STEP 1

Bring enough water to fill the French press to a boil. For a 17-oz press, you'll need about 350 grams. While the water is heating, grind your coffee. French press coffee calls for a coarse, even grind. We recommend starting with a 1:12 coffee-to-water ratio. If you're using 350 grams of water, you’ll want 30 grams of coffee.

STEP 3

Pour the remaining water and place the lid gently on top of the grounds. Don’t plunge just yet. Let the coffee steep for four minutes. Four. Don’t guess.

STEP 2

To start, gently pour twice the amount of water than you have coffee onto your grounds. For example, if you have 30 grams of coffee, you’ll want to start with 60 grams of water.Give the grounds a gentle stir with a bamboo paddle or chopstick. Allow the coffee to bloom for 30 seconds.

STEP 4

Press the filter down. If it’s hard to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger “thunks” immediately down to the floor, it means your grind is too coarse. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is 15–20 pounds. 
When you’ve finished pressing, serve the coffee immediately. Don’t let it sit, as this will cause it to continue brewing and over-extract.