Brew cinnamon roll flavored coffee in a French press with a 1 to 15 ratio, about 30 grams of coffee to 450 grams of water for a standard 34 ounce press, a coarse grind, water around 200 F (93 C), and a 4 minute steep before you press down. Our No. 5 Canela is a medium roast with natural cinnamon roll flavoring, and a French press's full immersion brew lets that flavor come through clearly.
Why a French press suits a flavored coffee
Canela's ingredient list is simply coffee and natural flavorings, and unlike our origin coffees, the roaster does not list a region, altitude or process for it, since it is built around the cinnamon roll flavor rather than a single farm or growing area. A French press steeps coffee fully in contact with the water for several minutes, which draws out both the base coffee and the added flavoring evenly. A faster method like espresso or a quick pour-over can rush past some of that flavor, while a French press gives it time to fully come through, along with a heavier body from the metal filter letting more oils and fine particles into the cup.
The recipe
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 30 g |
| Water | 450 g (about 15 oz) |
| Grind | Coarse, similar to sea salt |
| Water temp | 200 F (93 C) |
| Steep | 4 minutes |
- Add the coarsely ground coffee to the empty press.
- Pour in the water, saturating all the grounds, and start a timer.
- Stir gently once, then place the lid on top with the plunger pulled up, without pressing.
- Let it steep for 4 minutes.
- Press down slowly and steadily, then pour right away so it does not keep steeping in the pot.
Black or with milk
Canela is built to work black, and the cinnamon roll flavor is meant to stand on its own rather than need milk to round it out. Our own label calls it better than it sounds black, which is worth trying before defaulting to milk. That said, it takes milk well too, and a splash of warm milk pushes it closer to an actual cinnamon roll in a cup, which some people prefer, especially at the end of a meal or on a cold morning.
Adjusting strength without over-extracting
If the cup tastes weak, add a couple more grams of coffee rather than steeping longer, since a French press left steeping past 4 minutes starts pulling out bitterness that can compete with the cinnamon flavor instead of supporting it. If it tastes too strong or too sweet, a bit less coffee next time, closer to 27 or 28 grams for the same 450 grams of water, brings it back down without changing the grind or steep time.
Cleaning up the extra sediment
A French press lets more fine grounds and sediment through than a paper filter, which is part of why the body feels heavier and the flavor feels fuller. If you find sediment collecting at the bottom of your cup, pour more slowly toward the end, or decant the whole press into a carafe right after pressing instead of letting it sit on the grounds, which also keeps the coffee from getting more bitter the longer it sits.
When this coffee fits best
Our label points to cold mornings and the end of a meal as the moments this one is made for, and a French press suits both. It brews a full pot at once rather than a single cup, which works for a slower morning when you want a second cup without starting over, and the fuller body from the metal filter feels closer to dessert than a lighter filtered cup would, which is part of why it works well after dinner too.
Grinding fresh versus buying pre-ground
Flavored coffee loses its aroma the same way any other coffee does once it is ground, since grinding exposes far more surface area to air than a whole bean does. Buying whole bean and grinding right before you brew keeps more of the cinnamon roll character intact than pre-ground coffee that has been sitting open for a while, flavored or not. If you do buy it pre-ground for convenience, keep it in an airtight container away from heat and light, and try to get through the bag within a couple of weeks so the flavor does not fade before you finish it.
Our pick
No. 5 Canela
Medium roast · Flavored coffee · Coffee, natural flavorings
Cinnamon roll notes, good with milk and better than it sounds black.
If a French press is your usual method, see best coffee for French press: what to look for and our pick. Moving away from flavored creamer toward whole bean coffee, read switching from flavored creamer to whole bean single origin. Browse the full lineup of all ten coffees, or check our subscription page, 11 percent off with skip or cancel in one click, all roasted by Temecula Coffee Roasters in Temecula, California.
Four minutes, a coarse grind, and this one tastes like what the label says.
Questions people ask
What is a good French press recipe for cinnamon roll flavored coffee?
Use a 1 to 15 ratio, about 30 grams of coffee to 450 grams of water for a standard 34 ounce press, a coarse grind, water around 200 F (93 C), and a 4 minute steep before you press.
Does cinnamon roll flavored coffee need milk to taste good?
No. Our No. 5 Canela is meant to work black, and the flavor comes through on its own. Milk rounds it out further if that is how you usually take your coffee, but it is not required.
Is Canela a whole bean coffee or is it flavored after roasting?
It is a flavored whole bean coffee. The ingredients on the label are coffee and natural flavorings, and it is roasted and brewed the same way as any of our other beans, just with cinnamon roll flavor added.
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