I think many coffee lovers have a question in mind when making coffee: what is the ratio of powder to water in a French press pot?
The French press is a very simple coffee maker, just set the ratio of coffee powder and water, grind the coffee beans, set the time, and a pot of aromatic coffee is finished.
But the question is: what is the ratio of powder to water? Which grind of coffee powder is suitable? How long does it take to set?
If you also have these questions, let's learn the most important part together - finding the right ratio for your French press.
How Much Coffee Do You Want to Brew?
When brewing coffee, we need to know what is the capacity of our French press.
This is the capacity of our common French press:
- For a 3-cup portion, it is about 12 oz.
- For a 6-cup portion, it is about 27 oz,
- For an 8-cup portion, it is about 34 oz.
What is the powder-to-water ratio?
Powder to water ratio = coffee powder: water injection
Assuming that the powder-to-water ratio is 1:15, and the amount of coffee powder for one serving is 15 grams, then we need 225 grams of water.
Of course, not all French press pots have to adhere to the 1:15 ratio. With different ratios, you will get a cup of coffee with a completely different taste.
So, which powder-to-water ratio is right for me?
How Strong Do You Want Your Coffee?
The coffee brewing ratio is the ratio of coffee powder amount and water, common brewing ratio from 1:13-1:15, 1:13 means that 15 grams of coffee need to be brewed with 195 grams of water.
If you are going to use a French press pot at home, you can adjust the brewing ratio to suit your taste. Between the 1:13 and 1:15 ratio, if you are using 30 grams of coffee powder for extraction, that means 390 grams to 450 grams of water is needed for brewing.
Why is it 1:13-1:15?
This is based on the SCA Gold Cup extraction theory derived from the difference in the taste of the extraction parameters of the hand-brewed coffee water powder ratio, as follows.
- [Heavy taste] 1:10 ~ 1:11 that is, 1:12.5 ~ 1:13.5 of the Golden Cup guidelines
- [Moderate taste] 1:12 to 1:13 that is, 1:14.5 to 1:15.5 of the Gold Cup guidelines
- [Small freshness] 1:14 ~ 1:16 that is, 1:16.5 ~ 1:18.5 of the Gold Cup guidelines
[Note: The Golden Cup extraction guidelines generally apply only to coffee appliances without additional pressure.]
Coffee powder volume than brewing water 1:14.5 ~ 1:15.5, the easiest to achieve the gold cup extraction rate of 18% to 22% and the concentration of 1.15% to 1.35% of the golden range.
Different countries have different extraction guidelines for the Gold Cup, which can be found in the following data.
- Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA): extraction rate [18%-22%] concentration [1.15%-1.35%]
- Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE): extraction rate [18%-22%] concentration [1.2%-1.45%]
- Norwegian Coffee Association (NCA): extraction rate [18%-22%] concentration [1.3%-1.55%]
- Brazilian Coffee Association (ABIC): extraction rate [18%-22%] concentration [2%-2.4%]
Of course, you can also start with a 1:10 coffee powder to water ratio, for example, 20g of coffee beans with about 200g of water for 2 people, the final ratio depends on personal taste. The resting time is about 3-4 minutes.
The longer the steeping time, the stronger the flavor and the heavier the acidity. Each coffee bean has a different taste and personal preference, so try each one individually. Do not press the filter when steeping to allow more time and space for the coffee to come into contact with the water.
Brewing Better French Press Coffee Tips
Making French press coffee is not difficult, but making a delicious cup of French press coffee still requires us to master certain tips!
Tips 1: Use the right water
Baristas and coffee lovers alike know the importance of water to the flavor of a cup of coffee.
Good quality clean water is important because added chemicals and minerals can affect extraction. It also affects the flavor and aroma of the coffee, such as the residual chlorine present in municipal tap water.
But pure water is also not suitable for brewing coffee. While coffee needs clean, fresh water, it needs to retain a certain amount of minerals in the water because these minerals control the flavor of the coffee.
Without minerals in the water, the coffee will be like that from a convenience store like 7-11 (under-extracted).
A common way to keep water quality standards in the ideal zone at all times is to use commercial filtration equipment, just like a coffee shop chain like Starbucks.
The optimal ideal balance of SCA standards is as followsl Total hardness of 50-175ppm CaCO3 (2.9-9.8dH°)
l Carbonate hardness of 40-75ppm CaCO3 (2.2-4.2dH°)
l pH value of 6-8
However, a filtration device is not necessary for families and individuals. If you are making your hand brew at home, consider using bottled water or a more simple filter jug to purify your water.
Tips 2: Grind the right coffee powder
A good grinder is important and will allow you to reduce fines. Evenly ground coffee can be filtered by downward pressure, which can reduce over-extraction and ensure a clean taste. Buy a burr grinder that is more suitable for brewing with a French press and grinds the coffee powder with a higher consistency.
Tips 3: French press pots also need to be steamed
When using a French press pot to make coffee, please remember to steam it as well. Please do not pour hot water into the pot at the beginning and let it steam for at least 30 seconds. Use about 20% of the water and pour it in a circular motion to allow the coffee powder to steam.
