If all the math is getting a to be a little too much, refer to the list below for a general guide to coffee/water proportions:

So for 56 grams of coffee, that will be 840 grams of water, or 3 ½ cups, although you can go up to 4 cups depending on how strong you prefer your coffee.

When it comes to the coffee:water ratio, a good rule of thumb is to use 15 grams of water per gram of coffee. For an eight-cup press (meaning it holds four cups of water, and produces eight 4-ounce servings), measure out ½ cup, or 56 grams of coffee beans. Measuring Cups or Digital Food Scale: While you can use standard measuring cups to measure your coffee, the most precise way of measuring beans is to weigh them before grinding, using a digital food scale.You can either go with a manual burr grinder ($44, Amazon) or splurge on an electric one ($98, Amazon). Burr grinders tend to make a more uniform grind, making them ideal for French press. The coffee beans are ground between these surfaces, and the distance between the surfaces can be moved to change the size of the grind. While a regular blade grinder is going to give smaller grains by grinding them almost like a blender would, a burr grinder is made of two abrasive surfaces (AKA burrs).

Burr Coffee Grinder: A burr grinder is going to be your best bet for getting those consistently-sized, coarse grounds of coffee.

Smaller sized grains (like those that often come pre-ground) will get through the filter and create sediment in your coffee. French press coffee requires uniform, coarsely ground beans, about the size of breadcrumbs. And while you can buy them pre-ground, I highly recommend grinding them yourself.

Whole Coffee Beans: Good coffee starts with good beans ($15, Amazon).

How to use french press