The French Press is one of the simplest and most authentic methods to brew coffee. No paper filter, no complicated machine, just coffee, hot water, and a plunger coffee maker. In a few minutes, it offers a generous, round cup full of aromas. With its transparent design and pressure-free ritual, the plunger coffee maker invites you to take your time. A homemade coffee, straightforward, bold when needed, always friendly. Simple, effective, and definitely timeless.
What you need
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What we used for this guide
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Tip for French Press ratiosNo matter the size of your coffee maker, a good rule of thumb is to follow a 1:15 ratio between coffee and water. In other words, for 1 g of coffee, add 15 g of water, which is about 3 and a half tablespoons of coffee for 1 cup of water. From there, feel free to experiment to find the ratio that best suits your taste. |
The preparation
Step 1: Grind the coffee
For 4 cups, use 15 to 20 g of coffee, depending on the size of the coffee maker and the intensity you are looking for. Grind the coffee coarsely, with a texture close to coarse kitchen salt.
Step 2: Pre-infusion
Start the timer and pour approximately 60 ml or 60 g of simmering water, making sure to wet all the grounds (you can slightly stir the mixture with a wooden spoon), then let it sit for 30 seconds for the pre-infusion.
Step 3: Infusion
Pour the remaining 240 ml of water, then close the French press without pressing the plunger to keep the heat and all the aromas, and let it infuse for another 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
Step 4: Filtration
Gently press the plunger down to the bottom of the coffee maker, serve, and enjoy.
What Few People Know About the French Press
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Its origin is an international comedy: Although it is called French Press, its invention is a source of battles between France, Italy, Switzerland, and even Denmark! Two Frenchmen filed the first patent in 1852, but the Italian Attilio Calimani filed a patent in 1929, and a Swiss named Faliero Bondanini started production in France in the 1950s... in a clarinet factory! Yes, the coffee press was produced where clarinets were made.
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Its name and look are also a source of discord: In France, it's called "cafetière à piston", but elsewhere it's known as "French Press", "coffee plunger", or even "Bodum" (after the Danish brand that produces it).
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The lucky accident of the first coffee: The story goes that a Frenchman, on a walk, wanting to make coffee, forgot to add the coffee at the right time. Desperate, he bought a piece of metal from an Italian to separate the grounds from the coffee, thus accidentally inventing the plunger principle. It just goes to show, forgetting can lead to innovation.
