Date
2026.02.06
The ideal water temperature for preparing coffee in a French press
Why Does Water Temperature Matter When Brewing Coffee?
When we brew coffee using a pour-over method (for example, a V60), we usually recommend using freshly boiled water. If your kettle has temperature control, aim for around 98 °C.
However, in our new course on immersion brewing methods, our recommendations change depending on the technique. For example, brewing coffee with a siphon or a cezve (ibrik) requires a very high brewing temperature.
But for static immersion methods, such as the French press, we advise using slightly cooler water than for pour-over: around 94 °C, although this temperature may vary depending on the final volume.
This may sound contradictory, since the French press requires a longer brew time and therefore experiences more heat loss. Still, we encourage you to try a lower temperature—you might be surprised by the result.
Why Does Temperature Matter?
A classic piece of advice says: “never use boiling water.”
You may have heard that water that’s too hot can “burn” the coffee or produce bitter, roasted notes. Even the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) recommends brewing coffee between 90 and 96 °C, considering 92–94 °C the ideal range for cupping.
And it’s true: excessively high temperatures can extract compounds such as pyridines, which are responsible for bitter, astringent, and burnt flavors (Sánchez López et al., 2016).
That said, many baristas today prefer using hotter water for pour-over brewing. This is because coffees often have lighter roasts and higher quality, allowing for a more intense yet balanced extraction without developing those “burnt” notes.
On the other hand, if the water is too cool, the coffee becomes under-extracted, resulting in a sour or flat taste (Rao, 2016; Mestdagh, Glabasnia & Giuliano, 2016).
So, as with everything, balance is key.
The Brew Temperature
What really matters when brewing a pour-over is not the temperature of the water in the kettle, but the temperature of the mixture of ground coffee and water.
During brewing, hot water comes into contact with cold coffee and ambient air, and the filter and dripper also absorb heat. As a result, the effective temperature of the brew is usually much lower than the kettle temperature.
Barista Colin Runnion measured this difference: using water at 96 °C, the brew temperature never exceeded 90 °C, and for most of the time it was even lower.
By contrast, in an experiment by World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies, the temperature was measured during immersion brewing (1 L of water at 97 °C). In this case, the brew remained above 90 °C for almost five minutes. When the coffee “crust” on the surface was broken, the temperature dropped quickly—but during those first minutes, which are the most important for extraction, the temperature was far more stable than in pour-over brewing.
Why Does Immersion Coffee Retain Heat Better?
Davies’ experiment reveals two main reasons:
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Volume matters: one liter of coffee loses heat much more slowly than 500 ml or 250 ml.
The smaller the volume, the faster the temperature drops, because the evaporation surface is proportionally larger. -
The coffee crust acts as an insulator, keeping heat inside the brew. Once it is broken (by stirring), the temperature drops immediately.
In pour-over brewing, neither of these conditions is met: water is added gradually, the brew volume is smaller, and no stable crust forms. That’s why immersion-brewed coffee retains heat more effectively.
So, What Is the Ideal Temperature?
It depends on the volume and the material of the brewing vessel. Our immersion course shows, for example, that a glass French press behaves differently from a metal one.
For this reason, there is no single perfect temperature. Your own senses are the best guide.
Experiments show that, for immersion methods, it’s worth slightly lowering the water temperature.
The larger the volume, the lower the temperature should be to achieve a flavor profile similar to that of pour-over coffee.
