Things You Should Avoid To Make The Perfect French Press Coffee At Home

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French press coffee is a science and an art form. It might seem almost too simple, especially in the coffee world, where it feels like there's a never-ending stream of new gadgets that all say, "No, this will make the best cup of coffee." But I'm a firm believer that the simplest method often produces the most exquisite result, and that's why I'm a firm believer in the French press.

For those who stand by their Nespresso machine, always get coffee to go, or are otherwise unfamiliar with a French press, it works by steeping coffee with hot water mixed directly into coffee grounds. After a bit of steeping, the grounds are typically pushed down with a plunging apparatus, so that a clean, grounds-free cup can be poured.

I have about 10 years of barista experience under my belt, and just as many years of daily French press brewing. However, I prefer to use mine in a slightly unconventional way to achieve a particularly clean, crisp, and nuanced cup of coffee. I've put together this list of tricks for using a French press — whether you're a seasoned pro or brand new to brewing coffee — to help you achieve that coveted clean, bright taste that us baristas hold so dear. I've combined my own personal tips with the methods of renowned barista James Hoffman to create this comprehensive guide that, if followed, guarantees a cup of coffee that you won't soon forget.

Before you get started brewing French press coffee, the first thing you have to do is, well, acquire a French press. There are plenty of options out there, ranging in size, material, and different levels of quality. First, decide how many cups you'd like to get out of your press, and choose one that's an appropriate size. Then, identify your budget limitations. Unlike a lot of coffee gear, a French press is extremely budget-friendly — you can often find high-quality options for well under $50.

Next, you'll want to determine what matters most to you when brewing, primarily in terms of taste and temperature. Many baristas favor a glass French press (this ESPRO French Press is a fan favorite) since the material doesn't alter the taste of the coffee. It's also helpful to be able to see where the grounds are in your brew, especially when using the method described in this list.

Others, myself included, like a stainless steel press for its campsite-friendly durability and ability to keep coffee hot, despite potentially imparting a slight metallic taste — I recommend this Coffee Gator French Press. Ceramic is a decent option too, for its heat retention abilities, plus it usually doesn't impart any flavors on the coffee. Some baristas love these for their stylish aesthetic and sturdy, professional feel, but they're pricier, harder to come by, and are heavy and prone to chips and cracks.

Since even top-of-the-line French presses are generally very affordable, there's no reason to opt for a cheap, generic brand. Cheap glass presses are more likely to crack, and a cup of coffee full of glass shards sounds like one of the worst ways to start the day. If you're on the hunt for a glass French press, make sure the one you choose is made of borosilicate glass, which is a durable type of glass that won't crack when exposed to extreme heat. Most glass presses are made with borosilicate glass, but still, double-check the label before you buy.

Avoid choosing a plastic French press. It might be ultra-affordable, but it'll absorb flavors over time and make your coffee taste funky. Some cheaper, generic brand insulated stainless steel presses are also best avoided — they don't keep coffee hot for nearly as long as those built with higher-quality materials and more intricate construction. If you're not worried about keeping your coffee hot for a long time, this may not be an issue, but the cheaper presses are also more likely to let grounds sneak past the filter, and that's certainly something that no coffee drinker can look past in favor of a low price tag.

Once you've acquired your high-quality French press in your material of choice, treat it to a bag of fresh roasted beans. There's no law that says you can't brew French press coffee with pre-ground beans from the grocery store, but your brew won't be nearly as good as it can be, because no expert brewing method can save bad beans. Pre-ground grocery store coffee isn't as fresh as whole bean coffee that was roasted recently, and the taste of not-so-fresh beans will be extremely noticeable in a French press cup.

To ensure maximum possible freshness in your beans, always look for coffee in a waterproof, airtight bag, and always check for a roasted-on date. This date should be somewhat recent, but just the presence of a roasted-on date indicates a fresh bag of beans. You can use any beans at any roast level in the French press, but — even though I prefer light roasts — I always opt for a city roast or full-city roast (medium or medium-dark) to get the most complex and full flavors out of a French press brew. A lighter roast can wind up tasting less developed, but if you're a diehard light roast fan and want to give it a shot, allow the coffee to steep for longer during the second steeping time (don't worry — I'll explain later).

Even though brewing with a French press is a bit more forgiving when it comes to coffee quantity than, say, espresso-making or pourover, it's still a coffee cardinal sin to eyeball the amount of beans you're using while aiming for the perfect cup. A coffee scale is an absolute must for any coffee enthusiast to ensure accurate dosing, and something like this Ultrean 5.9" Rechargeable Coffee Scale will be invaluable. Weigh coffee beans before grinding them for a less messy experience, but whether you weigh before or after grinding should yield the same result. Just make sure all the grounds or beans make it into the French press.

Weighing your coffee beans instead of dosing with a rough guesstimate doesn't just guarantee an accurate ratio — it can also help you fix any errors that you might make. If your coffee ends up tasting too strong and bitter, you'll know exactly how much coffee to use for your next attempt, to ensure that the brew won't be as strong. Alternatively, you'll know just how much more coffee to use if your French press cup ended up tasting weak.

Like a lot of French press drinkers, I spent quite a few years believing that French press coffee required a coarse bean grind, like the texture of chunky sea salt. I always wondered why my coffee either came out weak or required tons of coffee grounds to taste full-bodied and flavorful enough. Oddly enough, it took me a while before I considered that the grind size was likely the culprit and started grinding my beans much more finely. This reduced the amount of coffee I needed and, ultimately, created a much better cup.

A medium-coarse (like kosher salt) or medium (like beach sand) grind is better than a very coarse grind for French press brewing, despite the perpetuation of the coarse-grind myth. This grind size ensures proper extraction but doesn't make the bean particles so small that they escape through the filter and end up in your cup. To get an even, consistent grind, use a burr grinder over a blade grinder. Burr grinders crush the beans rather than slicing them, which results in a much more even grind and, therefore, more even extraction and a better tasting coffee. Instead of an electric grinder, choose one with a manual operation, like this NewlukPro Manual Coffee Grinder, which allows you to slowly achieve the perfect grind size.

Preheating your French press isn't always necessary, especially if you're using an insulated stainless steel press and plan to drink your brew immediately. However, for those of us who brew with a glass French press or like to make a large pot to enjoy over the course of a few hours, preheating the carafe of the press makes a world of difference.

All you have to do to preheat the carafe is boil water before getting started making the coffee — don't bother using filtered or bottled water, unless your tap water is particularly heavily mineralized. Pour the boiled water into the carafe and let it sit while you weigh and grind your beans. Empty the carafe right before you're ready to add the beans and brew them into coffee.

Even if you plan to drink your coffee quickly or are using an insulated press, preheating the French press is useful when brewing using longer steeping times (which we'll dive into later). I always preheat my press because I prefer a cup of coffee that's a little too hot over a little too cool. Reheating coffee in a microwave is a major no-no in the coffee world, so there's nothing to do but accept a slightly disappointing brew if it's a little cold. But if a coffee is too hot, all you have to do is wait it out.

An aspect of coffee-brewing that I don't think gets talked about enough is water quality. If your water doesn't taste very good on its own — if it has a chemical-like or generally muddy, dirty flavor — it certainly won't help in your quest for the most delicious, clean cup of coffee. Hard water is water that contains a high concentration of minerals, and it will alter your coffee's flavor, so avoid using it in your French press brew.

Use a filter for your coffee if you have hard tap water — either one that's attached to your faucet or a filtered container. Alternatively, use bottled drinking water. If you're not sure whether or not your tap water is hard, or if you think it's only mildly mineralized, play it safe and use filtered water or bottled spring water anyway. Avoid using distilled water in your coffee, which is completely devoid of any minerals. Water with a slight presence of minerals, like spring water, is actually good for coffee's flavor. It prevents the brew from being overextracted, and it lends a slightly crisp taste that, if absent, could make your coffee taste flat.

I'm sorry, but the truth is that the perfect cup of coffee does require everyone's least favorite part of making anything in the kitchen: Math. Like every coffee-brewing method, there are general guidelines for brewing with a French press, including a recommended ratio of coffee to water. Typically, coffee and water are added in a 1:14 ratio, respectively. However, that doesn't mean you should always stick with this guideline.

Use the 1:14 ratio as a starting off point when you make your first pot of French press coffee. This ratio should look like 35 grams of coffee grounds to 500 grams of water, but it can be adjusted based on the amount of water that can fit in your French press. Not only is the scale an absolute must for measuring beans, but also for measuring the water for your coffee. Always measure coffee and water in terms of weight (grams, typically) rather than volume (as in, with a measuring cup) to get the most accurate result possible.

If you found that the standard 1:14 ratio produced coffee that was too weak or too strong for your liking, feel free to adjust accordingly. Sometimes it can feel that producing good coffee requires a strict set of rules, but this is far from the case. Most baristas know that taste is subjective, so experimenting is encouraged to create a cup of coffee that's perfect — for you.

Once you have your water and coffee weighed out, your carafe preheated, and your hankering for a delicious cup of coffee primed and ready, it's time to start brewing. If you've made French press coffee in the past, you've likely heard the four-minute rule. After adding the coffee and water, you need to wait four minutes — no less and no longer — for the grounds to steep and extract. This is a crucial step, so make sure to employ a timer rather than estimating the time. I spent a few years casually brewing my French press coffee at home without a timer, trusting my ability to guess how much time had passed. But my brew was always incredibly inconsistent. Who would have thought?

Letting the coffee sit for longer than four minutes during the initial steeping time can make the coffee overextracted, resulting in a bitter, harsh taste. Alternatively, letting the coffee steep for less than the recommended amount of time can make its flavor weak and muted. Four minutes is generally seen as the sweet spot for the most balanced flavor.

During the four minutes that you're waiting for the coffee to extract, you should have a layer of coffee grounds about an inch thick sitting on the surface of the water. If you stuck your plunger into the French press to keep heat from escaping while you were letting it steep, carefully remove it (although I recommend leaving the plunger off to the side during brewing to avoid irritating the grounds too early). Once the four minutes are up, you'll want to use a large spoon to gently stir the crust so that it mixes well with the water. Stirring the coffee and water in the French press breaks up any large clumps, which expands the surface area of the grounds and helps the coffee extract, yielding a more flavorful, bold cup.

Once you've stirred the coffee thoroughly, you'll find that most of the grounds have settled on the bottom of the carafe. Use a clean spoon to skim off any remaining bits of coffee that are still resting on the surface, but don't worry about getting them all, because they'll eventually make their way to the bottom. Then — don't touch the plunger. Even though it seems like the process is finished by this point, you're not quite done yet.

To craft a truly exceptional cup of French press coffee, you're going to want to do things a little differently than you're used to. Instead of sticking the filtered plunger into the carafe after waiting the initial four minutes and stirring, you're going to wait again. Wait at least five minutes for the coffee to continue steeping, but feel free to wait even longer for a more full-bodied, complex coffee. I know, I know — waiting is the hardest part of brewing coffee, but all good things require a little patience. I like to use this time to read about where my coffee comes from, if I'm using a bag of beans that's unfamiliar to me, and clean out my grinder.

I know what you're thinking. "Wouldn't the coffee taste bitter after steeping for nearly 10 whole minutes?" At this point in the process, you don't have to worry about the coffee overextracting and creating a nasty, acrid brew. The water has cooled down from a boiling temperature, which means the grounds are extracting more slowly. There's also little to no movement happening inside the carafe to encourage faster extraction. However, these few minutes of slow, gentle extraction are the reason why this method — initially invented by champion barista James Hoffman — creates such an exquisite cup of coffee.

You read that correctly — this French press method involves no plunging, but hear me out. After you've let the coffee rest for a minimum of five minutes (the longer, the better, remember) you're probably going to be itching to plunge. Instead, grab your plunger and place it in the carafe. Push the plunger down, but only until it's resting on the surface of the water. If you're using a stainless steel French press, this part is a little tricky, since you can't see where the water is. So, plunge extremely slowly, and stop once you feel the gentle resistance of the water's surface.

Once the filter is resting on the surface of the coffee, pour away. You'll likely notice that the coffee is free of grounds, and looks rich and clean. Using the plunger more like a strainer than for its intended purpose means that you aren't disturbing the coffee grounds that have settled on the bottom of the carafe. This reduces the chances that particles will pass through the filter and wind up in your cup. This no-plunge, long-steeping-time method will undoubtedly give you a bold cup with noticeable nuances and bright flavor notes in every sip, with no cream or sugar required.