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# How to Use a French Press: Ratio, Grind and Steps
- URL: https://thecoffeecraft.com/how-to-use-french-press/
- Published: 2026-10-30T22:40:47.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T22:40:47.000Z
- Description: A French press is one of the easiest ways to brew a full-bodied cup at home. Weigh 33 g (about 1.2 oz) of coarse coffee for 500 ml (about 17 fl oz) of water, steep for 4 minutes, press slowly and pour it all out.
- Author: Barista Bianca
- Tags: Brewing & Recipes, #guide, #time: 10 min, #difficulty: Easy, #equipment: French Press, #equipment: Kettle, #equipment: Coffee Scale

A French press is one of the easiest ways to brew a full-bodied cup at home. Weigh 33 g (about 1.2 oz) of coarse coffee for 500 ml (about 17 fl oz) of water, steep for 4 minutes, press slowly and pour it all out.

Below: the exact numbers, the steps, and fixes for a cup that tastes off. The French press is one of several immersion brewers; to compare it with the others, browse [every brewing method](https://thecoffeecraft.com/tag/brewing-methods/).

## How a French press works

Coarse coffee steeps in hot water inside a narrow cylinder. A plunger with a fine stainless steel or nylon mesh then holds the grounds at the bottom while you pour. At its lowest point the plunger still leaves about 30 mm (about 1.2 in) of space, so it never squeezes the grounds. You'll also see it called a coffee press, a cafetière or a coffee plunger, depending on the country.

## What you need

- A French press
- A kettle
- A digital scale
- A measuring cup (for the water)
- A burr grinder (recommended for an even coarse grind)
- A timer
- Fresh whole-bean coffee and cold, filtered water if you have it (avoid distilled or softened water)

## The house recipe: 1:15

That's 1 part coffee to 15 parts water, by weight. The [National Coffee Association](https://www.aboutcoffee.org/brewing/french-press-coffee/?ref=thecoffeecraft.com) gives a range of 1:10 to 1:16, and several specialty roasters land close to 1:15, so it's a solid starting point. Scale it to your press:

| Water                   | Coffee               |
| ----------------------- | -------------------- |
| 350 ml (about 12 fl oz) | 23 g (about 0.81 oz) |
| 500 ml (about 17 fl oz) | 33 g (about 1.2 oz)  |
| 1 L (about 34 fl oz)    | 67 g (about 2.4 oz)  |

Stronger or lighter? Add or remove 2 g (about 0.07 oz) of coffee. Change one thing at a time.

**Grind:** coarse, close to rock salt or cooking salt. Start there and adjust.

**Water:** about 93 °C (200 °F). No thermometer? Bring the kettle to a boil, then let it rest for about 30 seconds.

**Steep:** about 4 minutes.

## How to use a French press, step by step

1. **Preheat.** Fill the press with hot water. Swirl it, then pour it out.
2. **Weigh and grind.** Weigh 33 g (about 1.2 oz) of beans. Grind them coarse, right before brewing.
3. **Add the coffee.** Tip the grounds into the empty press.
4. **Pour.** Measure 500 ml (about 17 fl oz) of water at about 93 °C (200 °F) in the measuring cup. Start the timer and pour. Make sure every ground is wet.
5. **Stir at 1:00.** A crust forms on top. Break it with a few gentle stirs.
6. **Lid on.** Place the lid with the plunger pulled up, resting just above the coffee. Don't press yet.
7. **Skim, then settle (optional).** At about 3:30 (Sightglass's timing), lift the lid and skim off the foam and floating grounds with a spoon. Replace the lid and let the fines settle until 4:00.
8. **Press at 4:00.** Push the plunger down slowly and steadily. A slow press avoids splashes of hot coffee.
9. **Pour it all out.** Serve right away, or decant everything into a carafe. Coffee left on the grounds keeps brewing and turns bitter.

Rinse the press and wash the mesh filter after each brew. Old grounds and oils make the next cup bitter.

## Troubleshooting by taste

| Your cup tastes... | Likely cause                                          | Fix                                                                       |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bitter             | Over-extracted: grind too fine, or steeped too long   | Grind coarser, or press 30 to 60 seconds sooner and skip step 7           |
| Sour               | Under-extracted: grind too coarse, or steep too short | Grind a little finer, or steep 5 to 6 minutes                             |
| Weak               | Dose too low, or grind too coarse                     | Add 2 g (about 0.07 oz) of coffee, or grind a little finer                |
| Gritty             | Fines in the brew                                     | Skim and let the fines settle (step 7), then press slowly and pour gently |
| Bitter second pour | Coffee left in the press                              | Decant right after pressing                                               |

Several guides advise a coarser grind when the coffee tastes bitter, and a finer one when it tastes sour. [LAMOSE](https://lamose.com/blogs/recipes/french-press-coffee-the-complete-guide?ref=thecoffeecraft.com) lists two other options for each: for bitter, a steep 30 to 60 seconds shorter or slightly cooler water; for sour, a 5 to 6 minute steep or slightly hotter water. [InstaCuppa](https://instacuppastore.com/blogs/main-page/french-press-problems-gritty-bitter-weak-stuck-how-to-fix-every-issue?ref=thecoffeecraft.com) also links sourness to a steep that was too short.

A plunger that is very hard to push usually means the grind is too fine.

## Is French press coffee bad for cholesterol?

It may matter if you drink a lot of it. Brewed without a paper filter, it carries the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol into the cup. In a 24-week trial ([De Roos et al., *Journal of Internal Medicine*, 2000](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10971787/?ref=thecoffeecraft.com)), 46 healthy people with normal blood lipids drank French press or filtered coffee. The French press group saw a rise in cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, followed by higher LDL cholesterol. If cholesterol is a concern for you, talk to your doctor about how much French press coffee suits you.

## Keep brewing

Want fresher beans? Home roasting is one route. To choose beans for a French press, learn [where coffee originated](https://thecoffeecraft.com/where-coffee-originated/) and explore [coffee origins](https://thecoffeecraft.com/tag/coffee-origins/).