How to brew coffee in a plunger

The plunger (or French press) is one of the easiest ways to make a full, rich cup of coffee, whether you’re in the office kitchen or at home. Here’s our step-by-step method.

What you’ll need

• A plunger (French press)
• Freshly roasted coffee beans, like our Cape Blend or Dark Roast
• A grinder (or coffee ground coarse for a plunger)
• A kettle and a timer

The ratio

Use about 60g of coffee per litre of water. For a standard 350ml plunger, that’s roughly 21g of coffee, or about 3 heaped tablespoons. Use a little more if you like it stronger.

Step by step

1. Heat your water. Boil the kettle, then let it stand for about 30 seconds so it’s just off the boil.
2. Grind coarse. Grind your beans coarsely, about the texture of rough sea salt. Fine grounds slip through the mesh and taste bitter.
3. Warm the plunger. Rinse it with hot water, then tip the water out.
4. Add coffee and bloom. Add your ground coffee, pour in just enough water to wet it and wait 30 seconds.
5. Fill and stir. Pour in the rest of the water and give it a gentle stir.
6. Steep for 4 minutes. Pop the lid on with the plunger pulled up and set a timer.
7. Press slowly. Push the plunger down gently and steadily.
8. Pour straight away. Pour all the coffee out so it doesn’t keep brewing and turn bitter.

Troubleshooting

• Too bitter? Grind coarser or steep for a little less time.
• Too weak or sour? Use a bit more coffee, grind slightly finer or steep a little longer.
• Gritty? Your grind is too fine. Go coarser and let the cup settle for a minute.

Start with fresh beans

The single biggest upgrade to your plunger coffee is fresh beans. Coffee loses flavour soon after roasting, which is why we roast every order fresh in Cape Town.