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Baratza Encore for French Press

The unfussy classic — full immersion behind a metal mesh, no filters, no fiddly pour. Steep, press and pour a heavy, rich cup that tastes of the bean, oils and all.

Baratza Encore
Find your grinder… Baratza Encore
1Zpresso J-Max 102–136 1Zpresso JE 114–138 1Zpresso JX 27–33 1Zpresso JX-Pro 168–200 1Zpresso K-Max 90–100 1Zpresso K-Plus 90–100 1Zpresso K-Pro 90–100 1Zpresso K-Ultra 59–77 1Zpresso Q2 (Heptagonal burrs) 78–114 1Zpresso Q2 (Pentagonal burrs) 78–114 1Zpresso Q2 S 78–114 1Zpresso X-Pro 41–55
Baratza Encore 28
Baratza Encore ESP 32 Baratza Sette 270 31 Baratza Virtuoso+ 28 Breville Smart Grinder Pro 55–60 Comandante C40 MK3 30–37 Comandante C40 MK4 29–35 Comandante C60 Baracuda 36–50 DF64 Gen 2 50–60 Eureka Mignon Specialita 90–100 Eureka Mignon Zero 82–100 Fellow Ode Gen 2 8–10 Fellow Opus 29–37 Flair Royal 50–60 Hario Mini-Slim Pro 18–20 Hario Skerton Pro 13–19 Kingrinder K0 140 Kingrinder K1 140 Kingrinder K2 140 Kingrinder K4 41–55 Kingrinder K6 120 Kingrinder P0 75 Kingrinder P1 75 Kingrinder P2 75 MHW-3Bomber R3 Pro 90–110 Mazzer Philos 90–100 Moccamaster KM5 6–8 Niche Zero 45–50 Normcore Manual V2 45–60 OXO Brew Conical 30–38 Option-O Lagom P64 66–96 Sage Smart Grinder Pro 55–60 Timemore C3 Max Pro 17–20 Timemore C3 Pro 17–20 Timemore Chestnut C2 27–33 Timemore Chestnut C3 27–32 Timemore Chestnut S3 80–90 Timemore Chestnut S3 ESP 70–85 Timemore Chestnut X 55–60 Timemore Nano 25–27 Turin DF54 60 Varia VS3 56–60 Weber Key 90–100 Wilfa Svart 75–100 Wilfa Uniform+ 35–41
Electric grinder · 40 mm conical burrs

Baratza Encore's setting

Clicks
28
Grind size
900–1200 µm
Grind descriptor
Coarse

These settings are consensus values computed from 4 independent sources (manufacturer manuals, reference charts and our micron model), monitored daily for changes.

See the Baratza Encore grind chart

Overview

Ours 1:15·30 g·450 g·95 °C·Coarse · 900–1200 µm·5:35 Make it yours

Brew with us

French Press

Grind Coarse 900–1200 µm
Ratio 1:
Dose g
Water g
Water temp °C
Total time 5:35

0:00 Timer
— Flow
— Weight
—
STEP 1 / 8 0:00 / 0:00

Notes

We start the clock the moment the water goes in, not after the crust is broken — the grounds are extracting the whole time. Serve it straight away; coffee left on the grounds past four minutes keeps going bitter.

Behind every step

  1. 1Weigh beans

    0:05

    Weighing instead of scooping is the only way to repeat a brew — beans differ in density and roast, so a scoop of one is not a scoop of another. Fix the dose and every other variable finally means something.

  2. 2Grind

    0:15

    Four minutes of immersion behind a metal mesh means anything small enough to slip through ends up in your cup. Keep it coarse — rough sea salt — because fines are what make a press taste bitter and silty at once.

  3. 3Add the grounds

    0:10

    Coffee and brewer finally meet, and it is worth its own beat rather than a clause in another step: the filter is rinsed, the kettle is hot, and until the grounds are in there is nothing to brew. Give the brewer a tap to level the bed — a bed sitting at an angle sends the first pour down the low side and extracts unevenly from there on.

  4. 4Add water

    0:15

    Immersion brewing extracts by contact rather than pressure, so every ground needs to be wet at the same moment. Pour with enough energy to sink the floaters — dry pockets simply never brew.

  5. 5Steep

    4:00

    Four minutes is the classic, and it's the variable doing all the work here. Start the timer as the water goes in, and remember the clock only stops when you decant — coffee left on the grounds keeps extracting.

  6. 6Break crust

    0:10

    Carbon dioxide floats a crust of grounds on top that never fully extracts and traps aroma underneath. Breaking it drops those grounds through the brew; skimming the foam takes the bitterest fines with it.

  7. 7Press

    0:30

    The plunger separates grounds from liquid — it isn't squeezing out more coffee. Push slowly and evenly; forcing it drives fines through the mesh and stirs up bitterness right at the end.

  8. 8Enjoy

    0:10

    Coffee keeps changing as it cools: aromatics fade, acidity sharpens and sweetness comes forward. Drink it soon after brewing, and taste it as it drops in temperature — that's how you learn what to adjust next time.

Fix it by taste

Keep it coarse and let time do the work: four minutes of steep, break and skim the crust, then press slowly and pour every drop out of the pot. Coffee left sitting on the bed keeps extracting and turns bitter — decant into a mug or a second vessel right away.

  • Silty, gritty, bitter
    Grind too fine
    Fix · Go coarser — rough sea salt — and press gently
  • Weak and flat
    Under-extracted / ratio too lean
    Fix · Steep the full 4 minutes; try ~1:15
  • Bitter even when coarse
    Left on the grounds too long
    Fix · Decant immediately after pressing
  • Muddy cup
    Crust not skimmed
    Fix · Break the crust at 4 min and skim the foam and floating grounds

What you need

A press (glass, steel or ceramic) and a grinder that gives a clean, coarse, even grind. Uniform particles are the whole game here — cheap grinders leave dust that muddies the cup.

Beans & roast

Medium-to-dark roasts and chocolatey, nutty coffees suit the heavy body. Fresh grounds reduce silt and sharpen the flavour.

Variations to try

  • Cold brew in a press

    Steep coarse grounds in cold water 12–18 h, then press

  • Fuller body

    Skip any paper — the mesh keeps the oils that give it richness

French Press FAQ

Why is my French press gritty and bitter?

The grind is too fine, so fines slip through the mesh and over-extract. Go coarser, press gently, and decant straight after pressing.

How long should I steep?

About four minutes for a standard press. Break and skim the crust, then press. Steep longer for more strength, but expect more bitterness.

Should I pour it all out at once?

Yes. Any coffee left on the grounds keeps brewing and gets bitter, so decant the whole pot as soon as you've pressed.

Grinders dialed for this method

Full grind chart →
Baratza Encore
Baratza Encore Electric grinder · 40 mm conical burrs 28
Timemore Chestnut S3 Manual grinder · 42 mm conical burrs 80–90
Timemore Nano Manual grinder · 38 mm conical burrs 25–27
Fellow Ode Gen 2
Fellow Ode Gen 2 Electric grinder · 64 mm flat burrs 8–10
Baratza Virtuoso+
Baratza Virtuoso+ Electric grinder · 40 mm conical burrs 28
Timemore C3 Max Pro Manual grinder · 38 mm conical burrs 17–20
Ratio calculator Grind settings for 57 grinders Make your own version Alpha