How Long To Steep French Press? Brew Like A Pro Barista!

Learn how long to steep French press coffee, what the perfect grind size, coffee to water ratio is and how to perfectly bloom your coffee to brew the most perfect French press coffee.

If you are in a rush and capable and competent with this brewing method, the ideal steep time for French press brewing is from 4 minutes to 5 minutes.

Keep reading for more details!

How Long To Steep French Press?

The question, how long to steep your coffee in a French press to make the perfect cup of coffee, is very important as this is the process that extracts the flavors and oils from your ground coffee.

The ideal steeping time is from 4 minutes to 5 minutes. Outside of this time frame, will result in a weak and watery coffee if your brew time (steeping time) is less than 4 minutes.

If your steeping time is longer than 5 minutes, your coffee will be too strong and overtly bitter.

Read: French press Vs Pour over

French Press Water Temp

Your French press water temperature, also known as the brewing temperature, should be in the 195F (92C) and 205F (96C), ideally nearer to the 205F (96C) temperature as you can get.

As you can see, the temperature is almost at the boiling point, which is 212F (100C) but a few degrees cooler.

The exact and short ideal temperature range is not there for any coffee snobbery it to perfect extraction temperature range as above 205F (96C) your hot water will start to over extract, and you will get coffee that is overtly bitter and with burnt tastes.

Below 195F (92C) your coffee will under extract, leading to a slightly sour and bland tasting cup of coffee.

The only exception to this is cold brew coffee, which is brewed at room temperature or in your fridge at a very low temperature. Cold brew coffee compensates for the low temperature with a very long brew time that is from 18 hours to 24 hrs+.

French Press Grind Size

It is very important that you use the correct grind size for French press coffee brewing and all other coffee brewing methods and techniques.

Like all coffee brewing methods, you will maximize the flavor potential by using freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee, and thus it is best that you grind your own coffee beans.

A French press coffee requires the use of a coarse grind of 0.75 mm to 1 mm. If your grind size is too fine, you risk over extraction and an overtly bitter coffee.

Too large a grind size, and you risk a coffee that is too weak and watery.

It is also critically important that your grind is of a high quality and consistent size. This is best achieved with a ceramic flat burr grinder.

Read: French press or Pour over?

French Press Coffee Ratio

The perfect French press coffee ratio, which is in reference to the coffee to water ratio, is 1:15.

That’s 1 part coffee and 15 parts water. For every gram of ground coffee you must use 15 grams (15 ml) of water.

This ratio will produce a bold, intense and great tasting cup of coffee. This is a starting point if you have never tried French press coffee before.

If you like, or need your coffee to be stronger, you can try 1:14, 1:13 and 1:12 ratios.

Any stronger, and perhaps you are better using another brewing method like a moka pot.

In the unlikely event of the standard ratio of 1:15 being too strong, you can add more water and make it a 1:16 or 1:17 ratio. It is very unlikely that a 1:18 ratio will be needed as this is a very weak and watery coffee for this brewing technique.

French Press Bloom

If you want to get the best tasting coffee, for whatever coffee brewing method, you will need to bloom your ground.

Blooming is also known as degassing as you are allowing the gas to escape from your grounds before you move on to the brewing process.

It’s a skill and part of brewing that is easily learned and really shouldn’t be skipped over.

Simply add your coffee grounds to your French press coffee maker, your coffee press and add enough hot water to wet your grounds by using twice as much water by weight.

For example, if you are brewing with 30 grams of coffee, weigh 60 grams of hot water (60 ml, 2 Oz) and pour it into your coffee press.

Wait, better time 30 seconds, and let your coffee grounds degas and bloom.

Pour the rest of your water, give your grounds a gentle stir and continue the brewing process. letting your coffee grounds extract for 4 to 5 minutes.

Read: Pour over Vs French press

Bodum French Press Instructions

The instructions for making French press coffee using a Bodum French press are the same regardless of whom the manufacturer of your brewing equipment is.

Bodum is the leading brand and manufacturer of this particular piece of brewing equipment.

Ingredients Needed For Brewing French Press Coffee

Very few ingredients are needed for making great coffee with this brewing technique. At Latte Love Brew, we encourage you to use the baristas principle of using the best ingredients and the best equipment in order to get the best results.

The ingredients that you will need are as follows:

• Specialty Grade freshly roasted medium, medium dark, or dark roasted whole coffee beans.
• Bottled water or filtered water.
• Milk and sugar as desired.

Specialty grade or premium quality coffee beans are best as you are putting in the effort to brew great coffee. Bottled water, or at the minimum filtered water is better as coffee is 98% water and the better your water, the better your coffee will be.

Equipment Needed

Very few pieces of equipment are needed. You will need the following equipment to make the perfect French press coffee.

• Ceramic Flat Burr Grinder.
• Digital Coffee Scale.
• Bodum French Press.

Bodum French Press Instructions

Follow these instructions step by step for making a perfect 12 ounces (360 ml) cup of French press coffee.

Step 1: Weigh Your Beans

Sticking to the coffee to water ratio of 1:15 weight 360 / 15 = 24 grams (0.8 Oz) of whole coffee beans using your digital coffee scale.

Step 2: Heat Your Water

Heat your water to 96C (205F). You can use either digital temperature control kettle or boil your water and monitor the temperature of your water.

Step 3: Pre-heat Your Bodum French Press

Pour a little of your hot water into your Bodum French press, swirl it around inside your coffee brewing device to preheat it and discard.

Step 4: Grind Your Coffee Beans

Grind your coffee beans to a coarse grind size using your ceramic flat burr grinder.

Grind in bursts of 5 seconds and rest for 3 seconds between bursts.

Recheck your water temperature and reheat if it has dropped below 96C (205F).

Step 5: Bloom Your Coffee

Add the 24 grams of your coffee to your coffee press and add 48 grams of your water and allow 30 seconds for your coffee to degas and bloom.

Step 6: Pour The Rest Of Your Hot Water

Pour the remainder of your 360 ml of water. Stir you ground gently. Lower the plunger to just below the water line.

Let your coffee extract for 4 mins to 5 mins.

Step 7: Plunge It!

Press down on your plunger with an even and steady pressure, until it gets to the bottom of your French press.

Your coffee is now ready. Pour and enjoy.

Why French Press Coffee Is Bad For You?

French press coffee is not terribly bad and awful for you. In fact, quite the opposite, for the vast majority French press coffee is healthy and has all the health benefits associated with coffee, which range from being great for your cardiovascular health, brain health, liver health and more.

But for a small minority of people that have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, due to cafestol, which is present in coffee oils, raises your cholesterol levels French press coffee is perhaps not for you.

To remove the cafestol, you are best using a coffee brewing technique that makes use of a paper filter. Pour over coffee, AeroPress, Siphon Coffee are methods to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long To Steep French Press

Can You Steep French Press Too Long?

Yes, with any coffee brewing method, including French press coffee brewing, over extraction is a problem and will lead to an overtly bitter cup of coffee that is not enjoyable to drink.

You will also extract more of the acidic compounds. resulting in a highly acidic coffee that may upset your stomach.

How Long Do You Wait To Push Down A French Press?

French press brewing requires patience. When you have your coffee ready and the plunger just below the water line the next question in your mind is how long to steep French press, the ideal time is from 4 minute to 5 minutes.

Do You Stir French Press Coffee Once It Steeps And Why?

Yes, give your French press coffee a light stir to redistribute your coffee ground before you lower your plunger to just below the water line.

If you don’t stir, you will get an uneven extraction with the majority of the coffee extracting at the bottom of your carafe.

 Why Do You Push A French Press Slowly?

The reason for pushing down slowly and evenly on your French press coffee brewer plunger is to ensure that you don’t disturb the coffee too much, to take into consideration the resistance caused by the water and to ensure that you filter all the coffee particles.

Should You Plunge French Press All The Way?

When you start the brewing process, it is important that the plunger is raised and just below the water line. When you push down, you must push down all the way to the bottom to ensure that your ground coffee is correctly and perfectly filtered out and does not get into your coffee beverage.

Do You Stir Or Don’t Stir French Press?

Yes, while some baristas don’t stir French press coffee, it is best that you stir lightly with a long wooden spoon or a chopstick.

The result is a better quality of extraction and more even distribution of the grounds while they are extracting instead of all the coffee extracting at the bottom of your coffee.

The result is a much better tasting cup of coffee.

Why Is There No Metal Spoon For French Press?

It would be great if a French press came with a specific spoon for stirring. A metal spoon would chip and scratch the internal surface of your coffee carafe.

A long plastic spoon, the hot water will extract the phyto estrogens and xeno estrogens into your brew, thus a long wooden spoon is better.

Do You Need To Bloom French Press?

Yes, it is best that you let your coffee bloom for all brewing methods, including French press coffee brewing.

When you allow your coffee to bloom before brewing, you will release the trapped gases and get a much better tasting cup of coffee.

Final Thoughts – How Long To Steep French Press?

If you are skimming and scrolling down looking for the answer to how long to steep French press coffee and missed the answer above here it is again; the perfect brew time is from 4 minutes to 5 minutes.

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