How to Make Espresso With a French Press

Use a French Press to make Espresso at home without a machine. Use any coffee, even your favorite flavored brew.

A true Espresso is defined as a strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans. You will not find any definition out there that states you cannot enjoy a good espresso without this method. That would be a sad world indeed.

A “strong, black coffee” is what we’re after here, and while it may not turn out exactly as the one you had at a good restaurant and never forgot (in fact, you remember it more than the meal itself), you can fashion a very decent and satisfying espresso  at home using a French press. Here is how.

Fill the bottom of the French Press with 15 grams fine-ground coffee for each shot of espresso you wish to pour. Bring the press down. Add enough hot water to submerge the grounds, plus any amount required to fill an equal space above the press. Steep 5 minutes. Serve. Experiment with steeping time.

First time using this French Press hack? Make only 1 shot and experiment with water to grounds ratio.

If you’re a flavored coffee lover, try a Mountain Magic Dark espresso. Use The Dark Side for a more traditional brew.