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The Ultimate French Press Technique by James Hoffmann

I. Preparation and Ingredients​

  • Patience Required: This technique is not quick; it requires patience to allow for settling time.
  • Coffee & Grind:
    • Use fresh, freshly roasted coffee.
    • Do not grind super coarse. Hoffmann recommends a medium grind.
  • A ratio of 60 to 70 grams of coffee per litre of water is a good starting point (e.g., 30g coffee to 500g water).
  • Water: Use fresh, clean, and soft water. If the water doesn't taste delicious on its own, it won't make great coffee.
  • Scale: Use digital weighing scales to ensure consistency and repeatability for both good and bad brews.

II. Brewing Steps (The Immersion)​

  1. Dose and Pour: Put the medium-ground coffee into the French press. Pour the right amount of boiled water on top.
  2. First Steep (4 Minutes): Let the coffee and water sit for 4 minutes. Do not stir initially.
  3. Break the Crust and Scoop: After 4 minutes, grab a spoon and gently stir the crust that has formed on top of the coffee. This causes most of the grounds to fall away. Then, gently scoop off the remaining floating bits and foam and discard them.

III. The Crucial Waiting Period (Settling)​

  • Second Steep (5+ Minutes): This is the most important step. Do nothing at all for at least 5 minutes.
  • Purpose: As the coffee sits, all the remaining fine, floating particles (the sludge/silt) will start to fall down and settle at the bottom of the press. The longer you wait, the cleaner the cup will taste. Hoffmann suggests waiting 5, maybe 7 or 8 minutes.

IV. Serving (The Gentle Plunge)​

  1. Plunge: When you are ready to drink, put the plunger in, but do not plunge all the way down. Plunging stirs up all the sediment you just waited for to settle.
  2. Strain: Push the plunger just until it is sitting on the surface of the coffee. This serves as a strainer for any remaining large floating pieces.
  3. Pour: Gently pour the coffee out into your cup.

The result is a delicious, silt- and sludge-free cup of French press coffee.