French Press Brew Guide

Contents

Our Approach
Why Brew with a French Press?
Expert Tip
Brewing Tips

How to Brew French Press

The French Press is one of the most accessible and reliable ways to brew coffee at home. Its immersive brewing method extracts a solid level of sweetness and rounded body from coffee, and its easy-to-follow method makes it ideal for daily brewing or sharing with others. While simple to use, it’s also a method that benefits from a few technical considerations which greatly influence clarity and flavour.

Watch our brew video and follow the step-by-step guide to get the most from your french press brewer.

Our Approach

Recipe: Coffee: 15g (coarse) | Water: 250g at 97°C | Brew time: 6:00

Equipment: Fellow Clara | Acaia Scales | Feature Coffee Subscription

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Step by Step Guide

Step 1

Prepare your setup. Gather all ingredients and equipment.

Step 2

Heat your brewing water to 97°C and preheat french press with hot water. Dispose of water when vessel is warm.

Step 3

Grind 15g of coffee to a coarse consistency (granulated sugar texture) and add into the french press.

Step 4

Place the french press on the scales, tare to zero, start your timer, and pour over 250g of hot water, ensuring all grinds are immersed. Stir 3 times.

Step 5

Add plunger to the top of the french press and allow to brew for 3:00 minutes.

Step 6

At 3:00, take the plunger out and gently stir 3 times. Skim off top layer of coffee with two tablespoons and dispose.

Step 7

Place the plunger back on and brew until 6:00 minutes.

Step 8

At 6:00, plunge slightly, until the mesh filter is touching the surface of the coffee in the cafetière.

Step 9

Decant all brewed coffee into a carafe or cups to prevent further extraction. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Why Brew with a French Press?

The french press is a classic immersion brewer: coffee grounds steep directly in hot water, allowing for an even extraction and a naturally full-bodied profile. Its simplicity is one of its biggest advantages, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for beginners. When dialled in, the method offers creative control over body, flavour, and strength. It’s also a social brewer. Available in multiple sizes, it’s perfect for serving multiple cups at once, making it a versatile piece of brewing equipment for busy households, guests, or slow mornings for one.

Expert Tip

"A simple brewer that can deliver punchy flavour. Ensure you plunge gently and decant straight away after brewing to keep the clarity and sweetness in the cup.”

Freda Yuan, Director of Coffee

Brewing Tips

Choosing freshly roasted coffee is key to getting the most from your cafetière.
It is recommended to rinse the cafetière immediately after use to prevent oils and grind build-up, with periodic deeper cleans using a mild washing up liquid.
Brewing coffee with a cafetière tends to emphasise the depth and richness of coffee, so we recommend choosing coffees with chocolate and nut notes with rounded profiles, or fruiter ones if you enjoy a heavy mouthfeel.
We use a 1:16 ratio in our recipe, which equates to 15g coffee to 250g water. For larger or smaller cafetières, scale this ratio accordingly.

French Press Brew Guide

How to Brew French Press

Our Approach

Fellow Clara French Press

Acaia Lunar Scale

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