French press coffee is easier to repeat when you record quantities instead of filling the pot by eye. A ratio describes the start of brewing; it does not guarantee a particular flavour. Treat Crema’s free recipe as a first attempt, then adapt later servings to your brewer and coffee.
Start with 18 g and 300 ml
Crema’s public recipe uses 18 g of coarsely ground coffee and 300 ml of water at about 94°C. Stir gently, fit the lid without pressing and steep for 4 minutes. Then press slowly and pour out the coffee, leaving sediment behind. French press manufacturer Bodum also recommends a coarse grind.
What the ratio actually means
This recipe uses 6 g of dry coffee per 100 ml of water: 18 ÷ 300 × 100 = 6. Keeping the units makes the instruction clear. The familiar shorthand of about 1:16.7 needs an explanation of whether the water was weighed or measured by volume. Grams of coffee and millilitres of water are different units; do not apply that conversion to the volume of ground beans.
Scale the whole serving
With the same starting proportions, use 15 g of coffee for 250 ml of water, or 30 g for 500 ml. The calculation is water in ml × 0.06 = coffee in g. These are scaling examples, rather than new compulsory standards. Before increasing the batch, check your brewer’s working capacity and leave room for the grounds and lid according to its instructions.
Measure before you brew
Place an empty container on the scale, tare it and weigh the coffee. Measure the water in a measuring vessel. If you switch to weighing water, record grams and use the same method for later comparisons. Avoid replacing coffee mass with an arbitrary spoon count: spoon sizes and the way you fill them make servings harder to repeat. Set out the timer and cup before pouring.
Water added is not beverage yield
Do not expect exactly 300 ml in the cup after adding 300 ml to the brewer. Some liquid remains with the grounds, and sediment is best left in the pot. If you need a larger drink, plan a larger batch from the beginning. Adding water to the finished coffee is a separate adjustment worth recording as well.
Make one change next time
Record the coffee, grind, water quantity, temperature and steep time. Taste before sweetening. If you want to change the ratio, alter only the coffee quantity on the next attempt and keep the other conditions as similar as possible. Avoid assessing a new coffee, a new grinder and a new steep time together. The complete French press recipe is free; additional Crema Club recipes require paid access.