Quick answer: the French press numbers
To use a French press, stir coarse ground coffee into hot water, wait about four minutes, then press the plunger down and pour. The National Coffee Association (NCA) gives these numbers:
| Setting | NCA guide | Wikipedia's French press article |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee to water | 1 g coffee to 10 to 16 g water | About 30 g coffee to 500 ml water |
| Grind | Coarse, like rock salt | Coarse, about like cooking salt |
| Water temperature | 93 °C, plus or minus 3 (about 194 to 205 °F) | 93 to 96 °C (199 to 205 °F) |
| Steep time | About 4 minutes in all | Around four minutes, by some writers |
Wikipedia's 30 g to 500 ml works out to about 1 to 17, a touch weaker than the NCA's weakest ratio. Start at 1 to 15 and adjust to taste.
How to use a French press in six steps
- Weigh and grind. For a 500 ml press at 1 to 15, that is about 33 g of coffee. Grind it coarse, like rock salt, just before you brew. A burr grinder gives even pieces; Wikipedia's Coffee preparation article notes that blade grinders leave particles of widely varying size.
- Heat the water. The NCA says bring it to a boil, take it off the heat and let it rest about 30 seconds. At Montana's altitude, read the note below first.
- Add coffee, then water. Put the grounds in the empty carafe and pour the water over them.
- Break the crust. After about one minute, the grounds form a crust on top. Stir it gently with a spoon.
- Steep. Put the lid on with the plunger pulled all the way up and wait about three more minutes.
- Press and pour. Push the plunger all the way down, gently, and serve right away, or pour the coffee into another container. Wikipedia warns that coffee left sitting on the used grounds turns astringent and bitter.
Clean the whole press after each use, the NCA says, including taking the filter apart and washing it, because old coffee oils left behind make the next pot bitter.
A Montana note: your water boils cooler
Water boils at a lower temperature the higher you live. Wikipedia's High-altitude cooking article says the boiling point drops about 1 °F for every 500 feet and gives 203 °F (95 °C) at 5,000 feet. Bozeman sits at 4,817 feet and Butte at 5,824 feet, per Wikipedia.
That means water just off the boil in Bozeman or Butte is already inside the NCA's range of 93 °C, plus or minus 3. The 30 second rest mostly matters closer to sea level, where boiling water starts at 100 °C. In Bozeman or Butte, pour soon after the kettle clicks off.
Troubleshooting a French press
The coffee tastes bitter
Grind coarser. The NCA ties bitterness to over-extraction and says a coarser grind fixes it. Also check the time: press at about four minutes and pour it all off the grounds.
The coffee tastes flat or watery
Grind finer, or use more coffee. The NCA ties a flat cup to under-extraction. Moving from 1 to 16 toward 1 to 12 adds strength without changing the steep.
There is sludge in the cup
The grind is too fine or uneven. Wikipedia's French press article says finer grounds slip through or around the filter and also over-extract. Use a coarser setting, and leave the last of the coffee in the carafe instead of draining it into your cup.
The plunger is hard to push
The grind is too fine for the mesh. Go coarser next time, and press slowly this time.
Can I leave the coffee in the press to stay warm?
No. It keeps steeping on the grounds and turns bitter. Pour it into a mug or a warm carafe once you press.
Where the French press came from
Wikipedia traces the press to a patent in France in 1852 by Jacques-Victor Delforge and Henri-Otto Mayer, whose design did not seal around the filter. In 1928 the Milanese designers Giulio Moneta and Attilio Calimani made a press with a spring to seal the filter, patented in the United States in 1929. Faliero Bondanini patented his own version in 1958 and made it under the Melior name in a French clarinet factory. Depending on where you are, it is a cafetière, a press pot or a coffee plunger. The short definition lives in our coffee glossary; this post is the long version.
Which coffee to use
Any roast works in a press. What matters most is a coarse, even grind, so whole bean you grind yourself gives you the most control. Several Montana roasters sell whole bean or ground: Fire Tower in Helena sells its organic beans either way, and Rock Creek's Coffee Club in Billings lets you pick. Buying from them keeps a Montana roastery paying its crew, which is why we started a club built on local roasters.
Last Best Coffee Club sends a 12 oz bag from a different independent Montana roaster in every box, whole bean or ground. For a press, choose whole bean and grind coarse at home. See how the club works: the first bag is free and you pay $7.99 shipping on that first box, then $16.99 a bag.
French press questions
How long should a French press steep?
About four minutes in all. The NCA's method is one minute before you break the crust and about three more with the lid on.
How much coffee for a 1 liter French press?
About 60 to 67 grams. Wikipedia's 30 g per 500 ml gives 60 g, and a 1 to 15 ratio gives about 67 g.
Can I use regular ground coffee in a French press?
You can, but expect sediment and a more bitter cup. Wikipedia says finer grounds slip through the filter and over-extract, so a coarse grind works better.
What water temperature is best for a French press?
The NCA gives 93 °C, plus or minus 3, about 194 to 205 °F. In Bozeman or Butte, water just off the boil is already in that range.
Sources
- National Coffee Association: French press coffee (the NCA's consumer site; ncausa.org's brewing pages redirect there)
- Wikipedia: French press
- Wikipedia: Coffee preparation
- Wikipedia: High-altitude cooking
- Wikipedia: Bozeman, Montana and Butte, Montana, for elevations
- Montana roaster facts: our roaster profiles, written from each roaster's public pages, read September 27, 2026