French pressed coffee usually has a rich, distinctive flavor that coffee drinkers love — but that only goes if you’ve used the right amount of coffee. You also need to stick to some simple rules regarding the grind size and bloom time if you crave that superior taste. So, what’s the perfect ratio for French press coffee?
To get a strong, richly flavored cup of French pressed coffee, start with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12 — or 19 grams of ground coffee for every 8 oz of water (approximately 1 cup). Use a 1:15 ratio if you prefer a more standard flavor, and a ratio of 1:17 for a lighter, weakly-flavored brew.
Using a French press is a great way to prepare a delicious cup of Joe in just minutes, so let’s take a deeper look at how to get it right every time with the perfect ratio of water to coffee.
How Do You Make French Pressed Coffee?

Here’s how to make a delicious cup of French pressed coffee in under 15 minutes:
1. Measure the Water and Bring It to a Boil
Measuring water with a kitchen scale (on Amazon) is a lot better than using cups, and you should aim for 15 parts water for every 1 part coffee.
Next, boil the water and let it sit for around 1 minute so that the temperature drops below boiling point, something like 195-205℉. For best results, you could use a kettle with preset temperatures.
And if your French press has a glass carafe, pour in a small amount of hot water to preheat it so it won’t crack.
2. Measure and Grind Your Coffee to a Coarse Size
The amount of coffee beans you’ll measure depends on how many cups of coffee you want and the size of your French press.
Grind the coffee beans to a coarse, even texture (like Kosher salt) to ensure just the right level of extraction as the coffee blooms. If you grind it to a finer texture, the flavor may be extracted too much, and you’ll end up with a bitter, muddy brew.
3. Pour in the Coffee and Bloom It for 30 Seconds
Add the coffee grounds and pour in just enough water to submerge them — about twice the weight of the grounds.
Stir gently with a wooden spoon to avoid cracking the carafe if it’s made of glass. Let the coffee sit for 30 seconds to bloom and release its essential nutrients and rich flavor.
4. Add More Water and Steep the Coffee for 3-4 Minutes
Pour in the remaining hot water and carefully place the lid over the French press. Don’t plunge yet! Let the coffee steep for 3-4 minutes.
5. Gently Plunge and Serve the Coffee Immediately
Place the lid on your French press, then gently push the plunger down to strain the grounds. If you rush it, the grounds will be agitated, and your coffee will taste bitter.
As soon as you’re done brewing and pressing, pour the coffee into your mug and any remainder into a carafe. It’s better not to let it sit in the French press, or it will over-extract and taste bitter.
Finding the Coffee to Water Ratio for French Pressed Coffee
You can start with a 1:12 coffee-to-water ratio, which gives a strong, rich brew. So, if you’ve measured 30 grams of coffee, you’ll want to weigh 360 grams of water.
You can go up to a ratio of 1:17 for a weaker brew, but experts generally recommend you stick to a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15.
These ratios are based on the weight in grams, so please use a kitchen scale as it’s far more accurate than counting tablespoons.
To make thing easier, here’s a table showing the amount of ground coffee to use for each 8-ounce cup you’d like to brew, along with the strength of brew you’ll get:
Weight of Ground Coffee Needed (Grams) |
Coffee Brewed | Strong (1:12) | Regular (1:15) | Weak (1:17) |
1 Cup (8 oz.) | 19 | 15 | 13 |
2 Cups (16 oz.) | 38 | 30 | 27 |
3 Cups (24 oz.) | 57 | 45 | 40 |
4 Cups (32 oz.) | 75 | 60 | 53 |
Pro tip: If you don’t have a measuring cup on hand, simply fill up your coffee cup with water and then feed it into your kettle (on Amazon) to know exactly how many cups you’ll get on the other end.
What Grind Size Do You Need for Your Coffee Beans?
For a reasonably strong brew, go for a coarse, sand-like texture. But if you go overboard with the grind size and make it too fine, the coffee will be bitter and muddy since fine grounds will get through the strainer.
For best results, use a burr coffee grinder (on Amazon). But if you have a pre-programmed grinder, go with the medium grind setting.
Determining the Strength of Your Coffee
The strength of your coffee boils down to the ratio of coffee to water, and increasing the amount of coffee only gives you a bitter brew.
For example, a ratio of 1:12 (1 part coffee and 12 parts water) gives you a bold, thick, and heavy flavor. Some people prefer regular strength coffee, with a 1:15 ratio. But if you go beyond that, say 1:17, you’ll have a weak, watery brew.
Ultimately, it all goes with your personal taste, and there’s no right or wrong choice of strength.
How to Minimize Grounds in Your French Pressed Coffee

To minimize grounds in your French press coffee, use the James Hoffmann (JH) method. It’s named after James Hoffmann, a revered coffee barista, and what makes it special is how you handle the plunger and let the coffee sit a couple of minutes more after brewing.
Once the coffee has steeped for 4 minutes, stir it gently to break the crust of the grounds on top. Most of the coffee sinks to the bottom, and you should remove any that still floats with a spoon.
Place the lid over the press and wait about 5 minutes for the small grounds to settle at the bottom. Don’t push the plunger down, as it will only agitate them.
Serve the coffee and enjoy. There’ll be far less grounds in your cup because you’ve allowed extra time for them to settle.