A measured starting point for French press coffee
Use a repeatable coffee dose, a timer and your press instructions to make a useful brewing record.
A French press recipe is easier to repeat when the coffee and water are weighed. For a practice batch, 20 g of coffee with 320 g of water gives a 1:16 input ratio. Use a smaller batch if your press cannot hold that amount with the clearance its maker requires.
Prepare a measured batch
Place the press on a stable surface and check the glass, handle and filter assembly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your model. Do not use a damaged vessel.
Measure the coffee separately, then measure the water you add. A scale underneath the press must support the combined mass of the vessel, coffee and water. Taring the display does not increase its capacity.
Follow the press instructions
Bodum’s DOURO instructions specify coarse ground coffee, water at 92 to 96 degrees Celsius and at least 2.5 cm of space below the top. They describe stirring with a wooden or plastic spoon, placing the plunger on top and waiting four minutes before lowering it slowly.
Treat those details as guidance for that product, and check your own press instructions where they differ. Keep your face away from hot water and do not force a resisting plunger. Pour carefully once the press is ready.
Record the result
A note reading only ‘four minutes’ leaves out most of the recipe. Record the coffee, dose, water mass, grind setting and timing point. For example, state whether your timer started with the first water or after the pour ended.
If you want to change the next cup, alter one recorded variable first. Keep a short note in your own words about the result. That gives the next batch a specific starting point without pretending that someone else’s recipe predicts your preference.
