Amounts
16oz: 28g (or about 0.98oz) of coarse ground coffee to 450g (or about 16oz) of water
24oz: 42g (or about 1.5oz) of coarse ground coffee to 680g (or about 24oz) of water
What you’ll need
Coffee
Grinder
Scale
French Press
Timer
Wooden Spoon
Background
French press coffee is rich and heavy. Though it’s sometimes criticized for being chalky, a well-prepared French press is actually quite pure, but be careful: of all methods, French press is perhaps the most vulnerable to over-extraction. For this reason, it’s necessary to transfer the entire contents of your pot to a cup or carafe immediately after it’s finished brewing.
DIRECTIONS
Bring to a boil (100°C/212°F) enough water for your French Press. For a 16oz press, you’ll need about 450g (or about 16oz). Preheat your cup and set aside.
While the water is heating, grind your coffee. French press coffee calls for a coarse, even grind.
Pour enough water to fully saturate the grounds. This should be roughly twice the weight of the coffee, so about 56g (or about 2oz) of water for 28g (or about 0.98oz) of coffee.
Give the grounds a gentle stir with a wooden spoon or chopstick. If it helps, visualize gentle canoe paddling. Let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds, allowing it to release trapped CO2.
Add the rest of your water and place the pot’s lid gently on top of the grounds. Do not plunge yet. Let the coffee steep for an additional 3 and a half minutes, for a total brew time of 4 minutes. Precisely four. Don’t guess.
Press the filter down. If it’s hard to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger thunks immediately down to the pot’s floor, it means your grind is too coarse. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is 15-20lbs. Not sure what that feels like? Try it out on your bathroom scale.
When you’ve finished pressing, serve the coffee immediately. Do not let it sit, as this will cause it to continue brewing and over-extract.