The Ultimate French Press Technique 

To those arguing in the comments about this method: For the fullest tasting coffee with the least amount of effort, I prefer to chew the beans directly. Amazing caffeine boost and no cleanup required.

30gr medium coarse grounded Coffee + 500 ml water + leave it 4 minutes + mix a bit, remove foam and fines + let it rest 5 or + minutes + After that, press the filter just until the surface and pour the coffee through it (without pressing the plunge all the way). Just a reminder for myself, as I always come back to this video 😁

Six year old video and it still makes an impact. I've increased my beans to 70g/L and use your technique here every morning. Thank you James! Outstanding!

Thanks James. I used this tutorial to make coffee at a friend´s house, he uses his French press every morning, and has done so for the last 10 years for his morning coffee, After tasting it my friend said this was the best coffee he had ever drank out of that French press and asked me what coffee was I using,(thinking I had brough my own beans) when I said "the one next to your coffee machine" he could not believe it was only technique. Camilo and myself are both very pleased with our coffees and it is thanks to you sir.

Grind medium 30g to 500g water Sit for 4 minutes Stir crust and then scoop up foam and coffee bits off the top Wait 5-8 minutes Plunge just to underneath the surface and pour gently and carefully.

The music you chose puts me in the mindset that you're an astronaut recording a message for your children and telling them the work you're doing is important but you don't know when or if you'll come back home.

I so appreciate this video. I'm a coffee noob who's finally decided to graduate from instant to the real deal. I agonized for months over what brewing method to use... the amount of equipment required, the taste I'm supposed to get from it... I finally settled on French press because of its simplicity, the kind of flavor to expect, and the absence of requiring paper filters. I brewed my first cup of coffee in my new French press this morning following your advice and it turned out so clean, bright, and beautiful. No sludge or debris. I know you say this method takes patience, but it's really not that big of a deal when you're busy prepping breakfast at the same time. Thank you for sharing this method. No more weak, bland instant. Now its on to finding the exact brand of coffee that I like the most. :)

I’ve been a daily coffee drinker for the past 25 years and always assumed I was making it correctly because it tasted ‘ok’. I never imagined that by making some small tweaks and following your process would make me fall in love with my daily pleasure all over again. Thank you for your educational and entertaining content.

I have made exclusively French press coffee for years and tried this method this morning. It was quite literally the best cup I’ve ever made

I trust a man in his thirties with grey hair and retro glasses knows his coffee

Thank you James for this brewing method! It lifts my morning coffee to a higher level: a slow morning ritual to start softly into the morning, more time to prepare my breaktfast simultaneously (in the past I brewed only 4 minutes) and in the end it tastes way more delicious! Thank you... and of course for your time and content!

I've been watching your videos for about two weeks. Started with your newer stuff, but eventually I found this. French press has always been my preferred method. I've read about how to make a good press, and I thought I was basically doing things right. I wasn't wrong but wow there was so much more I could do. I haven't been able to get a hold of decent coffee yet, but just with grocery store beans this has already changed my coffee life. Thank you so much.

You have just reinvented my home coffee brewing experience. I have been drinking coffee for about 17 years, most of that time with a French press at home. I was content with what i was drinking, but after watching this video (which i found through Tom Scott) i bought a cheap grinder and some beans and followed these steps. Brilliant coffee, i never knew just how good a coffee i could make at home, so thank you very much for this video!

Me: 2x playback speed Him: Step One: Don’t be in a hurry Me: 😞

Anyone else love coming back to these old videos? It is fun to see the difference in production values to his new ones. Both good, both interesting, both educational. But the experience shows.

This was the best French press coffee tip I’ve seen in decades. I’ve always loved the deep, rich, full bodied flavor but despised the sludge I’d encounter at the bottom of my mug. His theory forgoing the plunge makes total sense and I haven’t seen any sludge since then

Saved this video form Facebook, only watched it on Saturday. If I'm honest I was not sold on the process, after 20 years of making French Press I though I had it dialed in, I was wrong. Not exactly sure why it makes such a difference, but after using this process 8 times (since Saturday) it is my new standard. Thanks!

25 years of French Press coffee every morning and then this . Don't know whether to be pleased at finding a great way to make my morning coffee or peed off that I could have had a superior brew all these years .

I tried your method this morning and by gosh it worked exactly as you promised. 😋 I've been making french press coffee religiously for over ten years now... Well done teaching an old dog a new trick. 🙏🐶☕💯

This technique was a game changer for me. Best tasting french press ever; worth the wait. Thanks so much James.

Suggested activities while you are waiting - - Read the newspaper - Make breakfast - Make a pot of tea

He doesn't even recommend pressing a French press, this guy is a madman!!

I have returned to this video multiple times and only now written down the method! I have used this for years and while I often prefer a V60 or Chemex brew, I enjoy changing it up every now and then and using the French press. Thanks for an exceptional video and reliably effective method!

The soundtrack really makes it feel like James is teaching us his French press technique after the apocalypse.

This has been a game changer. No more sludge at the bottom of my cup of coffee and the whole practice of making my French press coffee has become an almost meditative practice as I just sit and watch/wait. Thank you, James!

I thought this was a joke at first, but after trying it, I am surprised to find how great a cup it makes. Thanks for sharing!

I used this technique today for the first time and produced an amazing cup of coffee with no sludge at the bottom of my cup. Thanks James for the technique!

Such a great video. And wild to see how far the channel has come since 2016! Many thanks, James!

I come to inform you that this has delightfully been dubbed 'The Hoffman Technique" on the coffee subreddit. Everyone knows about the Hoffman Technique.

I saw this video a while back and today, completely unrelatedly, I bought the World Atlas of Coffee. When I read the French Press recipe, I thought it sounded familiar. So I looked up this video and see that you're actually the author of the book, haha.

I tried this recipe this morning and I can say this recipe is the best French Press recipe I've ever tried. I know it takes a lot of time, but the taste of the coffee is amazing.

I prepared my coffee this morning following the method described. The resulting brew has a somewhat brighter, sharper quality on the tongue, is the perfect temperature to drink without burning at all, and is clean and sludge-free just as described :) Bravo!

I work in a cafe as a baker and I have just prepared a cup of french press using this method and the main barista asked me, whether I'd be interesting in starting to train to be barista in the future.

I watched this and as someone who has used French presses/ cafetieres for many years both at home and in the office (where we have a cupboard full of them) I have to say I considered this ridiculous. Their advantage is that they are a quick and simple to way to produce good brewed coffee. Whack in the coffee, add the water, press the plunger and you’re good to go. But hey, never let it be said that you can’t teach this old dog a new trick, so I thought I’d give it a go. Thank you James, consider this old hound educated and from now on, no more quick pour-and-plunge for me! ☺️

I appreciate how quick and to the point this was. Thanks for the tips!

I probably haven’t used a French press for making my own coffee for 25 years - this methodology has been a real eye opener. Thank you Mr Hoffmann.

This is what I call "Unintentional ASMR". I felt serene watching this video. The droning music is the perfect background for a relaxed feeling. I had to watch it multiple times to memorize this odd technique. I almost fell asleep watching it.

Your instructions have helped my coworkers and I survive the morning and made coffee time a special occasion for the last two years. We're all grateful for your teachings, Mr Hoffman. Thank you.

I can't believe how much better this method has improved my French Press. Thank you James!

This video is informative and calming, almost meditative. Thank you James.

I just tried this today. You were 100% correct. My French Press technique had been to be patient anyhow, but there were two extra steps you show here that I absolutely adore. You have gained a subscriber!

I'm so happy for you James. I've been following you on Facebook for some time now and for you to have a million subs here on RU-vid makes me happy. Thank you so much for all the coffee knowledge.

We got inspired by your youtube videos and used your method in our cafatiere. Then we went to grinding whole roast beans, escaping the supermarket packs of preground. Now we buy green breans from specific growers and roast them ourselves. A whole new adventure of taste has opened up. Occasionally we buy a small pack of roasted beans from suppliers like yourselves to see how our roasting technique compares. Thanks for a whole new world of coffee pleasure.

I've been making french press for years, but it wasn't until I used this technique that I realized just how good it could be. Thank you!

Thanks for making this video. I've been using the same french press for over 27 years, and I know the science of coffee quite well, but never knew this level of detail to making it. I appreciate your sharing.

I have been experimenting with this technique for a few days. I am very pleased with the results. Full flavors and clear coffee.

I love the soothing music in the background, thank you Hoffman for your Incredible tutorial videos.

I'm not embarrassed to say I watched this 3 times...this is what I'm doing during the quarantine. I never knew coffee could taste so good

My friend, why do you have me about to make a pot of coffee at 2AM?

Just did this this morning and it was a complete game changer! My coffee tasted incredible with the 500g to 30g water/coffee ratio and letting it set for five mins! Learned so much! I always come to your channel when I’m wondering about something specific about coffee. Thanks again!

James, you’ve just made a good cup of coffee GREAT! I was following your AeroPress process for the french press and whilst it was good, the difference it makes doing it this way is amazing. THANK YOU!!

I just had the best cup of coffee in my life! I was initially concerned the coffee would get too cold waiting the extra 8 minutes, but I wrap my press with a towel anyway and I kept the top covered so the coffee stayed hot. It’s like the finest, polished cup much like a pour over, but without the paper taste. Thank you James!!!!

I don't know if you'll ever read this but I'll leave my testimony after watching this video and making myself a french press coffee. In short: I'll never go back to the way I did before. Long version: I was living in Germany and one of my acquainted did a coffee course in Asia (Maybe Indonesia, I don't recall). and he told me all about grinding the grain slowly with a manual grinder, how to brew the coffee, and so on. I was mesmerized. Since I always loved coffee (Being Brazilian and working in IT, it is a required fuel) I dived in, bought a french press, a grinder, and a whole bean Colombian coffee. On the same day he came by and I was eager to show him that I have learned and would like him and his wife to taste my coffee. Let's say they are the most polite and humble people I've seen. It was by far the worst coffee we all ever tasted. The grind was terrible, the time was too little and the result was catastrophic: A clear water with some translucid brownish color inside a transparent glass cup. I'll never forget and of course, I learned with my mistake and improved upon it. Went down to youtube, used a scale to measure the coffee, a graded glass to measure the water and tried different times to grind with my manual cheap machine to get the best result, wrote down the numbers until I got a decent cup of coffee. Took me a lot of time. One day they came by again and I served them a real cup of coffee that they smelled, put against the light, tasted it, gave me the notes, and enjoyed. It was a real Brazilian coffee, made with passion, love, and determination. Today I watched your technique and tested it. It was extremely easy and after implemented I got the same result, a clear cup without deposit and excellent taste. Way better than the way I was doing. I found you out of the blue, thanks to the RU-vid algorithm, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Cheers, now from Miami, FL.

Brilliant. Simple. Pure. Love it, thank you James!

This is Meditation and learning all at once. Thank you, James! 🥰

This really does make a difference! I messed up the first time and used it as control for the second one I made following the steps. The result is a more clear tasting and no aftertaste compared to a normal pressing with the plunger most of the way down. You don't disturb the fine settlements sitting on top of the heavier residue, you don't disturb the settlement, especially not with the turbulence of the plunger descending down.

I happened across this channel by accident and just got sucked in. I love coffee and I was given a french press for Christmas a year or so ago but never used it. I just did everything in this video and this is the best coffee I have ever made for myself.

James - thank you so very much for making this video. Since the time I got my French press 6 years ago I have always been disappointed by my results. After watching this video I found out I was using too much coffee to water, not getting my water hot enough, not brewing nearly long enough, and stirring up all the silt with the plunger at the end of the brew. I just brewed a cup to your specifications and it is finally the home-brewed French press I’ve been searching for. Cheers

Love this. I actually did it the exact way and accidentally left it for like 6 extra minutes for a total of 15 minutes and it was absolutely amazing!

I just tried this method today and can honestly say this is the most flavorful yet smooth cup I've ever pressed! Thank you so much James!

I tried it today. I was skeptical at the beginning but it turned out Great! Perfect morning coffee. Better than any V60 i tried at home. Gotta get rid of all my filters!

I'm just getting started with all this coffee stuff... it's quite astonishing just how many different venues link this video. Thank You, Mr Hoffmann.

Oh wow I'm so excited! I made some French press coffee and there was no sludge! Totally amazed. Thank you so much for cluing us in on stirring the coffee.. Never would have thought that one simple thing could make so much difference. This is coffee that's a joy to drink. Never had that feeling about coffee. We really don't have to settle for mediocre coffee.

Wow, seriously one of the best cups of coffee I made in a long time! Thank you so much! I really like that you don't need any fancy techniques, expensive equipment or anything else for this recipe. Just good water, coffee and time. And the recipe is also easy to remember. Living in Berlin the water is really hard, so therefore I am patiently waiting for my Peak Water jug to arrive. I think for me water is my biggest area that needs more tweaking.

me: How to use a french press james: you dont, just soak and strain. me: oh okay

Thank you for helping me make the best cup of French press I've ever made!

Wow! Just followed your method to the letter. The improvement of flavour is off the charts. Thank you James x

James, I never. NEVER. Thought I could make a cup this good. I knew it was out there, this flavor without overwhelming bitterness, these citrus notes dancing deep in each sip. But I thought it would be from some out of reach method / impossible for me to do. Well, I tried this method. Actually let it sit, I waited. And after carefully pressing (I have an espro), I found the 1. Cleanest and 2. Most flavorful and not bitter cup of coffee I've ever had (despite using a dark roast!). Also my first time using an electric burr grinder. I'm sitting on my porch, enjoying this cup, and I can't help but think this changes everything. How I start my day, how I feel about life. Coffee is a rock upon which we build the day, it is the call to see our greatest visions take shape like the rising coils of steam that carry the aroma, a falcon of flavor riding the jet-stream and erupting into reality.

I have been drinking coffee for the past 15 years, multiple coffees everyday, and in the past years I don't think I have had more than 10 or 15 days where I didn't drink coffee at all... All that to say... I tried this technique yesterday and made the most beautiful cup of coffee of my life, retried this morning twice and this is insane. Such a small difference compared with how I used to make it, but such a strong difference and taste, aromatics, smell... I cannot wait to try other beans with this technique! Thank you very much James

Just tried it... even with pre ground coffee it was amazing! Great advice

Rewatching this video every time I'm home for the holidays is becoming a tradition! Happy holidays everyone!

So even using my old, pre ground, supermarket coffee and unfiltered tap water using this method resulted in a way better cup of coffee. Thank you!

Watching this as I sit with my morning cup of coffee from my new French Press. Will take your advice and apply your technique later in the day for an afternoon lift. It all sounds right - patience is almost always rewarded. I look forward. Thank you.

I’ve had very inconsistent results with my percolator and gave up on my French press a while ago. I just tried this process and It might be the best coffee I have made in a while. THANK YOU!

I've used French press for years and just had a profoundly better coffee after following these tips. Tasted like filter coffee; I didn't even realise the bitter sludgines could be prevented!

I've watched this too many times to still not know what the second spoon is for.

Besides the great informational part, It's a really calm video. I am watching this just for pleasure.

I was most of the way there with my french press technique, but I had noticed that after the initial 4min, my second cup always tasted better than the first - the extra ~5min does seem to work some magic - Thanks James!

Excellent video. I am blown away by the attention to detail.

I was on furlough last summer (2020) from my company when I first watched this video. It was one of the best things I learned all during that time! I now use this as my method of brewing coffee… which is most often via French Press. Thank you so much for sharing it. The video was great to watch again!

Great to see a video version of this, James! I frequently refer people to the FP guide in your book and those who've tried it have had great results. Loving these videos so far...keep 'em coming :)

Dang. That really works. Thought these beans were a bit mediocre but, wow, lovely cup. 💯☕

I feel the need to add my voice to the chorus of those whose lives have been changed by this short video. Until this Christmas I have always used an old blade grinder, cheap coffee machine, and flat metal filter to make coffee. Now, armed with a Hario Slim and this technique, I make the tastiest coffee for my spouse and I every single morning. Feeling grateful for such a tasty cup because of the knowledge you've imparted. Cheers!

I've been drinking espresso for some time, but used to drink coffee made with a French Press back in the day. I used your approach this afternoon to revisit my French Press, and was extremely pleased with the results! I don't think I've ever had coffee from a French Press that was this good. Thank you, James!

Bullet proof French Press technique ^^^ I followed the instructions and am enjoying a fantastic smooth coffee at just the right temperature. Thanks.

My goodness, it really works. I was trying to get away from capucino to experience more the coffee flavour. The French Press method is really great. I can drink it without sugar or milk. Thanks James

So interesting! I have been using a french press for many years and I have always loved it. Some of these tips I just discovered naturally in my own journey with my french press (like the extra wait time and the putting the plunger to the top of the coffee). I look forward to trying out this technique specifically as I am sure it will yield a very delicious cup!

I used this technique for my first attempt at brewing with a french press, and my boyfriend said it was the tastiest cup of coffee he ever had. So clean and full of flavor. Thank you so much for sharing this, James!

Wow. I really didn't think this was going to work and it was going to be really bitter. But I have to say this just took my French Press to a new level. Thanks James!

This video is so soothing! James‘s voice, the music, the editing. Just Wow! 👍

What a simple, effective, life-changing how-to video. I've always been disappointed with French Press coffee, now I can finally enjoy them. And the Jóhann Jóhannsson - stylee music just added to the experience.

I tried this technique & it's perfect. It brings out the actual flavour of the roast & undoubtedly the best possible way of using the french press. It created a full-bodied brew with a more character & I loved every sip of the result. Thanks again. Cheers! 😊👍

That is genius! I thought I had my French press dialed in, but this is far superior! Never going back. Thank you!

In the first week of meeting one another, he sent me this video and told me this was how he made his coffee. He was really excited about it too. He really loved his coffee like this. I memorized the steps for him, I watched this over and over. I wanted to make him coffee like this one day. We don't talk anymore, its been a while since I last got a text from him. We don't talk anymore. I still know how to make this damn coffee. I miss him so much.

Been making my coffee this way since I used french press, one exception: I do plunge it when the silt has settled, it keeps it in place during my pours. 😊

I've been drinking coffee for maybe 15 years and after switching to this technique in the past few weeks, I've been experiencing consistent and wonderful cups!! Thank you so much James!!!

Wow, mind-blowing. So much better and smoother coffee. Never heard of this technique before!

I just got my french press! I watched this video before but, after experimenting on my own twice, now I'm ready to follow the guide closely and get the best results yet!

People! This post is excellent and very helpful! If you follow these suggestions you will find a formula that works for you. I was rather frustrated at first but finding a post such as this will improve everything about your coffee ☕️! Don’t give up !! Watch this post yet again!

I've probably watched 15 different French press videos and this was the best one I've ever seen I never thought about scooping the phone off the top after the first stir and I've never heard about not pushing the plunger all the way down, thx!