Whether you’re a French press newbie or an advanced home barista, here are some easy French press recipes anyone can use to make that perfect cup!
Make French Press Coffee
The French press is a tried and true coffee maker that anyone can use to make coffee at home. Instead of running water through the grounds like a standard drip coffee maker, the French press lets the grounds sit in hot water, and then presses them to extract more flavor.
A traditional French press is easy to use and makes a tasty brew, but some users find they get grounds in their coffee mug. The traditional press can also be a pain to clean—unless you dump all the grounds in your sink, which causes a big mess. So, unless snaking the drain is your idea of a relaxing Sunday morning, coffee grounds are best put in the trash.
The Simpli Press is the new, slick sports car of French presses. With a super fine double-etched filter, you get a rich, smooth brew that’s grind-free. Plus, cleanup is a breeze with the easy grounds removal system!
Here are step-by-step instructions anyone can follow to make a tasty brew in a French press or (our personal favorite) a Simpli Press.
French Press Coffee Recipe
Step 1: Preheat The Carafe
A hot carafe helps you maintain an even brewing temperature. To preheat, simply pour hot (not boiling) water into the carafe and coffee basket to let all the components warm up. After a minute or so, discard the water.
Step 2: Grind Your Coffee
Freshly ground coffee beans have a richer flavor than pre-ground beans. And grinding them at home means you can control the size of your grind. The traditional French press requires coarse coffee grounds to keep them from seeping through the mesh filter and into your coffee. Because of this, use a burr grinder to grind your beans to the size of coarse sea salt. But when brewing with Simpli Press, you can use medium-fine grounds to get a richer, more flavorful brew with up to 40% higher extraction compared to coarse grinds. Coffee made from medium-fine grounds also has more caffeine than coffee made from coarse grounds, so you get a more energizing brew! It’s the perfect fuel for a busy Saturday morning brunch at home or your morning pick-me-up before you head off on your daily adventures.
Step 3: Heat Your Water
While you grind your coffee and preheat your carafe, you can begin heating the water for your coffee. The perfect temperature for French press coffee is 195-200°F. If you have an electric kettle, you can set it to the correct temperature and let it do its thing. If you don't have one, bring water to a boil on the stovetop. Turn off the heat and let it rest for about 30 to 60 seconds before pouring into the carafe.
Step 4: Add Coffee and Hot Water
For the French press or Simpli Press, a 1:15 to 1:17 coffee-to-water ratio will yield great results. At 1:16 (right in the middle of that recommended range), we would use 30 grams of coffee to 480 grams of water.
If you’re using the Simpli Press and you’re not into measuring or weighing your coffee-to-water ratio, simply use the pre-measured lines in the coffee basket and carafe for easy brewing.
Add your coffee to your coffee basket or the carafe if you’re using a traditional model. Then pour hot water into the carafe slowly, being sure to wet the grounds evenly.
Step 5: Set Your Timer
Now it's time to wait!
Set your timer for three minutes for the Simpli Press, or four minutes for a traditional press. Stir after one minute, and again after two minutes.
We don't recommend using a metal spoon, to prevent breaking your carafe!
Step 6: Press
Time to press!
Put the lid of the press on, with the plunger lifted up to the top.
With a French press, you’ll push the plunger down gently. Then pour out your coffee.
With Simpli Press, push the plunger down until it reaches the top of the coffee basket. Pour out some of your brew into your coffee mug. Then press the plunger down firmly (but not hard!) into the coffee basket, and enjoy the rest.
Step 7: Clean Up
Now, it’s time to clean up so the press is ready for your next cup. Lift the plunger straight out of your Simpli Press to pull everything—filter, coffee basket, and used grounds—all at once. Then pull the filter from the coffee basket and dump those grounds into the trash or compost bin. Easy!
We never loved cleaning after our French presses until Simpli Press entered our lives!
(By the way, coffee grounds are great for roses and plants in general. Mix a cup of grounds with a gallon of water and pour around your bushes for roses that will make the neighbors thorny with envy.)
If you have a traditional French press, you'll need to scoop the grounds out of the carafe. Keep a paper towel handy, because this can get messy!
Try to prevent the grounds from going down your drain, as coffee grounds can clog your sink.
Do you have a favorite recipe with your French press or Simpli Press? Let us know! Follow @simplipress on Instagram, and tag us!