Most French press coffee is muddy because it's pressed too early and too hard. This method takes a few minutes longer and gives you a clean, full-bodied cup with hardly any sludge: 30 g of coffee, 500 g of water, two spoons and some patience.
Coffee
30 g
Water
500 g
Ratio
1:16.7
Water temp
95 °C
Grind
Mediumlike for a filter machine, or a touch coarser
Brew time
9:30+ 3 min prep
Guided BrewStep 1 of 3
4:00left in this step
Pour to 500 g0:00 → 4:00 · 500 g
0:00Pour to 500 g
4:00Break the crust, skim
9:00Press to the surface, pour
9:30Done
Beeps at every step. Keep this page open while you brew.
What you need
French press of at least 0.6 liters
Kettle and a scale that weighs in 1 g steps
Grinder, set to medium
Two spoons for skimming, and 30 g of fresh coffee
Before you start
Heat the water to 95 °C, just off the boil. Warm the press with a splash of hot water and pour it out. Grind 30 g of coffee medium, like for a filter machine or a little coarser, tip it into the press and tare the scale.
Step by step
0:00
Pour to 500 g
Start the timer and pour all 500 g of water over the coffee, making sure everything gets wet. No need to stir.
4:00
Break the crust, skim
Stir the crust on top gently; most of the coffee sinks. Skim off the foam and any floating bits with two spoons.
9:00
Press to the surface, pour
Put the lid on and push the plunger down only to the surface of the coffee, not to the bottom. Pour slowly; the fine sediment stays behind.
9:30
Done
Pour everything out right away so it does not sit on the grounds, and leave the last sip in the pot.
Why wait so long? Most of the extraction happens in the first four minutes; after that it slows right down. After you break the crust, the fine particles slowly sink to the bottom, and pressing only to the surface leaves them there instead of stirring them back into your cup. In a hurry? Press after four minutes and pour; the cup will just be a little muddier.
Taste and adjust
It tastes
Likely cause
Next time
Muddy, gritty
Pressed too early or too far
Wait longer, press only to the surface
Sour, thin
Too coarse or too short
Grind finer, keep the full four minutes
Bitter
Too fine
Grind coarser
Weak
Too little coffee
32 g for the same 500 g of water
Too strong
Too much coffee
28 g, or top up the cup with hot water
Which coffee works best
The French press loves body: chocolatey Brazilians, sweet coffees from Central America, medium roasts. Fruity light roasts work too and come out juicy, just heavier than from a paper filter.
FAQ
What is the right French press ratio?
1:15 to 1:17. This recipe uses 30 g of coffee to 500 g of water (1:16.7) and makes two cups; it needs a press of at least 0.6 liters. In a 0.5 liter press use 24 g to 400 g. For a bigger press keep the ratio, for example 45 g to 750 g in a 1 liter press; the timings stay the same.
How long should French press coffee steep?
Four minutes before you break the crust, then another five while the fine particles settle. In a hurry, press after four minutes; the cup will be a little muddier.
Why is my French press coffee gritty?
Fine particles. They come from the grinder and get stirred up when you press all the way down. A more even grinder helps, and so does pressing only to the surface and leaving the last sip in the pot.
Can I leave the coffee in the press?
Better not. Pour it all out right away, into a carafe if you're not drinking it at once. Left on the grounds it turns flat and bitter as it cools.