French Press Calculator
How much coffee for a French press? Choose your press size and strength to get grams of coffee, tablespoons, water, expected yield and steep time.
How much coffee do I put in an 8-cup French press?
An 8-cup (1 litre) French press takes about 66 g of coffee at the standard 1:15 ratio, roughly 12 level tablespoons. A 4-cup (500 ml) press takes about 33 g and a 12-cup (1.5 L) press about 100 g. Weigh it if you can, since tablespoons vary with grind and roast.
What is the best coffee to water ratio for a French press?
1:15 by weight (about 67 g per litre) is the standard starting point. Go to 1:17 for a lighter cup or 1:12 for a stronger one. Adjust the ratio rather than the steep time to change strength.
What grind size should I use for a French press?
Coarse, like rough sea salt. Fine grounds slip through the mesh filter, over-extract and make the cup muddy and bitter. See the
grind size guide.
How long should I steep French press coffee?
About 4 minutes with water around 93 to 96 °C (200 to 205 °F). Press slowly, then pour everything out right away, because coffee left on the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter.
How much does a French press make compared to its size?
Grounds absorb roughly 2 g of water per gram of coffee, so a press yields a little less than the water you pour in. An 8-cup press filled with 1 L of water gives about 870 ml of coffee. Press 'cups' are 4 oz, so one 8 oz mug is two press cups.
Can I use the same ratio for cold brew in a French press?
No. Cold brew is much more concentrated, usually 1:5 to 1:8, and steeps 12 to 18 hours. Use our
cold brew calculator for those numbers.