There are a few takes on how to make the perfect brew using a French press. Some folks prefer the finer ground/shorter brew route, but we find this method makes a consistently well-brewed cup of coffee.
Step #1: Grind your beans.
Grind your fresh coffee beans to the texture of coarse salt. You should be able to see some texture here. Aim for your coffee bean to water ratio to fall between 70 grams/litre of water. So, for a 4-cup French press, you'll want 70 grams of coffee—140 grams for an 8-cup press, etc & so on.
Step #2: Boil the water.
You're good to go to pour just boiled water into a French press, unless you're using an insulated press. With double-walled or insulated presses, you want to wait 30 seconds post-boil before you pour.
Step #3: Pour & wait.
Pour the water over the grounds. Wait a moment or two until the grounds have sunk before placing the press plunger on—DON'T PLUNGE YET! Allow the beans and water to brew for 8 minutes. Because the grounds are coarser, you need a little more time for the hot water to extract all that coffee-goodness.
Step #4: Plunge & pour.
Gently push the press plunger down and pour your freshly brewed coffee into your favourite mug and enjoy!
Note: you may need to play around with the grind texture to get to your preferred flavour. If you want a stronger cup, grind the beans just a little finer. Go coarser if you're wanting something more mellow.