If you're new to brewing coffee, it's more than likely that you've got yourself a cafetière. It was my original go-to brewing method when I started drinking 'proper' coffee. This popular coffee maker is simple to use, comes in various sizes and they are, on the whole, pretty affordable. With the ability to extract rich flavours, the cafetière (also known as a French Press) is still a favourite coffee brewing method of mine. Its reliable mesh filter guarantees a clean cup while allowing the natural oils to pass through, creating the full-bodied taste that makes your coffee strong. French Press coffee is the perfect choice for busy mornings, when everyone in your home is in need of their all-important caffeine fix. There are varying sizes of French Press available, depending on how many cups of coffee you're making, and you can enjoy a short brew time.
In this helpful coffee brew guide, I'll walk you through my French Press technique step-by-step, ensuring that every cup of coffee you make is a good one. Using it as a starting point will also help you tweak it to your personal taste. We'll also explore the best type of coffee beans to use, including our House Blend, and why it matters - because it does.
1. Choosing the Right Coffee Beans
When it comes to selecting the coffee beans for your cafetière, certain characteristics can make or break the overall brewing experience. I'd recommend going for medium to dark roasts with rich, bold flavours and lower acidity. Freshly roasted high-quality coffee beans are essential too, as they release carbon dioxide during brewing, creating a better extraction. Look for beans that maintain their flavour and aroma even with the prolonged contact time between water and coffee grounds.
Single-origin beans or blends can both deliver great results, so choose what you prefer. I know it's not always an option, but try to buy a bag of freshly roasted, high-quality coffee beans as it’ll always give you a better brew than pre-ground coffee, which can lead to bitter coffee due to oxidation.
2. Gather the Essential Tools
Before you begin brewing, you're going to need the necessary tools: a cafetière, a kettle, coffee grinder (burr grinders are preferred for a consistent grind), a timer, a kitchen scale, and freshly filtered water. Having everything at hand will make brewing a lot easier.
3. Measure the Coffee and Water
It's important to use the correct water ratio. As a rule of thumb, I use a standard water ratio of 1:15, meaning one part coffee to 15 parts water. Start by measuring out your coarse coffee grounds and the number of cups you wish to brew. For example, for one cup of coffee, use 1tbsp (7 grams of coffee) and 200ml of water.
4. Grind the Coffee Beans
For the cafetière method, a coarse grind is ideal to prevent over-extraction. Basically, you want your coffee grounds to be a salt-like consistency. It's pretty easy to find the grind setting on your grinder for this brewing method - crank it right to the end. Saying that, consistency is key and some grinders can be temperamental, so I'd check that your ground coffee particles are even before dropping them into your French Press.
5. Preheat the Cafetière
Pour hot water into the cafetière to preheat it. The water temperature helps maintain the brewing temperature and prevents heat loss during the brewing process. Patience, young grasshopper. Allow the hot water to sit in the cafetière for a minute, then discard it.
6. Add Coffee and Water
Place the ground coffee into the preheated cafetière. Slowly pour hot water over the coffee grounds, ensuring all the grounds are saturated. Use a circular motion to fully immerse the coffee. Be mindful of the coffee-to-water ratio to achieve a balanced extraction. Don't worry, though. It takes plenty of practice to get your timing and motion right, so don't be put off it isn't bang on as your brew will still taste decent.
7. Start the Brewing Process
Attach the plunger to the cafetière, but don't plunge it down yet. Start the timer and let the coffee brew for about 4 minutes. Again, this brew time is based on my personal preference so feel free to tweak it. During this time, the coffee grounds release their flavours and oils into the water.
8. Plunge and Pour
Now, for the exciting part. Once the brewing time is complete, slowly press the plunger down. Apply gentle and consistent pressure and avoid plunging too quickly as it can result in over-extraction and potential third-degree burns. Once the plunger is fully pressed, pour the brewed coffee into your favourite mug or carafe and enjoy. I can almost guarantee that it'll become one of your favourite brew methods.
Did someone say cold brew?
You can also enjoy a cold brew using your French Press using the same process and grams of coffee— just leave it to cool for 14-16 hours at room temperature or stick it in the fridge, plunge and strain it into a vessel, and pop it in the fridge.
