How to Make a Fine French Press Espresso

Making your own espresso at home saves you money, plus you make it the way you enjoy it most. Is it possible to make a delicate espresso with a French Press? YES, you can… it’s a decadent treat and tastes heavenly, and you don’t need any other gear.

I quickly walk you through how to perfect it, the pros & cons of making it and much more. Read on to find out…

How to perfect your French Press espresso

Traditional espresso (or the way Italians love it) is different. Hot water runs through pressed coffee at high pressure (almost nine bars) to create one espresso shot that is one of the most popular and flavour-packed coffee types – many find it a way to kick start their day.

But the French tend to have their own way of doing things, and one of them is espresso. Using a French Press is slightly more unusual that tastes equally great! 

Let’s face it, making a good espresso with a French Press isn’t rocket science, but if you’re really fixated on your coffee and seek nothing but the most flavoursome coffee cup (like myself), it’s wise to have a process and stick to it.

You’ll find below all the steps for the perfect espresso formula.  

What you need for making espresso with a French Espresso

• A French Press, also known as a cafetière (you can’t make French Press espresso without a French Press).
• A mug/cup (Yes you need to pour your coffee somewhere).
• 2-3 tbsp of coarsely ground coffee (preferably).
• 250 ml of boiling water.

It all starts with grinding your coffee beans

Laborious I know but it’s a necessary evil to create an espresso with a rich aroma (packaged ground coffee loses some of it). Just pack your grinder with beans and adjust the settings to coarse, ideal for a French Press espresso. This way you’ll be aware of the right grind size for a great espresso.

Time to heat up your press

You’ll need the right temperature to make a nice coffee. Espresso tastes way better if you heat up your press in advance, an easy task that’ll only take you a second. Preheat your cafetière with some boiling water and let it sit for a bit, since this ensures flavours and oils from the coffee are drawn out and enhance the flavour. 

Put the coffee in the press

Pour away the warm water and add your coffee to the Press. If you prefer your coffee strong (and you’re one of those lucky ones that espresso doesn’t keep awake all night),  a great rule of thumb is go for two to three tablespoons.

And here’s a little trick: don’t fill it to the top at first, just add a little water to allow the coffee to bloom, so no coffee grinds end up floating on your brew. 

Now top up the Press with water

What’s left to do? Once you’re done with the blooming (a couple of minutes will do). All you need to do is fill the press with fresh water and get ready to take the plunge. 

Plunge the French Press

All that’s left to do is to put the lid on the press and steadily press the plunger all the way down. That’s it! A word of warning: don’t plunge it down too suddenly or you’ll end up wearing it.

You can now pour it into your cup and enjoy your aromatic, steaming French espresso.

If you fancy an espresso without a thick foam on top, there’s a trick you can try:  press the plunger half way down and then pull it back, give it a minute, and this time press it all the way down which eliminates any froth.

Best coffee beans to use

First off it’s key to know how long your espresso lasts. By all means used your coffee beans to use in your moka or your machine, but I would recommend using dark coffee beans.

Why dark coffee beans?

They have a robust flavour because they draw out natural oils that are going to make your espresso richer.

In case  you only have medium roasted (not overly dark beans), you’ll probably notice a slight difference in flavour when using it.

Frothed milk in your French Press Latte or Cappuccino

Are you a big fan of Cappuccino or Latte?

Did you know you can make your frothy milk in your Press without the hassle of buying a machine or a gadget.

If you were to make either a Cappuccino or Latte you start with the coffee first and then move on to the milk.

Here are five easy steps to make a killer frothy milk:

1.Heat your milk on the stove/hob or even in your microwave (a couple of minutes will do for you).
2.Fill half of your Press with the warm milk.
3.Place the plunger and push & pull it till the milk volume has doubled (it will probably take a couple of minutes).
4.Pour the frothy milk into your cup. 
5.To get rid of the big bubbles, and make your milk look more delicate, you can simply spoon them over.

Add some flavouring 

Not everyone likes their coffee plain, some prefer it flavoured. Personally I generally prefer my espresso straight up with no sugar, but now and again I like to be more adventurous and add some flavouring, vanilla (for making French vanilla coffee) or caramel are two of my favourites.

Do you put flavouring in your coffee?

You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to coffee syrups; hazelnut, almond, gingerbread and amaretto all add a distinctive twist to your favourite blend.

To satisfy your caffeine craving, there’s nothing better than chilling out on a lazy Sunday morning, by making an iced espresso.

How to make iced espresso with a French Press?

Iced espresso is ideal for a hot summer day when you crave a drink to cool off, and it’s simple to make:

First off, go ahead and make a double dose of espresso, and grab the ice cube tray. Place 5-7 ice cubes in a glass of water and pour the coffee over the ice and you’re done. Enjoy!

Great video on how to make espresso with a French Press

If you’re a visual person (like me) watching a video of someone making espresso with a French might be useful.  I went over a bunch of videos to find one that gets straight to the point; this short video ticks all the boxes:

Other ways of making espresso

Luckily there are a bunch of different methods you can make espresso, so you can weigh up all the options and go for the one that suits you best (both taste and budget wise).

Espresso without a machine

Espresso machine: Espresso machines are one of the best ways of making flavoursome espresso, but come at a cost as you have to fork out money to purchase a good machine.

Espresso pod machine: It’s more affordable than an espresso machine, but buying pods is more expensive than ground coffee or coffee beans. 

Espresso without a machine

Espresso maker: They are generally more affordable and portable than traditional coffee machines; they feature pods, are easy to use and make it easy to take with you when you travel. 

Aeropress: It looks like a futuristic gadget featured in a Star Trek episode, a cheaper alternative to an espresso maker and easily portable.  

Moka pot: Cheap, dead easy to use and highly portable. What more to ask for a gadget that roughly costs $15??

Pros & Cons of Espresso with French Press

I discuss the pros & cons of espresso made with French Press, so you will be able to make up your mind whether to give it a whirl or not. 

Pros

• Improved taste featuring.
• An enhanced rich flavour thanks to the coarse grinding.
• Easy to make.
• Cleaning the press is less hassle than cleaning a machine. 
• The French Press is inexpensive to buy.
• It’s easy to store your French Press.
• It’s portable.

Cons

• It can be tricky if you haven’t used a French Press before, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
• It might take you a bit longer to make it.
• You need to keep an eye on the coffee and make sure to put it into a cup when it steeps, otherwise you’ll end up with too strong coffee.
• It will cost you more money per cup in the long term.

Let’s wrap it up

Coffee is a lifestyle and like other things in life, it’s great to try new things and break away from our routines, especially with those things we love.

Making espresso with a French Press is a great alternative to the conventional method of making coffee and you don’t need to know how to use a coffee maker; it tasted fabulous and even the ritual of pouring the beans into the French Press releasing that seductive aroma evokes a creative element you didn’t know you even had.