The French press or sometimes called the press pot method, is a simple way to get a strong, full-flavored experience from your coffee. Popular for its simplicity, a French Press can provide impressive, consistent results by following just a few easy steps. Here we provide a step by step guide to help you make the perfect Kona Coffee French press every time.

Equipment Needed -

Fresh Roasted Kona Coffee ◦ Kettle ◦ French Press ◦ Coffee Grinder ◦ Kitchen Scale Set to Grams ◦ Standard kitchen measuring cup (8oz) ◦ Standard kitchen measuring tablespoon

Fresh Roasted Whole Bean Kona Coffee

The most important factor regardless of brew method is using high quality, fresh roasted, whole bean coffee. Make sure to only source 100% Kona Coffee, preferably from a source direct from Hawaii. Buying direct is helpful to ensure you get a premium product that hasn’t been sitting on a store shelf for months. Premium Kona Coffee is at its best when brewed within two months of roasting. At Kona Roasted Coffee we place the roast date on the bottom of each bag.

Once you have chosen a coffee source, we recommend only buying whole bean Kona Coffee. As soon as coffee is ground it begins to lose the volatile flavor notes that make premium Kona Coffee so special. Grind only the amount of coffee you need for that brew session to ensure your coffee stays fresh.

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How Much Coffee and Water Should You Use?

French press coffee is popular for those interested in a strong, full flavored cup but finding the ideal coffee-to-water ratio can sometimes be a challenge. To help provide a starting point, we created the following infographic. These measurements use a standard kitchen measuring cup (8oz) and a standard kitchen measuring tablespoon. Based on your results, increase or decrease the amount of coffee to fine tune your strength preference.

Heat Your Water

Based on the size of your French press, add the the amount of water needed to your kettle and heat to 200°F.

We recommend either filtered water or tap water that is free from any off-flavors. If your water source contains any undesirable flavors, they may show through in the brewed coffee and alter your experience.

No thermometer, No worries - Bring your water to a roiling boil and allow it to rest for about 30 seconds to bring the temperature down to about 200°F. Keep in mind that If the water is too hot it may over extract your coffee leading to bitterness.

Grind Your Kona Coffee

Based on the size of your French press, grind the desired amount of freshly roasted whole bean Kona Coffee. The ideal grind size for a French press is similar to the texture of sea salt. We recommend using a burr grinder to ensure a consistent grind size. If a burr grinder is not available, a blade grinder is still preferable to using pre-ground coffee. If you use a blade grinder however, pay close attention during grinding as it can be easy to under or over grind your coffee.

Preheat Your Press (optional) and Add Your Ground Coffee

Some prefer to heat additional water to preheat their French press. This is an optional step based on preference. If you choose to follow this step, add enough hot water to fill at least half of your press then let it stand for a minute before dumping.

Now with an empty press, add your ground coffee.

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Kona Coffee Bloom

Start a timer for four minutes and then pour only enough 200°F water to soak all the ground coffee in the bottom of your press. Carefully swirl your French press to ensure all of the ground coffee has been exposed to water. Next, wait at least 30 seconds for your coffee to bloom before proceeding to the final pour step.

This step is the best way to tell just how fresh your Kona Coffee might be. Fresh roasted coffee will slowly release carbon dioxide gas for a few weeks after roasting. This is the reason many coffee bags have a one-way gas release valve. Once the ground coffee is exposed to water, the carbon dioxide will begin to rapidly release and cause bubbles to form. This gas release and expansion is referred to as the coffee bloom. The older the coffee, the less carbon dioxide will be released. To ensure the ultimate experience, coffee connoisseurs often look at the bloom step as an indicator of how fresh their coffee might be.

Final Pour

With the four minute timer still running add the remaining amount of water to your French press. Place the plunger on top and carefully push it down about 1” below the surface of the water. After a few seconds, raise the plunger back up until it is level with the water surface. This short plunger dip helps ensure the ground coffee is properly saturated and will help with extraction.

Once the four minute timer is up, slowly press the plunger all the way down. Your perfect French Press Kona Coffee is now ready to pour into your favorite mug.