French Press recipe and dial-in guide
Updated
Coarse coffee steeps in the full water charge, then a metal mesh plunger separates it. Heavy-bodied, with the oils left in.
A starting French Press recipe
This is where Cuplift starts a new French Press brewer before it knows anything about the coffee. Once you add a bean, the recipe adjusts for roast, process and altitude, then learns from what you taste.
| Size | Coffee | Water | Ratio | Grind | Temp | Brew time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-cup | 20g | 300ml | 1:15 | 800µm (Coarse) | 94°C | 4:00 |
| 8-cup | 60g | 900ml | 1:15 | 800µm (Coarse) | 94°C | 4:00 |
| 12-cup | 85g | 1275ml | 1:15 | 800µm (Coarse) | 94°C | 4:00 |
Grind is in microns because a click means something different on every grinder. 800µm is about 27 clicks on a Comandante C40. Filter: Metal mesh (built-in).
Steps (3-cup)
- Add 20g coffee at 800µm
- Pour all 300ml at 94°C
- Stir gently x1
- Steep until 4:00
- Plunge slowly (~20s)
Dialling in a French Press
The French Press is an immersion brewer, which decides which changes are open to you.
- Grind leads, but steep time is almost as direct — and it has no side effects to untangle.
- Stirring speeds extraction and stirs up fines; agitate less if the cup turns muddy.
- Temperature and water minerals come after grind and time.
Whatever the problem, change one thing per brew. The dial-in guide covers the order to fix things in.