How to Brew with a French Press

How to Brew with a French Press

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3 min read

If you're looking for rich, flavorful coffee (that doesn't taste burnt), and an inexpensive way to make it: look no further than a French Press. Get a quality brew over a propane stove or even right over the campfire, no filters or extra gear required.

Whether you're a beginner brewer looking to hone your barista skills, or you self-identify as a camp coffee connoisseur, follow this guide to achieve café-quality coffee right at camp.

Metal french press and two camp mugs on a picnic table with a red and white checkered tablecloth
Woman spooning coffee grounds from a black bag into a metal french press on a red and white checkered tablecloth

Grind Type: Medium-Coarse

Similar to a percolator, you’ll need coarser grinds for proper extraction. With too fine of grounds, the press won’t be able to effectively pull the flavour from the coffee and instead will leave you with a mess of sludgy grounds. The proper grind doesn’t just impact the quality of your cup of coffee but will also shorten clean-up time.

Quantity of Coffee Grounds

For a standard 32-ounce French Press, you’ll want to grind about a ½ cup of coffee beans. If you’ve brought pre-ground coffee beans, portion out just under a ½ cup. This may sound like a lot, but medium-coarse grounds are a bit more difficult to extract the flavours from – which is why steeping more grounds is crucial for a worthwhile brew.

Brew Time

A French press allows for a relatively quick brew once you’ve got the water up to temp. The grounds can be added once the pot is removed from the heat. Once gently stirred and saturated for 1-2 minutes, the coffee can be plunged – that’s all there is to it!

Woman pouring hot coffee from a metal french press into a metal camp mug on a red and white checkered tablecloth

Instructions (4 Cups of Coffee)

  1. Take the coffee pot, be sure to remove the plunger, and fill with 1 litre of water. Use the inner measurement markings to get the exact amount of water. (Do not pour water over the 4 cup/ 1 L markings)
  2. Place the pot over medium-high heat to bring the water close to a boil. If the water gets too hot, you may accidentally scald the coffee grounds.
  3. While the water heats up, prepare approximately a 1/2 cup of coffee beans to grind. Or, if you've brought grounds from home, set aside just under a 1/2 cup.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the water to cool for 30-45 seconds to ensure it's not boiling.
  5. Add your coffee grounds to the water. Gently stir the grounds to make sure they start to become saturated by the water.
  6. Let the grounds sit for about 1 minute.
  7. Grab the plunger, and slowly begin to press down and plunge the coffee – not too fast though, we don't want hot coffee going everywhere.
  8. Pour into your favourite camp mugs and serve. Just like that, you've got a camp-friendly brew for you and your crew!

Tips:

Everyone wants to start their morning off on the right foot. And while brewing coffee right over the campfire sounds great, be mindful of how hot the French Press may become. Use heat-resistant gloves when handling the French Press once it's been over the fire to prevent any injuries.

Want to embrace tradition? If you've got some extra space in your camp kitchen, use Coghlan's French Press to follow the typical brew process. Pack along another pot or kettle to boil your water separately. Boiling water separately and then transferring it to the French Press can help prevent your coffee from turning bitter or acidic from over-steeping.

Life's too short for black coffee! Pack your favourite creamers and sweeteners to customize your morning routine.

Person holding a cookie over a metal camp mug with another person and a french press and coffee beans in the background on a red and white checkered tablecloth.

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