A French Press (or Cafetiere) is a simple, manual coffee maker that brews rich, full-bodied coffee by steeping coarse grounds in hot water, then separating them by pressing a mesh filter down with a plunger, allowing the coffee's natural oils and sediment to remain for a bolder flavour.

What you need

• Kettle
• Filtered water
• Coffee beans or ground coffee 
• Coffee Grinder
• Digital Scale 
• Measuring cup (if you don’t have a digital scale)
• French Press / Cafetiere
• Thermometer
• Stirring Spoon
• Timer
• Mug
  

French Press Recipe Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Instructions

• Heat the water to 94°C-96°C (or to a full boil if you don't have a thermometer).
• Measure coffee (use the Coffee to Water Ratio chart below to measure out the amount of coffee for your brew strength and French Press size).
• Load up the coffee beans and grind them (start with a coarse grind, then adjust as needed to brew your perfect cup).
• Preheat or warm the French Press (optional).
• Pour ground coffee into the bottom of the beaker, then gently shake it back and forth to level the grounds.
• Place the beaker on a scale and tare it out to zero. Pour hot water into the beaker until the scale reads the amount listed on the Coffee to Water Ratio chart below. The pour should be relatively quick to get all the coffee wet.
• If a scale isn't available, pour the amount of hot water into a measuring cup, then pour it from the measuring cup into the beaker.
• Gently stir the coffee and water for a few seconds to ensure all of the coffee grounds are wet.
• Place the top on the beaker with the plunger pulled all the way up to help keep the temperature up while the coffee brews.
• Steep for 4 minutes before plunging. 
• Gently press the plunger all the way down (if the plunger drops to the bottom with almost no resistance, the grind is too coarse, but if it takes a lot of effort to press the plunger to the bottom, the grind is too fine).
• Once the plunger reaches the bottom, pour the brewed coffee slowly from the French Press into the mug to stop extraction.

 Dial it in

• Use cold water, filtered if possible, and avoid distilled or softened water.

• Boiling water can be used to preheat and clean the French Press before brewing, helping maintain a stable temperature.

• Let the boiled water sit for about a minute before pouring.

• 4 minutes is standard when you steep, but 6-8 minutes allows for better flavour extraction with a coarser grind.

• Use a spoon to remove the top layer of foam/grounds, then plunge gently.

• Pour all coffee immediately into mugs or a carafe to prevent over-extraction.

• Avoid pouring out the last 10% of brewed coffee that is in the beaker. This last bit will have a high concentration of silt. When grinding, use a coarse setting (like sea salt) to prevent over-extraction and excessive silt.

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Functionality

This method simply allows full control over brewing variables such as water temperature, brew time, and coffee-to-water ratios.

A French press typically consists of a cylindrical beaker, a lid, and a plunger assembly. Easy to disassemble for cleaning, which is essential to prevent the accumulation of oils and old coffee residue.

The French press can also be used to brew loose-leaf tea and make cold-brewed coffee. The plunger can be used to froth milk for cappuccinos and is ideal for straining broth.

Materials:

• Made of borosilicate glass (for heat resistance and visibility). Other versions use durable stainless steel (often double-walled for insulation) or, less commonly, ceramic or heat-resistant plastic.
• The plunger and filter are made of stainless steel (high-quality mesh) or, in cheaper models, nylon mesh. A coiled spring sits at the bottom of the plunger to ensure a tight fit against the glass.
• The frame and handle are commonly made of stainless steel, chrome-plated steel, or, in some designs, wood or plastic.
• The lid is usually plastic or metal, designed to keep the heat inside.

Brief History

The French Press originated from 19th-century French designs but was perfected by Italian designers in the 20th century. 

The first documented origins date back to 1852. It was Mayer and Delforge, two Frenchmen, who had their innovation, a simpler version of the later designs, patented then. It was not until 1928 in Italy that the first patents were registered by Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta. Their invention was similar to the very first designs by Mayer and Delforge.