The simple, forgiving method for a rich, full-bodied cup

French press is the most approachable brewing method. No special technique required. No precise pouring. Just coffee, water, time, and a plunger.

The result is different from pour over—fuller body, more oils, a thicker mouthfeel. Some prefer it. Some don't. Worth trying to know which camp you're in.

Why French Press

French press is an immersion method. Coffee grounds steep fully in water, then get separated by pressing a mesh filter down. Nothing paper-filtered out.

This produces:

• Full body: Oils and fine particles pass through the mesh, creating a heavier, richer texture
• Bold flavor: Extended contact time extracts thoroughly
• Forgiveness: The method is harder to mess up than pour over

The trade-offs: some sediment in the cup, less clarity than filtered methods, can become bitter if brewed too long.

Equipment

Essential

• French press: Any size. Glass or stainless steel. Bodum and Espro are popular brands.
• Kettle: Any kettle works. No gooseneck required.
• Fresh coffee: Coarse-ground. This matters more than the press itself.
• Timer: Phone timer is fine.

Helpful

• Scale: For consistent ratios
• Burr grinder: For consistent coarse grind (blade grinders struggle here)

The Basic Recipe

Ratio: 1:15 (coffee to water by weight)
Example: 30g coffee, 450g water (makes about 2 cups)

Grind: Coarse (like sea salt or raw sugar)

Water temperature: 195-205°F (just off boiling)

Steep time: 4 minutes

Step-by-Step

1. Preheat

Fill French press with hot water to preheat. Let sit a minute. Discard water.

2. Add Coffee

Add coarse-ground coffee to the empty press. Shake gently to level.

3. Add Water

Start timer. Pour hot water over grounds, saturating all of them. Fill to desired level. Don't stir yet.

4. Wait

Let it sit for 4 minutes. At about 1 minute, you can gently stir to ensure all grounds are saturated. Then leave it alone.

This is your pause. Four minutes of nothing. Resist the urge to rush.

5. Plunge

At 4 minutes, press the plunger down slowly and steadily. Don't force it. If there's major resistance, your grind may be too fine.

6. Pour Immediately

Important: pour all the coffee out right away. If it sits in the press, it continues extracting and becomes bitter.

Pour into cups or a carafe. Serve.

Troubleshooting

Bitter or Over-Extracted

• Grind coarser
• Steep for less time (try 3:30)
• Use slightly cooler water
• Pour immediately after plunging (don't let it sit)

Weak or Under-Extracted

• Grind finer (but still coarse-ish)
• Steep longer (try 4:30)
• Use more coffee
• Ensure water is hot enough

Too Much Sediment

• Grind coarser—fine particles slip through the mesh
• Let brewed coffee settle a moment before drinking the last sips
• Consider an Espro press (double micro-filter reduces sediment)

Hard to Press

• Grind is too fine. The mesh clogs with fine particles. Coarsen significantly.

The 4-Minute Ritual

French press has a built-in pause: the 4-minute steep.

You can fill this time however you want. Check your phone. Prep breakfast. Zone out.

Or: use it intentionally. Four minutes of nothing. Standing in your kitchen, waiting. Noticing the steam, the smell, the quiet.

The coffee will be the same either way. You might not be.

Coffee for French Press

French press handles a range of roasts well:

• Medium to dark roasts: The full body complements these roasts' chocolate, caramel, nutty notes
• Bold, earthy coffees: Indonesian, Brazilian, darker blends
• Any fresh coffee: Freshness matters more than roast level

Lighter roasts work too—they'll taste different than in pour over, with more body and less clarity. Some people prefer this.

Shop our coffees →

Cleaning Your French Press

Don't skip this. Old coffee oils go rancid and affect taste.

1. Empty grounds (compost or trash, not down the drain)
2. Disassemble the plunger (most have multiple parts)
3. Wash all parts with soap and water
4. Let dry completely before reassembling

Deep clean weekly if you use it daily. Coffee oils build up invisibly.

French Press vs. Pour Over

Neither is better. They're different.

Try both. See what your palate prefers.

Sip in the moment.

Spiritus Coffee Co.
Consciously crafted. Roasted with intention.

Master the pour over method for a cleaner, brighter cup

Pour over is the method that made specialty coffee mainstream. It's simple in concept—pour hot water over ground coffee—but the details matter. This guide covers everything you need to make excellent pour over coffee at home.

What Makes Pour Over Special

Pour over produces a clean, bright cup that highlights a coffee's distinct characteristics. Unlike immersion methods (French press, cold brew), pour over continuously filters the coffee as it brews, removing oils and fine particles that can muddy the flavor.

The result: clarity. You taste the coffee itself, not just "coffee flavor." Origin characteristics shine through. Fruit notes, floral hints, subtle sweetness—pour over reveals what's actually in the bean.

The trade-off: pour over requires attention. It's not a set-and-forget method. But that attention becomes part of the ritual.

Equipment You Need

Essential

• Pour over dripper: Hario V60, Kalita Wave, Chemex, or similar. Each produces slightly different results, but all work well.
• Paper filters: Matched to your dripper. Unbleached or bleached both work.
• Kettle: Ideally gooseneck for control. Standard kettle works but makes precision harder.
• Fresh coffee: This matters most. No method compensates for stale beans.
• Grinder: Burr grinder strongly recommended. Blade grinders produce inconsistent particle size.

Helpful but Optional

• Scale: For consistent ratios. Measuring by weight beats measuring by volume.
• Timer: To track brew time. Phone timer works fine.
• Thermometer: To check water temperature. Less critical than other variables.

The Basic Recipe

Start here. Adjust based on taste.

Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water by weight)
Example: 20g coffee, 320g water

Grind: Medium-fine (like table salt)

Water temperature: 195-205°F (90-96°C). Just off boiling works if you don't have a thermometer.

Total brew time: 2:30-3:30 minutes

Step-by-Step Process

1. Prep

Heat your water. Place filter in dripper. Rinse filter with hot water—this removes paper taste and preheats your vessel. Discard rinse water.

2. Grind and Dose

Grind your coffee fresh, right before brewing. Weigh it (or use approximately 2 tablespoons per 6 oz water). Place grounds in filter. Shake gently to level the bed.

3. Bloom

Start your timer. Pour just enough water to saturate all grounds—about 2x the coffee weight (40g water for 20g coffee). The coffee will bubble and expand as CO2 escapes. This is the bloom.

Wait 30-45 seconds. This degassing allows for more even extraction in the main pour.

4. Main Pour

Begin pouring in slow, steady circles from the center outward. Avoid pouring directly on the filter. Keep the water level relatively consistent—don't let it drain completely between pours, but don't flood it either.

Pour until you've reached your target water weight. Total pour time should be about 2-2:30 minutes.

5. Drawdown

Let the remaining water drain through. Total time from first pour to final drip should be 2:30-3:30 minutes. Longer suggests grind is too fine. Shorter suggests too coarse.

6. Serve

Remove dripper. Swirl the coffee to integrate. Let it cool slightly—flavor develops as temperature drops. Taste.

Troubleshooting

Too Bitter or Harsh

Likely over-extracted. Try:

• Coarser grind
• Lower water temperature
• Faster pour (less contact time)

Too Sour or Weak

Likely under-extracted. Try:

• Finer grind
• Higher water temperature
• Slower pour (more contact time)

Drain Time Too Long

Grind is too fine, or you're pouring too aggressively (causing "fines migration" that clogs the filter). Coarsen the grind.

Drain Time Too Short

Grind is too coarse. The water rushes through without extracting properly. Fine up the grind.

Variables to Experiment With

Once you have the basics, play with:

• Ratio: Try 1:15 for stronger, 1:17 for lighter
• Grind size: Small changes have big effects
• Pour pattern: Continuous pour vs. pulse pouring (multiple pours with pauses)
• Water: Filtered vs. tap can make noticeable difference

Change one variable at a time. Take notes. Find your preference.

Coffee for Pour Over

Pour over excels with light to medium roasts. The clarity of the method reveals origin characteristics that darker roasts mask.

Look for coffees described as:

• Bright, fruity, floral
• Complex, layered
• Light or medium roast
• Single origin

At Spiritus, our lighter roasts and single origins shine in pour over. The method shows off what we're trying to highlight.

Explore our current coffees →

The Ritual of Pour Over

Beyond technique, pour over offers something valuable: enforced presence.

You can't walk away. The process requires 3-4 minutes of attention. No scrolling, no multitasking. Just you, water, coffee.

For some, this is inconvenient. For others, it's the point.

Those few minutes become a pause in the day. A small ritual of attention. The cup you end up with is almost secondary to the practice of making it.

Sip in the moment.

Spiritus Coffee Co.
Consciously crafted. Roasted with intention.