If you want to know how to make espresso with a French press, the honest answer is that you can make a strong, espresso-style coffee, but not true espresso. Espresso is brewed by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under pressure, and a press only steeps coarser grounds. This guide gives Bodum’s own method, shows where I suggest adjusting it for a stronger cup, and says what is and is not sourced.
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What a French Press Can and Cannot Do
The two methods differ in almost every number. The espresso figures are the Italian Espresso National Institute standard as summarized on Wikipedia; the press figures are from Bodum’s page for the Chambord.
| Espresso (machine) | French press (Bodum) | |
|---|---|---|
| Grind | Fine | Coarse |
| Dose | 7 g (± 0.5 g) per shot | One rounded teaspoon or Bodum scoop per 4 oz cup |
| Water temperature | About 88 °C (± 2) leaving the machine | About 92–96 °C |
| Pressure | 9 bar (± 1) | None; the plunger only separates grounds from coffee |
| Time | 25 seconds (± 5) | Four minutes |
| Result | 25 ml (± 2.5) with crema | Full-bodied coffee, no crema expected |
Sources: Wikipedia, Espresso and Bodum Chambord page. Crema is the foam layer that forms on espresso, and a press applies no pressure, so I would not expect one. No source I found says a press produces crema.
What You Need
- A French press. Any size works; Bodum counts a “cup” as 4 oz, so its 34 oz Chambord is an 8-cup press. See my best French press coffee maker guide.
- Whole beans and a grinder. A darker roast gives a stronger-tasting cup. See best coffee for French press, best espresso grinder and manual vs electric grinder.
- A kettle. Bodum’s water is below boiling, so a kettle with a temperature setting saves guessing; see the best gooseneck kettle guide.
- A plastic or wooden spoon and a scale or measuring spoon.
How to Make It, Step by Step
1. Warm the press
Rinse the carafe with hot water and pour it out. A Seattle Coffee Gear guide for the Bodum Brazil press says to do this and warns against adding boiling water to a cold carafe or setting a cold carafe on a hot surface. That is a reseller’s guide, not Bodum’s manual, but the thermal-shock point applies to any glass press.
2. Grind the beans
Bodum specifies coarsely ground coffee. Some espresso-style recipes grind finer, between a press grind and an espresso grind. Wikipedia’s entry on the French press says finer grounds are harder to plunge, can over-extract into bitterness and can seep past the filter into the cup.
If you want a stronger cup, I would raise the amount of coffee before I would grind finer. If you do go finer, move one setting at a time and stop when the plunger resists or the cup turns muddy. That is my reasoning from the sources, not a tested figure.
3. Measure the coffee
Bodum’s ratio is one rounded teaspoon or one Bodum scoop per 4 oz of water. Wikipedia gives about 30 g of grounds per 500 ml of water for a standard cup. For an espresso-style cup, 40 g in about 500 ml is a third more coffee than that figure. Treat 40 g as my adjustment for strength, not a maker number.
Fill the press only to roughly half, so you are not brewing more than you will drink.
4. Add the water
Bodum says to pour hot water at about 92–96 °C (roughly 198–205 °F), leave at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) at the top, and stir with a plastic or wooden spoon. Water straight off the boil is 100 °C, so give the kettle a short rest, or use a kettle with a temperature setting. Bodum’s steps pour the water in one go; a separate pre-wetting “bloom” step is common advice, but I found no maker source for it, so it is optional.
5. Steep for four minutes
Set the plunger on top with the spout closed to hold the heat, and leave it for four minutes, which is Bodum’s figure. Wikipedia notes that coffee left sitting on the grounds can turn astringent and bitter, so I would not stretch the time to compensate for a weak brew; add more coffee instead.
6. Plunge slowly and pour at once
Lower the plunger slowly, as Bodum instructs, then open the spout and pour. Wikipedia says slow plunging helps avoid scalding and extracts more oils. Pour all of it straight away, because coffee left in the press keeps extracting.
Turning It into a Latte or Cappuccino
A press makes the coffee but does not heat or foam milk. Warm milk in a pan or microwave, or use a steam wand if you have one.
Some guides say you can froth milk by pumping the press plunger in a separate pitcher. Bodum’s page does not say that and I found no maker source for it, so I would not rely on it. My guide to frothing milk with an espresso machine covers the steam-wand method.
A Note on Cholesterol
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says unfiltered coffee, including French press, contains cafestol, a compound that raises LDL cholesterol, and that paper filters trap it.
It cites a trial of 64 Dutch adults who drank about four cups (30 oz) a day for 11 weeks; the unfiltered-coffee group’s LDL was on average 16 points higher than the filtered group’s.
The expert it quotes advises people with high LDL to avoid daily unfiltered coffee, and a study it links to found espresso machines remove about half the cafestol. I read the CSPI summary, not the trial itself. If you drink several presses a day, ask a clinician. Source: CSPI.
When a Machine Is Worth It
If you want crema and a true shot, you need pressure. My best espresso machine under $200 and under $500 guides cover machine options, best stovetop espresso maker covers the cheaper moka-pot route, and moka pot vs espresso explains how the two differ.
How This Guide Was Put Together
This is a research-based guide built from the sources linked above; I have not made coffee this way myself. I read Bodum’s Chambord product page, not the separate PDF manual it links to. Three things I could not establish: a grind setting that works best for a strong cup, whether a press can froth milk, and how an espresso-style press cup compares with machine espresso in a taste test. The adjustments marked as mine, the 40 g dose and going no more than one grind step finer, are reasoning from the sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make real espresso with a French press?
No. Espresso is brewed under about 9 bar of pressure with finely ground coffee. A press steeps coarse grounds with no pressure, so it makes strong, full-bodied coffee, not espresso.
Does French press espresso have crema?
I would not expect it. Crema is the foam layer on espresso, and a press applies no pressure. I found no source saying a press produces crema.
What grind size should you use?
Bodum specifies coarse. Wikipedia says finer grounds are harder to plunge and can slip past the filter. Go no more than one setting finer than coarse, if at all.
How much coffee do you use?
Bodum says one rounded teaspoon or one Bodum scoop per 4 oz of water. For a stronger cup, add more coffee for the same water rather than steeping longer.
What water temperature should you use?
Bodum says about 92 to 96 °C (roughly 198 to 205 °F). Let boiled water rest briefly, or use a kettle with a temperature setting.
Is French press coffee bad for cholesterol?
CSPI says unfiltered coffee contains cafestol, which raises LDL, and paper filters trap it. If you have high LDL, it advises avoiding daily unfiltered coffee.
I'm Glenn, and I started Kitchenware Compare to cut through conflicting product reviews and help readers pick kitchen gear with confidence. I don't own or test the products I write about — these guides are built from verified-purchase reviews, manufacturer specifications, and independent testing where it exists, with the reasoning shown, not just a rating.
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