How To: French Press
The plunger pot was invented in France in the mid-1800s and throughout the world, it has many different names like meliorism, coffee machine piston, plunger coffee, press pot, or French Press.
A French Press is basically a cylindrical pot with a plunger and a built-in filter screen that presses hot water through ground coffee. Producing coffee in this manner yields what many consider to be an earthy, rich-tasting cup of coffee.
The secret to successfully using a French Press comes from the medium grind of the coffee beans. Very coarse grinds may clog the filter while very fine grinds will pass through the filter to muddy the resulting coffee.
- Place your French Press on a dry, flat surface like a countertop or table and pull the plunger out of the cylinder.
-
Add a heaping tablespoon (7-8 grams) of medium ground coffee to the pot with about 200 ml (6.7 oz) of water. (These amounts will vary depending upon the type of French Press you have).
-
Pour hot water - not quite boiling - into the pot and stir it gently.
-
Carefully reinsert the plunger into the pot but DO NOT Plunge it through yet. Keep the filter just above the water and ground coffee to allow it to brew for about 3-4 minutes. The longer you let it brew, the stronger the coffee will be but the water will cool the longer you leave it in the press.
-
With steady pressure, slowly press down on the plunger
- Now you’re ready to enjoy your cup of French Pressed coffee.