French Press, Done Properly

French press is the most forgiving brewing method there is, right up until you get the timing wrong — then it turns bitter fast. The metal filter lets natural coffee oils through, which is exactly why French press coffee feels heavier and richer than a pour over.

Use a coarser grind than you'd use anywhere else — think coarse sea salt. A finer grind will slip through the mesh filter and leave your cup gritty.

Ratio: 1:15. For a standard 3-cup press, that's about 30g of coffee to 450g of water just off the boil.

Add your grounds, then pour all your water in one go. Give it a single stir to make sure every ground is saturated, then put the lid on with the plunger pulled all the way up — don't press yet.

Let it steep for 4 minutes. This is the part people rush, and it's the single biggest reason French press coffee tastes bad. Set a timer and walk away.

At 4 minutes, press down slowly and evenly — it should take about 15-20 seconds to reach the bottom. If it's fighting you, your grind is too fine. Pour immediately once you're done pressing; coffee left sitting in contact with the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter within minutes, plunged or not.