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French Press Coffee – The James Hoffmann Method

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If you love a great cup of French press coffee, James Hoffmann’s method takes it to a whole new delicious level!

There is a clear glass cylindrical with a stainless steel plunger top with dark liquid coffee in it. There is a clear coffee cup with dark liquid coffee in it in front of the glass cylinder. There is a small clear glass bowl with coffee beans in it. All items are on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.

French press is an immersion method of making coffee not a filtration method like drip or pour over coffee.

What the French press technique does require is a little time. So if you’re in a hurry or running late in the morning and just need to grab a quick cup of joe, this method of making coffee may not work for you.  

The basic French press instructions are the following

1. Boil water.


2. Add coffee ground to the carafe.

3. Pour the hot water over the grounds.

4. Insert the plunger top and slowly press all the way down.

5. Slowly pour coffee into a cup.

James Hoffmann’s method has a couple of extra steps for brewing that definitely produces a cleaner more balanced coffee without the silty texture!

Equipment / Tools Needed

There is a glass carafe with a stainless steel dome lid, a white round kitchen digital scale, a stainless steel water kettle with a black handle and a long gooseneck spout. There is a white cylinder coffee grinder. Items are on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • French press – also known as cafetiere, coffee press, press pot
  • Digital weighing scale (one that measures in grams)
  • Coffee grinder
  • Pouring kettle – electric or stovetop 
  • Timer
  • Small bowl
  • 2 spoons

Ingredients

Coffee – Freshly roasted coffee beans that are fresh ground make a great brew.  Freshness is the most important factor in great coffee. You should use a dark rich roast instead of a light roast for the French press method. 

Water – Use fresh, filtered water. It doesn’t have to be bottled water just soft clean water (see Top Tips).

A great coffee-to-water ratio is: 60 -70 grams of coffee to 1 liter of water (see Top Tips).

How To Make French Press Coffee – The James Hoffmann Method

There is a white round digital kitchen scale with a clear glass bowl on it. There are coffee beans in the clear glass. There are scattered coffee beans lying next to the scale. Items are on a dark gray surface.
  • Weigh coffee beans – (see Top Tips).
  • Boil water – Don’t worry about the water temperature as long as it is boiling. You want to use a kettle that has a built in spout.  I love to use a gooseneck kettle, the neck is vey long which helps protect against splashing boiling water.
White cylinder coffee grinder with the lid off. There is ground coffee in the top section of the grinder. The grinder is on a dark gray surface

Grind coffee – The grind size should be medium. 

Weigh coffee – I weigh the beans, grind them, and then weigh them again to make sure it is the same because it sometimes can vary slightly (see Top Tips).

There is a clear glass cylindrical carafe with a stainless steal frame holder. There is ground coffee in the bottom of the carafe. The plunger top for the carafe is lying next to the carafe. Items are on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • Place ground coffee in the bottom of the glass carafe.
There is a clear glass cylindrical carafe with a stainless steal frame holder. There is a spout with water pouring out over the carafe and into the carafe. There are 2 stainless steel spoons lying next to the carafe. The items are on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • Pour boiling water over the coffee grounds.
  •  Let the coffee sit undisturbed for 4 minutes!
There is a clear glass cylindrical carafe with a stainless steal frame holder. There is a hand stirring the coffee with a spoon. There is a spoon lying next to the carafe. The items are on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • Swirl brew – Stir the crust (the layer) that forms on top of the coffee, breaking the crust allows the coffee grounds to fall to the bottom of the press.
There is a clear glass cylindrical carafe with a stainless steal frame holder. There is a hand using 2 spoons to remove coffee grounds form the cylinder. The carafe is on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • Spoon off the foam and remaining grounds (see Top Tips). 
There is a clear glass cylindrical carafe with a stainless steal frame holder. There is dark liquid coffee in the carafe. The carafe is on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • Now, here is the tough part, let the coffee rest for 5-7 minutes.  During this time, the coffee is brewing and the excess grounds are slowly sinking to the bottom of the carafe. The longer you leave it, the better the coffee will taste.  
There is a clear glass cylindrical with a stainless steel plunger top with dark liquid coffee in it. It is on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.
  • This is the game changer, insert the plunger and slowly lower it to just the top of the liquid. DO NOT plunge to the bottom as most French press methods do. 
  • Slowly pour the coffee into a cup and enjoy!

Top Tips 

 Water quality does affect the flavor of coffee. If you don’t drink water straight from the tab, don’t use it for your coffee. It may take some recipe experiments of coffee to water ratio and brew time to create your own ultimate cup of French press.

Weigh your bowl – Make sure you note the weight of the bowl you are using when weighing the coffee.

Use 2 spoons like salad tongs is the best method of removing the foam and top grounds. Removing the top crust and letting the coffee sit result in a clearer cup of brew.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is James Hoffman?

Most coffee enthusiasts came to know Hoffmann after he won the 2007 world barista championship in Tokyo. Currently, Hoffmann is the co-owner of Square Mile Coffee Roasters and the author of the world atlas of coffee.

He is widely considered to be a coffee expert in the speciality coffee industry and as well as outside of the profession. 

Hoffmann’s YouTube channel has over 3,000,000 subscribers largely due to how practical and easy to understand his videos. 

Why Use A Digital Scale?

If you brew a great cup of coffee that tastes really good to you and you want to always make it that exact way, using the same amount of coffee to water ratio is a huge factor.

The best way to get the best results is to weigh your coffee on a digital scale and measure your water.

Other delicious recipes from Join Me In The Kitchen

Yield: 4 cups

French Press Coffee - The James Hoffmann Method

There is a clear glass cylindrical with a stainless steel plunger top with dark liquid coffee in it. There is a clear coffee cup with dark liquid coffee in it in front of the glass cylinder. There is a small clear glass bowl with coffee beans in it. All items are on a dark gray surface with a tile back wall.

If you love a great cup of coffee and ready to take your morning brew to a whole new delicious level, French press is a great starting point!

Unlike a lot of speciality coffee techniques, French press happens to be a simple coffee brewing method and easy to learn.

Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • A great coffee-to-water ratio is: 60 -70 grams of coffee to 1 liter of water.
  • Coffee - Freshly roasted coffee beans that are fresh ground make a great brew. Freshness is the most important factor in great coffee. You should use a dark rich roast instead of a light roast for the French press method.
  • Water - Use fresh, filtered water. It doesn't have to be bottled water just soft clean water (see Top Tips).

Instructions

  1. Boil water - Don't worry about the water temperature as long as it is boiling. You want to use a kettle that has a built in spout. Transferring the water to a pourable vessel will change the temperature of the water and will affect the brewing process. 
  2. Weigh the coffee beans.
  3. Grind coffee - The grind size should be medium. 
  4. Weigh coffee - I weigh the beans, grind them, and then weigh them again to make sure it is the same because it sometimes can vary slightly (see Top Tips).
  5. Place ground coffee in the bottom of the glass carafe.
  6. Pour boiling water over the coffee grounds.
  7.  Let the coffee sit undisturbed for 4 minutes. 
  8. Swirl brew - Stir the crust (the layer) that forms on top of the coffee, breaking the crust allows the coffee grounds to fall to the bottom of the press.
  9. Spoon off the foam and remaining grounds (see Top Tips). 
  10. Now, here is the tough part, do nothing for 5-7 minutes. During this time, the coffee is brewing and the excess grounds are slowly sinking to the bottom of the carafe. The longer you leave it, the better the coffee will taste.  
  11. This is the game changer, insert the plunger and slowly lower it to just the top of the liquid. DO NOT plunge to the bottom as most French press methods do. 
  12. Slowly pour the coffee into a cup and enjoy!

Notes

Top Tips  

  •  Water quality does affect the flavor of coffee. If you don't drink water straight from the tab, don't use it for your coffee. 
  • It may take some recipe experiments of coffee to water ratio and brew time to create your own ultimate cup of French press.
  • Weigh your bowl -Make sure you note the weight of the bowl you are using when weighing the coffee.
  • Use 2 spoons like salad tongs is the best method of removing the foam and top grounds. Removing the top crust and letting the coffee sit result in a clearer cup of brew.

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