French Press Proportions: How to Make it Perfect

There’s nothing quite like a fresh cup of French Press coffee. The rich, bold flavor. The clean, smooth taste. Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or just enjoy coffee casually, French Press coffee is an indulgent delight you simply must try.

how to make the best french press coffee

To make French Press coffee exactly to your liking each and every time, you must always use the exact same proportion of coffee to water. This article will show you how to do just that, tailored precisely to you or anyone else’s liking.

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Finding the Right Proportions

Everyone has their own preference for how strong or weak they like their coffee. Some like it so strong they end up bouncing off the walls, while others like it so weak it’s almost as thin as tea. To find out the specific amount that works best for your taste, you may have to try several different ratios until you find the one you like.

The best way to find your favorite proportions, and ensure that you use them reliably every time, is to weigh your coffee in grams. This may seem like a bit much just to make some, but you’ll find it’s well worth the effort. You’ll need a kitchen scale that can weigh in grams if you don’t already have one. Kitchen scales are easy to use, and all the large retailers sell them so you shouldn’t have to go out of your way to get one. Make sure you get one that is large enough for the press you have.

French Press Proportions

Using the Scale

Once you have your scale, you can begin testing out different ratios of coffee to water. Try starting out with a ratio of 20-35 grams of coffee for every 12-ounce cup you wish to make. Of course, you may end up liking a ratio outside this range, but it’s a good starting point for most people.

It may take some trial and error, but soon enough you’ll find your preferred proportions. Once you do, making a larger amount is simply a matter of multiplying the number of cups you want by the amount of coffee grounds you like.

french press coffee ratio grams

For example, if you think you’ll need three cups of coffee to get through your day and you prefer 25 grams of coffee per 12 ounces cup, you’ll need to use 75 grams and 36 ounces of water. If you’re having company and need to make four 12 ounce cups, it’s best to use an amount of coffee somewhere between the high and low end of the range, say 25-30 grams per cup. That way you’ll be able to please most people, so 100-120 grams of coffee along with 48 ounces of water should do.

When entertaining guests who happen to be avid coffee drinkers, you could make custom coffee for each of them by asking them to pick a number between 20 and 35. It will be interesting to see which of your friends is the biggest caffeine junkie!

Brewing With the Best

Brewing consistently superb French Press coffee demands only the use of the highest quality ingredients. It all starts with the beans. Using the finest coffee beans available is essential for making perfect French Press coffee. You could even roast the beans yourself to achieve a level of freshness you can’t create otherwise.

French Press coffee must be made with fresh ground coffee, so you’ll need to get a good quality grinder. But not just any grinder will do. Only use a burr grinder to grind your beans to ensure uniformity. This is crucial to getting the best results.

french press how to use

Great tasting water is necessary to brew the best coffee. If your water doesn’t taste good, why would it make good coffee? Don’t use hard water, and run your water through a filter prior to brewing in order to remove impurities.

Putting it All Together

Now that you’ve found the right proportions, you’re ready to brew! Place your press on the scale and turn it on. Make sure it’s reading in grams then slowly add the coffee until you reach the desired amount.

Pour the corresponding amount of filtered, boiling water onto the coffee. Stir, if necessary to dissolve all of the coffee grounds into the water. Place the top on and wait four minutes. The aroma will make it tempting to pour sooner, but every second count.

french press coffee grind

After the longest four minutes of your life are over you can finally enjoy your perfect French Press coffee! Slowly and carefully depress the plunger until it sits on top of the grounds. Pour directly into your own mug if you are only making a cup for yourself. If making a larger amount for yourself or guests, then pour the coffee into another container before serving.

With a little bit of time and effort, you can go from drinking bland, boring coffee to pouring a delicious delicacy into your mug every morning.


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