Cafetiere & French Press Coffee Brewing Guide

French Press, also known as a Cafetiere, is a rich and full-bodied coffee and comes with its own aura of sophistication! At first glance, the unassuming French Press looks simple, but like most coffee brewing methods, in order to get the best coffee experience, you need to get the method right. To avoid a bitter and chalk-like coffee, ensure it is decanted immediately after brewing (to avoid any of the granules from forming a suspension and over-extraction). With a brewing time of under 4 minutes, you'll be enjoying your coffee soon enough...

FRENCH PRESS / CAFETIERE

SERVES 5-6

You will need:
  • Cafetiere / French Press
  • Grinder
  • Freshly ground coffee (medium)
  • Pouring kettle
  • Scales
  • Timer
  • Wooden spoon
French Press Brewing Guide
Cafetiere Brewing Guide

Step 1

Bring your water to the boil and let it cool down to 90 degrees. For a 5-6 cup press, you'll need about 400ml

 

Step 2

Grind your coffee beans to an even medium/coarse ground. A coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12 is recommended. If you're using 400ml of water, you'll need about 35g of ground coffee.

Step 3

To begin with, put the coffee grounds into the press and slowly pour double the amount of water than coffee over the grounds. If you have 35g of coffee, you'll need to pour around 70ml of water
French Press Brewing Guide
Cafetiere Brewing Guide

Step 4

Using your wooden spoon or paddle, slowly stir the grounds and let it rest for 30-45 seconds, allowing the coffee to 'bloom'

Step 5

Pour the remaining hot water into the Cafetiere and carefully place the lid on top, pouring grills facing the spout at the front. DO NOT PLUNGE!

Step 6

Allow the coffee to steep for four minutes. Set your timer!

French Press Brewing Guide
French Press Brewing Guide

Step 7

While the Press is on the counter, start pushing the filter downwards. If you feel a lot of resistance, the coffee grounds are too fine, if it goes down with little resistance, the grind is too coarse - experiment with your grinder to get the perfect grind.

Step 8

When the filter is fully pressed down, be sure to serve the coffee immediately. Try not to let it sit for too look as this will lead to over-extraction.
Enjoy!