How to Make Coffee in a French Press Directions Remove the plunger unit from the French Press. Warm the French Press and each cup with hot water if you wish. Be sure to discard the warming water before pouring the coffee. For each four-ounce cup of coffee grind 2 T (or one standard coffee scoop) of whole bean coffee. Dark roasted, oily beans are traditionally used. Use only coarsely ground coffee as fine grind (such as for expresso)coffee may clog the filter and create high pressure. We recommend Specialty Coffee from Costa Rica. Place the coffee in the bottom of the French Press. Be sure to discard the warming water if you used it. Add hot, not boiling water to the pot. Leave a minimum of one inch at the top. Stir gently. Place the plunger unit back on top of pot. Turn the lid to close off the pour spout opening. Do NOT press down at this point. Allow the coffee to brew for at least four minutes. Hold the pot handle firmly with the spout turned away from you. Use the weight of your hand to apply slight pressure on top of the knob and lower the plunger straight down into the pot. Lowering the plunger slowly with minimal pressure produces the best results. Do not use excessive force, which can cause scalding liquid to shoot out of the pot. Turn the lid open the pour spout and pour coffee. This recipe brought to you by CoffeeCakes.com.