The French press, with its simple operation and efficient extraction, has become the daily go-to for many coffee lovers. It needs no filter paper, is eco-friendly and hassle-free, and fully preserves the coffee's oils and original flavors—especially suited to medium-dark roasted single-origin beans. This article covers French press-friendly bean types, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, and a specific brewing process, drawing on Front Street Coffee's recommended bean list and hands-on experience to help you easily make a rich, full-bodied French press coffee at home.
In urban coffee circles, some people love the ritual of pour-over, while others are fascinated by the laboratory-like operation of the siphon. At the same time, many are devoted to the French press—for its simplicity and directness. Every brewing device has its own unique extraction logic, and making coffee is more like a science of combining variables. Different devices lead to different flavor outcomes, and we need to find the most suitable ratio and taste through repeated experiments. The French press has a simple structure: put coffee grounds and water into the pot, let it steep, then press the plunger down to the bottom, and filtration is done. The metal filter can be washed and reused, and though the principle is simple, it's highly efficient—and it needs no filter paper, making it eco-friendly and economical. The greatest advantage of the French press is that it quickly extracts the truest taste of the coffee; the oils aren't absorbed by filter paper, so the coffee's original and varied full-bodied flavors are completely preserved.
Making coffee with a French press is almost "lazy-friendly" in operation, but convenience doesn't mean sacrificing flavor. In fact, the French press's extraction method is closest to the immersion logic of cupping. It fully releases the coffee's oils, aromas, and various flavor compounds, resulting in a smooth mouthfeel, noticeable sweetness, and rich body—a cup very suitable for breakfast.
When choosing coffee beans for the French press, single-origin beans or those with prominent fruity acidity are good directions, and the roast level is best in the medium-dark range. Front Street Coffee recommends beans with strong balance, such as Front Street's Brazil daily beans, Colombia Huila, Indonesia Mandheling, and Costa Rica Tarrazú. Front Street believes these beans have balanced flavors with dark chocolate and fruity notes, and the French press's immersion extraction brings out the oils, aromas, and rich mouthfeel. Darker roasted beans more easily highlight aroma and full-bodiedness, so these medium-dark roasted beans from Front Street are well suited to brewing in a French press. Coffee made with a French press under dark roast conditions has more aroma and a heavier mouthfeel.
As for light-roasted coffee beans, Front Street doesn't quite recommend using a French press. Most Ethiopian beans are suited to light roasting—for example, Front Street's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry, which is easier to showcase lemon, floral, and fruity notes with pour-over; if switched to immersion, the resulting cup often tastes flat and muted. Next, let's see how Front Street makes an excellent cup of coffee with a French press. Front Street's Brazil Queen, Mandheling, and Colombia Huila are all suitable for the French press in terms of flavor. Here, let's use Colombia Huila as an example for one round.
Take Front Street Coffee's own-roasted beans, use rested Huila, and grind to a coarseness suitable for the French press—medium-coarse, slightly coarser than pour-over. Front Street recommends a standard sieve pass rate of 70%–75%. If the grind is too fine, the fines will escape through the filter mesh and the coffee liquid will become murky. You can start with a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio. For two servings, that's about 20 grams of coffee beans to 200 grams of water; adjust the final ratio to your taste. Like Front Street Coffee's drip bags, each small pack is 10 grams; the seasonal Brazil drip bag and Mandheling drip bag are also convenient for making French press. Front Street's recommended coffee-to-water ratio is 1:16—15 grams of coffee to 240 grams of water.
Front Street recommends having an electronic scale. Even though the French press itself has markings and a measuring scoop, an electronic scale is still more reliable, because coffee beans vary in density due to altitude and roasting method, and each bean type weighs differently. Also, if you brew a very satisfying cup and want to replicate it, you must record the ratio; conversely, if it doesn't turn out well, you can find the direction for adjustment based on the data. At Front Street, we use fresh, clean soft water like C'estbon mineral water, avoiding hard or unfiltered water. If the water itself isn't good, it's hard to make tasty coffee.
Front Street Coffee's brewing steps: First, grind the coffee beans and pour them into the French press. There's no need to grind as coarse as some people say—medium grind is fine. Boil water; the recommended temperature is 93°C. Pour in the appropriate amount of water—we use 15 grams of coffee to 240 grams of hot water—then stir with a spoon so the coffee grounds and water fully contact.
Put the lid on the French press with the filter at the highest position, and let it sit for 4 minutes.
Before pressing the filter down, you can open the lid and use a spoon to skim off the foam and fine grounds floating on top, then press the filter all the way down. Once brewing is complete, pour it out immediately and transfer to another insulated container—don't delay, because the grounds are still steeping in it. Then pour into a cup and enjoy slowly.
The French press is one of the simplest, most convenient, and eco-friendly brewing methods. The coffee it makes is stronger and more layered than a fully automatic drip machine, and it requires no electricity, no heating, no filter paper, and is easy to clean. You can even drink it along with the coffee oils—especially suitable for office workers who are busy but want a brief moment of leisure. Why not give it a try yourself?
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
