A French Press is ideal if you want a hot, comforting cup of coffee in the morning without having to stand over your brew the whole time. It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish, but most of that time is “hands-off”. Once you add the coffee and hot water, you simply let it steep while you pack your bag, get dressed, or prepare for the day.

Figure 1. French Press Brewing Essentials

The Must-Haves (Essential)	The Upgrades (Nice-to-Have)
French Press vessel Quality coffee beans Spoon Hot water (88-92°C)	Variable temperature kettle Coffee grinder Digital coffee scale

(Tip: If you don't own a home grinder yet, simply let our team know when purchasing your beans at our outlets or on tionghoe.com, and we will gladly grind them to the perfect size for you) 

French Press Recipe for a Black Coffee

We start with a medium-coarse grind size for our coffee.

Figure 2. From “Coffee Grinding Guide” by James Adam, 2017, Coffee Guides. https://alternativebrewing.com.au/blogs/coffee-guides/coffee-grinding-guide

Recipe Ratio

A great rule of thumb for beginners is using a coffee-to-water ratio between 1:13 and 1:17, depending on how strong you prefer your morning cup. Let's base our recipe on a standard 15g dose of coffee:

• For a Stronger Cup (1:13 Ratio): Use 15g of coffee to approximately 200g of water.
• For a Lighter, Smoother Cup (1:17 Ratio): Use 15g of coffee to approximately 250g of water.

Step 1

Figure 3. Preparation

Add your ground coffee into the French press. Start by pouring about 50g of hot water, around 3 times the weight of your coffee dose. Ideally, your water should be around 88–92°C. If you do not have a temperature reading, bring your kettle to a boil, then let the water sit for about 3 minutes before brewing.

Figure 4. Stir with spoon

Give the mixture a gentle stir to ensure all the grounds are evenly wet, then wait for 30 seconds. This allows trapped gases to escape, opening up the coffee for a much cleaner extraction.

Step 2

Figure 5. Pour remaining water

Then, pour in the remaining water until you reach your desired total brew weight: 200g for a stronger cup, or 250g for a lighter cup. Give it another gentle stir, then let it steep for around 4 minutes.

Step 3

Figure 6. Plunge to the surface of the brew

Once it is done, give it a gentle stir which allows the coffee grounds to fall to the bottom of the cup. Wait for another 2-4 minutes (this also allows the coffee to cool down a little for a better drinking experience). Then, press the plunger down, just to the surface of the brew.  Pour coffee out into your cup to serve.

French Press Recipe for a Milk Coffee

We start with a medium-fine grind size for our coffee.

Figure 7. From “Coffee Grinding Guide” by James Adam, 2017, Coffee Guides. https://alternativebrewing.com.au/blogs/coffee-guides/coffee-grinding-guide

Step 1

A simple starting point is a 15g coffee to 75g water ratio.

Add your 15g of ground coffee to the French Press, pour all 75g of hot water in at once, give it a quick stir, and let it steep for 4 minutes to ensure a proper extraction. 

Step 2

Now to warm your milk with your microwave. As everyone’s microwaves differ, start with a 30-second cycle in an 800W microwave, for 150g of milk straight from the fridge. You want to aim for roughly 60°C - the sweet spot where the milk is perfectly warm but retains all its natural, creamy sweetness without tasting scorched.

Step 3

Figure 8. French Press with milk

After 4 minutes, gently plunge your French Press to the surface of the brew, and pour the concentrate into your mug. Then pour the warm milk directly into your coffee concentrate. Taste it to see how you like it. If it feels a bit too weak, use slightly less milk next time. If it feels a little too intense, feel free to add in a bit more milk until it's tailored exactly to your liking.

French Press for Your Routine

Once brewed, French press coffee is best enjoyed straight away. Heading to work or school? Pour it into a thermal flask to keep it warm for later.

It can also work well in the office if you have access to a pantry, hot water, and a place to rinse your equipment. Bring your ground coffee with you, brew it in the pantry, and you have a simple way to make a fuller, richer cup during the day.

Summary

As an immersion brewing method, the French Press allows the coffee grounds to steep directly in hot water, unlocking a deep, full extraction of flavors over time. Furthermore, because it relies on a reusable metal sieve rather than a paper filter, the natural oils from the coffee beans flow straight into your cup. This delivers a distinctly richer, heavier mouthfeel and a comforting, full-bodied brew. Because a metal mesh is used, you may notice a tiny bit of textured sediment at the bottom of your cup, and delicate fruity or floral notes might taste beautifully muted and rounded out compared to a paper-filtered pour-over.

Finding Your Coffee Bean

Because the French Press highlights body and texture, choosing the right coffee bean makes all the difference. If you are just starting your home brewing journey, we highly recommend exploring our signature espresso blends:

• Gachala - balanced, crowd-pleasing profile that serves as the perfect entry point for black or white coffee.
• Black Pearl - showcases a richer, more chocolatey sweetness and a bolder presence.
• Smoky Quartz - The most robust, intense, and deeply traditional profile in our current inventory, ideal for those who love a heavy, classic morning cup.

Feeling a bit adventurous? If you want to experience bright, vibrant flavor profiles and don't mind a hint of fruitiness or floral complexity in your cup, take a look at our seasonal collection of curated Filter Roasts.