Ingredients
Method
- Heat the water in a kettle until it boils. Take it off the heat and let it stand for about 30 seconds, until it is just under boiling, 195 to 205°F.
- Meanwhile, choose a level, dry surface where the press will not slip and stand the pot on it. Lift out the plunger and check that it is drawn fully up.
- Measure the ground coffee into the empty pot.
- Pour the hot water over the grounds with care, then stir with a chopstick or a wooden spoon until all of the grounds are wet.
- Set the lid and plunger on top of the pot without pushing the plunger down. Time a 4-minute steep.
- Steady the pot by its handle, take the plunger knob in the other hand, and push down slowly at a steady, even rate.
- Pour all of the coffee right away in a slow, steady stream, holding the lid knob in place. Coffee left on the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter, so move any that will not be drunk at once to a carafe or insulated jug.
Notes
Other press sizes: allow 1 1/2 tablespoons (about 8 grams) of coarsely ground coffee per 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of water, or with a scale, 1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water. Leave at least 1 inch of space below the rim.
For stronger or milder coffee, change the amount of coffee rather than the steeping time; steeping much longer than 4 minutes draws out bitterness.
Equipment: a French press pot, a kettle, a wooden spoon or chopstick, and a clock or timer.
Avoid metal utensils for stirring: a glass beaker can be scratched, chipped or broken by them.
Grinding whole beans fresh for each batch gives the best results. The grounds should look like coarse breadcrumbs; a fine grind slips through the mesh and makes muddy, bitter coffee.
Serve black, lightened with steamed milk or a splash of half-and-half, or sweetened with some flavored syrup.