, fine or coarse. I personally recommend you make something between a finely ground and a coarse ground coffee, but this is just my preference. This way the coffee is not too watery, nor is it too bitter. If your grind is too coarse, then your French Pressed coffee is going to be a bit too watery and light. It sometimes tastes like you just re-brewed the residue of your previous brew (which is not that great).

A coarse, uniform grind is required for French press coffee. We suggest starting with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12. You will need 30 grams of coffee for every 350 grams of water.

If your grind is too fine, then your French Pressed coffee is going to be a bit too bitter, well at least according to my taste. If you like tongue-biting bitterness in your coffee, then go right ahead, grind it as fine as you like, but you know, just saying.

What is The Best French Press for Brewing Coffee?

You may get as scientific about French press coffee as you want, delving into the finer points of coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, water temperature, method, and so on, but the elegance of the French press is that you don’t have to. You can brew a decent cup of coffee with the fundamental ingredients of beans, water, and time, which you can then fine-tune via practice and experimentation.

So let’s further talk about these two variations of the French press and find out what are the pros and cons of each.

Glass Beaker

The glass french press is the most traditional type. We have all seen photos of a french press brewing on the beach or near a window with a beautiful view. It’s traditional, lovely, and functional. The carafe will not break easily as long as it is constructed of high borosilicate and heat-proof glass. I have repeatedly smacked my french press into doorknobs, countertops, and mugs, yet it still brews like a champ. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of the glass breaker for the French Press.

Pros

Cons

Stainless Steel Beaker

Another type of French press is with a stainless steel beaker. The metal french press is a tough workhorse. Many busy cafés use metal presses rather than glass to avoid the chance of crushing things together and making messes. But, unless you have three baristas in your kitchen creating hundreds of french presses each day, I think you will need to use a metal press. Let’s find out what kind of pros and cons does stainless steel beakers have.

Cons

Pros

Check out our List of Best French Presses Online

What Kind of Coffee is Best to Brew With a French Press?

Most French press coffee enthusiasts choose a medium roast or a dark roast when selecting the proper beans. The French press brew technique lowers the apparent bitterness of dark roasted beans, which some people dislike. But, mostly, it is because a smokey, black brew compliments the flavor of the press pot.

Besides, while talking about this issue it should also be noted that It is recommended to use coffee beans that are good as both fine and coarse ground for French Press. Below you can find a table of the top 3 countries whose beans we recommend you use for your French Press. And remember, ALWAYS use Arabica beans.

Ethiopian Coffee Beans Colombian Coffee Beans Guatemalan Coffee Beans

What Kind of Brew is Best Made With a French Press?

As every amateur barista knows, the ultimate flavor of your completed brew is determined by a variety of factors, the most significant of which are your selection of bean as well as a grind. And, in order to get the most out of your French press, you must first grind it. We want to get you through excellence in your home barista aspirations, so we went out of our way to find the best brew technique to be used in terms of a French press including Cappuccino and Latte. So let’s talk briefly about each of them down below.

Cappuccino – Needs Finely Ground Beans

The important thing about Cappuccino is that It is totally okay to make a cappuccino with a French Press, however, you need to use finely ground beans in order to make it work the way you want it. A coarse ground brew would make the coffee a bit too watery, and adding the steamed milk is going to dilute the coffee flavor even more. Making it with finely ground beans helps concentrate the bitterness of the coffee more and therefore retains the flavor when you add the steamed milk.

The French Press is not only quick and simple to use, but it can also create cappuccinos as well as lattes. Certainly, it is not as good as your neighborhood specialty café, but if you’re in urgent need of a wonderfully frothy coffee, this is a terrific choice.

Latte – Same as Cappuccino

Did you know that it is incredibly simple to create a French Press Latte at home? This recipe will guide you through the process of making a great handmade latte in your French Press. It is quick and easy to make, and it is ideal for coffee lovers everywhere! It’s deliciously creamy and foamy. So wonderful that I am not sure I will ever go back to a coffee shop. A latte is generally made with espresso coffee, steamed milk, and milk froth on top.

While a French Press is not generally used to create espresso, you will be making a strong coffee for this latte recipe. Furthermore, these glass cups deserve a mention! They are light and double-walled, allowing you to view the beauty and layers of your expensive coffee drink.

Here is the instruction on how to make your favorite latte using the French press:

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Use French Press

What is the ratio of coffee to water for a French press?

Is the French Press bad for you?

How many scoops do you put in a French press?

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