What Is The Best Water Temperature For French Press Coffee?

To make a perfect cup, 200 Degrees Fahrenheit (~93 degrees Celsius) is the best water temperature for French press coffee. It is believed that the temperature range of 195°F – 205°F is the best temp for coffee French press and other types of coffee served hot. In this article, we will explore the different water temperatures and how they affect the flavor of your coffee. We will also provide exclusive tips on how to get the perfect cup of French press coffee every time.

As we’ve already mentioned, the best temperature for French press coffee is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many coffee experts say that you should let the water cool down a bit before pouring. Indeed, it’s true for a pour-over style of coffee.

But this doesn’t matter when using a French press (immersion brewing). Because, as soon as you pour hot water into the press, it almost instantly starts to cool down. It happens because of the large pouring area and the cold glass of the French press.

To make a perfect French Press coffee, please note that the word ‘Perfection’ varies from person to person. For instance, if you like strong coffee, you need more amount of beans in your coffee.

But this is exactly the opposite of mild coffee lovers. The personal taste of coffee also depends on the amount of milk and sugar. Now, keeping all that in mind, let’s have a look at the most important factors of making perfect French press coffee.

As a coffee lover, you know, ‘Making coffee is an art’.

And, any art reaches its highest level when every part works perfectly. The perfection of coffee art depends on the coffee bean, grind size, and water.  We are always with you to start a wonderful day with a cup of coffee. So, Let’s have a quick look-see at the drawback of not maintaining water temperature for French press coffee.

• Bitterness – Overheated water may cause bitterness. Over-boiled water can scorch the coffee grounds. Therefore, scorched coffee gets mixed with hot water leading to bitterness
• Inadequate Mixing – Mixing coffee grinds with under-heated water (less than 195°F) may result in a shortfall in the mix
• Less Taste – Under heated or overheated water can make an enormous difference in your coffee’s taste

The first of the list should be finding the right bean. You should choose your bean very wisely.

You could buy whole coffee beans and grind them manually. Even buy unroasted coffee beans and process them. Or else, you can just simply find out what coffee beans are best for the French press to make your coffee and buy them.

As per your taste, you should choose lightly roasted, medium roasted, or dark roasted beans.

Different grind sizes are required for different types of coffee. Like, Turkish coffee or espresso needs the finest grind, on the other hand coarsely ground coffee is the best match for French press coffee. 

If you prefer to grind your beans by yourself, you need to learn the best way to grind coffee for the French press. And if you grind them yourself, it is very important to make the grind size even.

Uneven French press grind size may cause bitterness and mess with the taste of the coffee.

A conical burr coffee grinder for French press can solve your problem to that.

Your beans need to be fresh to be in perfect taste. Fresh beans will lead you to good coffee. Make sure that your beans are fresh before the purchase. Also, don’t forget to preserve it correctly at home to preserve the longevity of your fresh beans.

You need to use enough amount of coffee to make the coffee. A smaller amount of coffee will completely ruin if you aim for the perfect French press. 

You know the desired strength of your coffee. The general rule, mild coffee needs less amount of coffee and strong coffee needs more and more amount.

You need to use quality water to get the finest output. If the water coming out of your faucet is not up to the mark, that may lower the quality of your coffee. 

If your tap water has a bad taste or distinctive smell, which could be caused by chlorine, try to avoid it. Instead, use bottled or filtered water.

Depending on the nature of the serving, you need to maintain the best coffee grounds-to-water ratio.

For example, for a regular brewing coffee of 10 oz  (~300 mL), a serving needs approximately 18 grams (0.63 ounces) of coffee grounds for mild strength, 23 grams (0.81 ounces) of coffee grounds for a medium strength taste, and 29 grams (1.02 ounces) of coffee grounds for a strong taste. 

The perfect ratio of coffee to water for French press is believed 1:17 for regular taste. That means you need to add 17 times water per gram of coffee. It will be around 1.99 ounces (~56 grams) of coffee for 1 liter (~ 33 US. fl. oz) of water. 

1:17 for regular and 1:11 for strong are the best coffee-to-water ratio for French press.

Almost always, French press coffee maker manufacturing companies (i.e. – Chemex) calculate a cup of serving is equivalent to 5 US. fl. oz.

On a different note, coffee allows you to buy hundreds of funny mugs. 

To make French press coffee, you need to add hot water manually into the pot from outside. To boil water perfectly, you should have the best electric water kettle for French press coffee.

As we mentioned earlier, 200°F is the best water temperature for French press coffee. It is very important to stand the water after boiling. 

A full 1 minute of the taking of the heat of the water is perfect for the French press. You need to let it stand for at least 30 seconds but not more than 1.5 minutes.

This step is often missed or ignored. But for the best result, it is very important to warm up your French press pot and serving cups with boiled water.

Warming up the pot helps to maintain the balance of temperature.

The perfection will be lost if all the water is poured at one time. You need to add 20% water first. Then let it bloom for at least 30 seconds.

Then you should add more water slowly to fill the pot.

Stirring gently is a very important part. Not necessary you need to stir the entire French press, just the top inch would do. 

A Chopstick, wooden or bamboo spoon should be used for stirring. The metal stirrer can break the glass.

Before you plunge, the time of your brewing should be 6 minutes to 8 minutes. The French press is all about gentle, nice, slow brewing. 

Generally, people let it brew for 3 to 4 minutes. But if you expand the time of the brewing process, it will give you a better result.

Cleaning your French press is necessary every time you make coffee. You should always follow the best way to clean the French press. A perfectly clean and new-looking French press will make your coffee perfect. 

Also, have the best French press coffee maker to get a good result.

You know your taste. You better do some experiments with coffee grounds, milk and sugar, water, and their ratios to match your taste. Just make sure you check all the parameters along with the best water temperature for French press coffee.

Enjoy Your Coffee!!