French Press Coffee Ratio: Grams for Every Press Size

The French press coffee ratio to start from is 1:15: 1 gram of coffee for every 15 grams of water. That's the baseline ESPRO recommends, and it's close to Stumptown's own recipe of 56 g of coffee to 850 g of water in an 8-cup press. Roasters go as weak as 1:18 (Counter Culture), so 1:15 to 1:18 is the range worth knowing.

Below: grams for each standard press size, how to make it stronger or weaker, how long to steep, and where to set your grinder.

The ratio, from the people who publish recipes

Here's what each source actually says. Water is measured in grams, which is the same as milliliters for water.

Two things stand out. First, the two roasters land at opposite ends: Stumptown brews stronger and shorter, Counter Culture weaker and longer. Both work, because a longer steep pulls more from less coffee. Second, Bodum, which makes the Chambord most people own, measures by the spoon or scoop, not the gram. A scale is the only way to repeat a cup exactly, which is why every recipe here other than Bodum's is written in grams.

If you want the ratio logic for every brew method side by side, see the coffee to water ratio guide.

How much coffee for your press size

The Chambord sizes most people own, as Bodum lists them, are 3 cup (0.35 l, 12 oz), 4 cup (0.5 l, 17 oz), 8 cup (1.0 l, 34 oz) and 12 cup (1.5 l, 51 oz). Bodum's "cup" is a European cup of about 4 oz, which is why an "8-cup" press makes about four mugs.

You don't fill a press to the brim. Bodum's instructions say to leave at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) at the top, and Stumptown fills its 8-cup press with 850 g of water rather than 1,000. The table below uses that same 85% fill for every size, then divides by the ratio:

The math is just water divided by the second number in the ratio, rounded to the nearest gram. For a press that isn't on this list, or a half batch, the brew calculator does it for any amount.

If your press is a different brand, check the capacity printed on the box or the maker's page, take about 85% of it as your water, and divide by 15.

Stronger or weaker: change the dose first

ESPRO's strength chart keeps the water fixed and moves the coffee:

• Strong: 1:12 to 1:13
• Standard: 1:15
• Weak: 1:16 to 1:17

It suggests moving 1–2 grams at a time per 15 ml of water, and half-gram steps once you're close. On an 8-cup press that's the difference between 57 g and 65 g, which is a big jump in body.

Change one thing per brew. If you move the dose and the grind together and the cup gets better, you won't know which one did it.

The trap here is confusing strength with extraction. Strength is how much coffee is dissolved in the cup: thin and watery versus heavy and intense. Extraction is how much flavor you pulled out of the grounds: sour and hollow when there's too little, bitter and drying when there's too much. More coffee fixes a watery cup. It doesn't fix a sour one. For that, grind finer or steep longer.

• Sour, salty or hollow: see how to fix sour coffee.
• Bitter, harsh or muddy: see how to fix bitter coffee.

How long to steep, and how hot

Four minutes is the default nearly everyone gives. Bodum says to leave it four minutes before pressing, and Stumptown presses at 4:00. ESPRO calls 4–5 minutes standard. Counter Culture's longer 6:00 steep goes with its weaker 1:18 ratio and a medium-coarse grind "like kosher salt."

For water, Bodum gives about 92–96 °C, and both Stumptown and Counter Culture use about 205 °F (96 °C), just off the boil.

Stumptown's method, in short: pour half the water, stir at 1:00, top up to 850 g, then press at 4:00. Counter Culture pours all 800 g at once, stirs at 0:30 and presses at 6:00. For a full walkthrough, read the French press brewing guide. For a slower method that skims the crust, see BrewMark's page on James Hoffmann's French press technique.

Starting settings on popular grinders

The ratio sets strength. The grind decides whether 4 minutes is enough. French press wants a coarse grind; Stumptown compares it to breadcrumbs. Every row below comes from the maker's own chart:

Starting points from BrewMark's settings pages, which take them from each maker's own chart where one exists (rows marked * are estimated on the same dial). Every grinder drifts; adjust by taste.

For grind size and steep time together, including what to do when the cup turns muddy, read French press grind size and brew time. If your grinder isn't in the table, the grind size chart lists every grinder BrewMark covers, side by side. If you're still choosing a grinder for French press, the grinder finder filters the list for French press.

A quick recipe to copy

For a standard 8-cup (1.0 l) press:

1. Heat water to about 205 °F (96 °C).
2. Weigh 57 g of coffee and grind it coarse, using the setting from the table above.
3. Add 850 g of water and start a timer.
4. Stir at 1:00 (Stumptown's timing), then put the lid on without pressing.
5. Press slowly at 4:00 and pour.

For other sizes, swap in the grams from the press-size table. If it's watery, add coffee. If it's sour, grind finer. If it's bitter, grind coarser or press sooner.

Next steps

• Find your grinder's French press setting on the grinder settings charts, or compare them all on the master grind size chart.
• Follow a full method: the French press brewing guide or James Hoffmann's French press.
• Got a new grinder? Dial in a new grinder before you start changing your ratio.
• Scale any recipe up or down with the brew calculator.