French Press: Full-Bodied and Foolproof

Why French press

If pour-over is precision, French press is forgiveness. It's nearly impossible to mess up, requires no paper filters, and delivers a heavier, richer body because the coffee's natural oils end up in your cup instead of trapped in a filter. It's our pick for lazy weekend mornings and our balanced Signature Blend.

What you need

• A French press
• A scale (or a tablespoon, in a pinch)
• 30g coffee · 450g water (a 1:15 ratio — scale up or down to your press size)
• Grind: coarse, like breadcrumbs

The method

1. Heat water to 200–205°F (boil, then rest 30 seconds).
2. Add 30g of coarse coffee to the empty press.
3. Pour all 450g of water in, making sure every ground is soaked. Start your timer.
4. Wait 4 minutes. Around the 1-minute mark, a crust forms on top — give it a gentle stir to break it and let the grounds sink.
5. Press slowly and evenly. If it's hard to push, your grind's too fine; if the plunger drops with no resistance, go finer next time.
6. Pour it all out right away into your cup or a carafe. Leaving coffee sitting on the grounds keeps extracting it — and turns it bitter.

Troubleshooting

• Muddy / gritty cup? Grind coarser, and don't over-stir.
• Weak? More coffee or a slightly finer grind.
• Bitter? You probably let it sit on the grounds too long — decant immediately.

The CRBN note

Signature Blend is our everyday hero for a reason — cocoa, toasted almond, and brown sugar come through beautifully in the fuller body of a French press. It's the cup we reach for most, and the one quietly sending 20% back to the next generation every time you brew it.

Shop Core Blend →