Brew Basics: French Press | Fratello Coffee

Equipment You'll Need

Boil Water: Bring enough water to fill the French Press to a boil.
Grind and Weigh Coffee: While the water is heating, grind your coffee to a coarse texture and weigh out 30 grams.
Bloom the Coffee: Pour twice the amount of water than you have coffee onto your grounds (e.g., 60 grams of water for 30 grams of coffee). Stir gently with a wooden spoon and allow the coffee to bloom for 30 seconds.
Pour Remaining Water: Fill the French Press with the remaining water and place the lid on top.
Steep: Allow the coffee to steep for exactly 4 minutes.
Press: Gently press the filter down. The ideal pressure is 15-20 lbs. If it's too hard to press, your grind is too fine; if it's too easy, your grind is too coarse.
Serve Immediately: Decant the coffee right away to prevent over-extraction.

Hard to Press: If the plunger is hard to press, your grind is too fine.
Plunger Drops Quickly: If the plunger drops too quickly, your grind is too coarse.
Bitter Taste: If the coffee is bitter, it may be over-extracted. Reduce the steeping time.
Weak Flavor: If the coffee is weak, consider using a finer grind or increasing the steeping time.

Stir Before Pressing: A gentle stir before pressing can help in even extraction, making your coffee taste more balanced.
Use a Burr Grinder: A burr grinder will give you a more consistent coarse grind than a blade grinder, which is crucial for French Press brewing.
Bloom to Boom: Don't skip the bloom process. It helps off-gas the coffee, leading to a cleaner cup.
Water Quality Matters: Use filtered water if possible. The quality of water can significantly impact the taste of your coffee.