Espro Press
How to use an Espro Press, the double-filter French press from Vancouver: Espro’s ratios by roast, the 4-minute steep, how the filter works and Espro vs a cafetière.
Contents
- Method
- The short version
- How does the Espro Press work?
- How much coffee and water should I use?
- What grind size should I use?
- How do you use an Espro Press, step by step?
- Espro Press vs French press
- What models are there?
- Who makes the Espro Press?
- How do you clean an Espro Press?
- Espro Press vs other methods
- Words in this guide
- Questions & answers
How do you use an Espro Press?
An Espro Press is a French press with a double micro-filter. Espro's starting ratio is 1:15, such as 30 g of coarse coffee to 450 ml of water at 90–96°C. Put the lid on with the plunger pulled up, steep for up to 4 minutes, then press slowly, to a count of 20, and pour. The filter's seal also stops the coffee extracting once you've pressed.
At a glance
- Ratio
- 1:15
- 30 g : 450 g
- Grind
- Coarse (sea salt)
- Water
- 90–96 °C
- Brew time
- 4:00
- approximately
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Origin
- Canada
Method
Heat the water
Boil the kettle and let it sit briefly, so the water is about 90–96°C.
Add the coffee
Put 30 g of coarsely ground coffee in the press.
Pour
Pour in 450 ml of the hot water and make sure all the grounds are wet.
Lid on and steep4:00
Put the lid on gently with the plunger pulled all the way up, and steep for up to 4 minutes.
Press slowly30 s
Press the plunger down slowly, counting to 20, all the way to the bottom.
Pour
Pour and serve. The filter's seal keeps the grounds apart from the coffee, so it won't keep brewing in the press.
The Espro Press is a French press with a double micro-filter: two stacked layers of fine mesh, lined with a silicone lip that seals against the walls of the press. It brews exactly like a cafetière, by steeping coarse coffee in hot water and pressing, but the finer, sealed filter lets through less sediment, and Espro says it stops the coffee extracting once you’ve pressed. It’s made by ESPRO of Vancouver. Here’s Espro’s own method and how it compares.
The short version
- A French press with two micro-mesh filters and a silicone seal.
- Espro’s starting ratio: 1:15, such as 30 g of coffee to 450 ml of water.
- Water at 90–96°C, a steep of up to 4 minutes, then press slowly to a count of 20.
- Less sediment than a standard cafetière, and the seal stops it brewing after you press.
- Founded in Vancouver, by two engineers.
How does the Espro Press work?
It’s a full immersion brewer, like any French press: the coffee and water steep together, then you push a filter down to hold the grounds at the bottom. The difference is the filter. Instead of one mesh screen, the Espro uses two micro-mesh filters, one inside the other, edged with a silicone lip that seals against the walls. Espro says that once you press, this separates the grounds from the brewed coffee, so the coffee stops extracting. Espro says its two micro-filters are 9 and 12 times finer than the average French press filter, which is why the cup is cleaner.
How much coffee and water should I use?
Espro calls 1:15 the standard, coffee to water, and a starting point rather than a rule:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 30 g, coarse |
| Water | 450 ml, at 90–96°C (195–205°F) |
| Ratio | 1:15 |
| Steep | Up to 4 minutes |
Espro’s brew guide also adjusts the ratio by roast:
| Roast | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Dark | 1:18 |
| Medium | 1:15 |
| Light, and cold brew | 1:12 |
To make more or less, keep the ratio: 20 g for 300 ml, or 40 g for 600 ml at 1:15. Size it to your press, and leave room for the plunger.
What grind size should I use?
Coarse, as for a French press. The finer filter is more forgiving of a few fines, but a very fine grind makes pressing hard and the coffee bitter.
How do you use an Espro Press, step by step?
- Heat the water and let it sit briefly, to about 90–96°C.
- Add 30 g of coarse coffee to the press.
- Pour in 450 ml of water and wet all the grounds.
- Put the lid on gently with the plunger pulled right up, and steep for up to 4 minutes.
- Press slowly, counting to 20, all the way down. The seal makes it a little firmer to press than a cafetière.
- Pour and serve.
Brew mode on this page times the steep for you.
Espro Press vs French press
| Espro Press | French press | |
|---|---|---|
| Filter | Two micro-mesh layers with a silicone seal | One mesh screen |
| Sediment | Less | More |
| After pressing | Espro says extraction stops | Keeps brewing on the grounds |
| Body | Medium, cleaner | Full, heavier |
| Brewing | The same: steep, then press | Steep, then press |
What models are there?
Espro makes several presses with the same double micro-filter, including the P3 (glass), the P5, P6 and P7, and travel presses. Espro’s FAQ says the P7 comes in 18 oz and 32 oz sizes, and the P6 in 32 oz only. Sizes and materials vary by model, so check Espro’s own listing for yours.
Who makes the Espro Press?
ESPRO was founded in Vancouver by two engineers, Bruce Constantine and Chris McLean. Espro’s own story says they worked on it in their evenings and weekends, while Bruce was starting an MBA at MIT and Chris was designing fuel cell cars. The first Espro Press was an 8 oz single-serve press, and a Kickstarter campaign later funded a larger, 32 oz version. Regal Ware of Wisconsin took full ownership in 2020, and in October 2023 sold the brand to DKK, a Toronto company.
How do you clean an Espro Press?
Pour away the grounds, then separate the two filters with a twist. Espro’s FAQ says to wash both filters thoroughly with soap and water, so no grounds or oils stay trapped between them.
General guidance only. Take care with hot water, press slowly so it doesn’t splash, and follow Espro’s instructions for your model.
Espro Press vs other methods
- French press: the classic cafetière with one mesh screen.
- Clever Dripper: steep, then drain through paper for an even cleaner cup.
- AeroPress: a short steep pressed through paper.
- Cold brew: a long, cold steep.
Explore every immersion method in the immersion chapter.
What you’ll need
Words in this guide
- Steeping
- Steeping is leaving ground coffee to sit in water so its flavour dissolves out, as in a French press or cold brew.
- Fines
- Fines are the very small, dust-like particles that every grinder produces alongside the main grind.
- Extraction
- Extraction is the process of water dissolving flavour compounds out of ground coffee.
- Immersion vs percolation
- Immersion brewing steeps all the coffee in all the water at once, as a French press does.
- Metal filter
- A metal filter is a fine stainless-steel mesh that holds back coffee grounds, as used in a French press plunger and some reusable pour-over filters.
- Body
- Body is how heavy and textured coffee feels in your mouth, from light and tea-like to thick and syrupy.
Questions & answers
How is the Espro different from a French press?
It has two stacked micro-mesh filters lined with a silicone lip, instead of a single mesh screen. Espro says the double micro-filter separates the grounds from the brewed coffee once you press, so the coffee stops extracting, and the finer mesh lets less sediment through.
What ratio should I use in an Espro Press?
Espro calls 1:15 the standard and a starting point: 30 g of coffee to 450 ml of water in a standard 2-cup press. Its brew guide suggests about 1:18 for dark roasts and 1:12 for light roasts and cold brew.
What water temperature does Espro recommend?
195–205°F, which is about 90–96°C. Let boiled water sit briefly before pouring.
Can you leave coffee in an Espro after pressing?
Espro says its filter stops the coffee extracting once you press, which is the main reason people choose it over a standard cafetière. I'd still pour it within a reasonable time, as it cools and goes stale like any coffee.
Who makes the Espro Press?
ESPRO, founded in Vancouver by two engineers, Bruce Constantine and Chris McLean. Regal Ware took full ownership in 2020, and sold the brand to the Toronto company DKK in October 2023.
Sources
- How long to brew French press coffee. ESPRO
- ESPRO FAQs: water ratios, cleaning and care. ESPRO
- ESPRO P1 travel coffee press brewing guide. ESPRO
- Our story. ESPRO
- Coffee to water ratio for French press. ESPRO
- Regal Ware sells French press brand Espro to Toronto’s DKK. Daily Coffee News
- ESPRO company profile. CB Insights
- Espro Press. Shawn Blanc
General guidance only. Not medical, food-safety or professional advice. Always follow your equipment's own instructions.