As with all extraction methods, it is advisable to adjust the variables as you use this brewing method. However, you can start with a standard recipe.
Below we share a base recipe from the Specialty Coffee Association of America for three cups.
To begin, you need the following basic elements:
- Filtered water: 660 ml (660 g) to prepare your coffee, and additional water to preheat your French Press.
- Plétora, Café del Bosque, coarse grind: 36 g.
- A teapot or carafe to heat the water.
- A measuring spoon or scale.
- One French Press for three cups (350ml/12oz).
- Two spoons.
If you want to brew your coffee with a higher level of specialization, we recommend to use a scale, a timer or stopwatch, a grinder (preferably with grinding wheels, as blade grinders heat the coffee when grinding, affecting the roast) and Plétora, Café del Bosque beans to grind at the moment.
Now you are ready to start! But first, read the complete recipe to know all the steps that you must follow.
Standard French Press Recipe
Brewing time: approx. 12 minutes.
Step 1. Make sure your French Press is clean.
Step 2. Heat the filtered water until it boils. The ideal temperature is 93.5 ºC (220 ºF).
Step 3. Preheat the French Press with a small amount of hot water. Discard this water (tip: once it cools down, you can use it to water your plants so you don't waste it).
Step 4. Add Plétora, Café del Bosque, coarse grind (36 g) to your French Press.
Step 5. Start the timer. Add the hot filtered water (540 ml / 540 g) to the French Press making sure to saturate the entire grind. If you have a scale, before adding the water, place the French Press on the scale and tare it; then add the water to the exact amount (540 g).
Step 6. Place the lid on your French Press without lowering the plunger.
Step 7. Once the timer shows two minutes, remove the lid and gently stir the coffee. Add the remaining water (120 ml/120 g). With a spoon, remove the oils and ground coffee floating on the surface of your French Press.
Step 8. Start the timer again. Place the lid on and after four minutes, slowly push the plunger all the way down.
Step 9. Ready, serve your coffee and enjoy!
For larger volume French Presses, for each additional cup, add one more tablespoon of Plétora, Café del Bosque, coarse grind (12 g), and 220 ml more water, making sure your French Press has enough capacity.
How to adjust the brew?
From the basic recipe, you can make adjustments to prepare your best cup. For example, if you prefer a more concentrated coffee, use less water or more coffee.
If you like the typical Mexican café de olla, add a pinch of cinnamon to the French Press before adding the first portion of water, or if you want to recreate Middle Eastern coffee, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
Why use the French Press?
The French Press is a method of brewing coffee by immersion, that is, the coffee is extracted by completely submerging it in hot water. By using a more porous filter compared to other methods (for example, the paper or cloth filter in the drip or pour-over method), more of the coffee oils are allowed to pass through.
The French Press presents certain benefits such as the practicality of using it at home, its ease of use and the possibility of preparing several cups of coffee at the same time.
In addition, the French Press allows you to have a very complete cup in flavors, maintaining the acidity and sweetness of the coffee, and providing a great body.
Because of the above, it is ideal to initiate you in the brewing of a specialty coffee.