Best coffee for French Press, brewed at home with Harlo Coffee Roasters

FRENCH PRESS

If you are searching for how to make French Press coffee, best coffee beans for French Press, or a simple French Press brew guide you can follow at home, this page is for you. We walk you through French Press step by step so you can brew rich, smooth coffee with a full body and clear flavor.

You will learn how to choose the right grind size for French Press, how much coffee and water to use for a simple French Press ratio, and how long to steep before you plunge. This French Press coffee guide works with single origin Colombian coffee, other single origins, and blends, as long as you use a coarse grind and the right brew time.

Use this page when you want a French Press recipe that is easy to remember, good enough for specialty coffee, and simple to adjust stronger or lighter. Whether you drink single origin Colombian coffee, Ethiopian coffee, or any other origin, these steps will help your French Press taste better and more consistent.

Choose your coffee for French Press, best coffee beans for French Press

Step 1: Choose the right coffee for immersion brewing

  • French Press works best with coffee that tastes good with a full body and immersion style brewing.

  • Look for whole bean coffee labeled French Press, immersion brew, or filter coffee, not espresso grind and not instant coffee.

  • Medium to medium dark roast is a good starting point if you want classic, rich French Press coffee with chocolatey and nutty notes.

  • If you like brighter, fruitier cups, you can use single origin coffees and still follow this same French Press brew guide.

  • If you like heavier, more intense cups, slightly darker roasts can work well in French Press as long as you control your steep time.

  • Always aim for freshly roasted coffee for French Press, because this method highlights both good and bad flavors in the cup.

Measure your coffee and water, simple French Press coffee ratio

Step 2: Dial in your French Press coffee ratio

A clear French Press ratio makes your brew repeatable and easier to adjust.

  • Start with a 1 to 16 French Press coffee ratio, which means 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water.

  • For one standard French Press (about 16 oz / 480 g of water), use 30 g of coffee and 480 g of water.

  • This French Press recipe gives a balanced cup, not too strong and not too weak, for most coffees.

  • If you want a stronger, heavier French Press, move closer to 1 to 15 by adding a bit more coffee with the same water.

  • If you want a lighter cup, move closer to 1 to 17 by using slightly less coffee with the same amount of water.

Set your grind size for French Press, coarse grind for rich flavor

Step 3: Grind your coffee coarse

Grind size is critical for French Press because the coffee steeps in the water instead of passing through quickly like drip.

  • Use a burr grinder and set it to a coarse grind for French Press, not medium and not fine.

  • Coarse grind for French Press should look like breadcrumbs or coarse sea salt, with clearly defined pieces, not powder.
  • If your French Press coffee tastes harsh, bitter, or very muddy, your grind is probably too fine and you should adjust coarser.

  • If your French Press coffee tastes thin, weak, or sour and the grounds look like big rocks, your grind is probably too coarse and you should adjust a bit finer.

  • Small grind changes will help your French Press coffee develop a rich body with clear, pleasant flavor instead of mud or sharpness.

Bloom and fill your French Press, bring out fresh coffee flavor

Step 4: Add coffee, bloom, and fill with hot water

Blooming your coffee helps it release gas and improves extraction in your French Press.

  • Add your 30 g of coarse ground coffee to the bottom of the empty French Press.

  • Start your timer and pour just enough hot water, about 60 g, to wet all the grounds and make sure everything is saturated.

  • Stir gently to mix water and coffee, then let it sit for about 30 seconds while the coffee blooms and releases gas.

  • After the bloom, pour the rest of your hot water slowly until you reach 480 g total, covering all the grounds evenly.

  • Place the lid on the French Press with the plunger pulled all the way up to keep the heat in, but do not press yet.

Steep and plunge your French Press, smooth and full bodied coffee

Step 5: Let it steep, then press gently

Steep time controls how strong and developed your French Press coffee tastes.

  • After you fill the French Press and place the lid on, let the coffee steep for a total of about 4 minutes.

  • At around 3 minutes and 30 seconds, remove the lid and give the coffee a gentle stir to break the crust on top.

  • Skim off any excess foam if you want a cleaner cup, then place the lid back on with the plunger still up.

  • At 4 minutes, press the plunger down slowly and evenly until it reaches the bottom of the French Press.

  • If your coffee tastes too strong or harsh, try a slightly shorter steep time or a coarser grind next time.

  • If your coffee tastes too light or flat, steep a little longer or use a touch more coffee with the same water amount.

Taste and adjust your French Press, how to make French Press coffee taste better

Step 6: Pour, taste, and fine tune your French Press recipe

  • After pressing, pour the coffee into mugs or a separate server right away so it does not keep extracting in the French Press.

  • Taste the coffee and notice if it feels rich and smooth, or if it leans sour, weak, bitter, or too heavy.

  • If your French Press coffee tastes sour, sharp, or too light, keep the same ratio but grind a little finer next time or extend the steep time by about 30 seconds.

  • If your French Press coffee tastes bitter, harsh, or muddy, keep the same ratio but grind a little coarser or shorten the steep time slightly.

  • Write down your coffee dose, water amount, grind setting, and steep time so you can repeat your favorite French Press coffee recipe any time