French presses are great. Coffee drinkers love them. But can you brew a delicious batch of yerba mate in it?
The answer is yes.
And in this post, I’ll show you how do it step-by-step, and what you’ll need…
Making yerba mate in a french press is one of the best alternatives to the traditional method (with a gourd and bombilla), especially when you don’t have enough time on your hands.
It only takes a few minutes, is cheaper, you can easily bring it on-the-go, and tastes just as earthy and delicious.
Plus, chances are, you already have everything you need to make it right now.
If so, you can skip the following section and go to the instructions.
But if not, here’s what you’ll need to brew yerba mate in a french press.
What You’ll Need
Yerba mate, french press, and water boiler
As you may have guessed, you’ll first need a french press.
There are many on the market. But the one I’m using today is this one (Amazon). It has 11,000+ positive reviews. And is around the same price as your traditional mate gourd. It’s simple, BPA-free, gets the job done, and I’ve never had any problems with it.
Next, you need some yerba mate.
For best results, you’ll want yerba mate sin palo (without stems). This type contains only leaves, with no stems and a slight bit of dust. Guaranteeing a clear mate once you strain it in your french press.
The mate I’ll be using today is Taragui Sin Palo (Review).
If you used regular yerba mate (leaves, stems and dust), you might get a few bits here and there.
Lastly, you need room temperature and hot water.
How hot? We’ll get into that now…
How To Make Yerba Mate In A French Press
Again, this takes only a few minutes. And when done, you’ll have several cups of mate ready to drink.
Here’s how to do it…
Step 1
Take the strainer out of your french press and dump in your yerba mate. Depending on how strong you like it, the amount will vary. A good estimate, however, is 1 rounded tablespoon per cup (8 ounces).
I used 3 tablespoons for 12oz
Step 2
Now, like you normally would, pour in some room temperature water first. This helps hydrate the leaves and prepares it for the hot water that’s about to come. Let it sit for 30-60 seconds, until the mate has expanded.
Let the mate soak in a bit of room temperature water
Step 3
Once ready, you can now pour in your hot water. Optimal brewing temperature for mate is around 150ºF-180ºF (never boiling water). Fill the entire french press until just below the spout.
Yerba mate floats to the top of the french press
Step 4
Now just let it steep for 3-7 minutes. And when time’s up, stir it gently to make sure you extract every last bit of the yerba.
Step 5
Next, grab your french press plunger and start straining. Do it slowly, until you reach the bottom. Doing it fast may allow some leaves to escape.
The french press pushes all the yerba to the bottom
Step 6
Finally, grab a nice teacup or mug, and pour yourself a nice brew.
Fresh mug of yerba mate
As you can see, this takes no more than 10 minutes to do. And best of all, it’s as easy as it gets. Plus, when finished, you can simply pour it all into a thermos and take it with you anywhere.
No more worrying about trying to get the perfect slope of mate in your gourd. And no more worrying about your bombilla failing to strain the tea!
How Does It Taste?
Yerba mate from a french press doesn’t taste any different. You still get the grassy, earthy, bitterness that everyone loves.
There’s just one difference…
With a french press, the taste will not be that strong. But this is expected as the yerba mate to water ratio is considerably less than drinking from a gourd. However, you can easily fix this problem. Simply dump in more yerba to your french press.
Drinking it this way is similar to a teabag. Each cup you pour, equals to one bag. The flavor is there, but it doesn’t pack a punch like the traditional way does.
Think of it like this…
The flavor and strength is like drinking from a gourd after you’ve already had a few gourdfuls.
Yerba Mate Gourd VS French Press
Which is better?
Well they both serve their own purpose.
But personally, I do prefer the gourd over a french press and for many reasons…
There’s just something to taking sips out of your bombilla and constantly refilling your gourd that’s meditative and relaxing. However, the downside is it’s not the best idea for traveling or when you’re in a rush for your caffeine fix.
And that’s where the french press truly shines.
Despite the lack of strength, this method is easy and fast. And of course, perfect for taking a large amount of mate with you to work. Although I know some people do this, I’m sure you wouldn’t like to walk around carrying your calabash gourd and bombilla around.
Final Words
If you made it to here, you now know how to brew yerba mate in a french press.
Even though french presses can never replace the traditional way, many of you will find this convenient to have.
Just imagine when you’re in a rush and don’t have time to drink from a gourd. With a french press handy, all you have to do is pour yerba, then water, and let it steep. Then in under 10 minutes, you’ll have enough tea to serve yourself for the rest of the day.
P.S. If you found this article helpful but want to try preparing yerba mate the traditional way, you might want to check out our store to get everything you need.
P.P.S. You also might be interested in how to prepare yerba mate in a coffee maker and tea pot.
Beginner to Yerba Mate and to start off I want to use my 34 oz. french press so I don’t have to initially buy a gourd and bombilla. I’m so used to making single serve coffee so I’m a little unsure of the amount of mate to make at once. I probably want to start off with an 8 oz. cup in the morning and then maybe one in the afternoon, but all of the guides I’ve seen use the full capacity of the press, so generally about 4 cups. I guess it doesn’t make sense to make a single 8 oz. serving, especially since the plunger won’t reach that far down? Do most people just use the full capacity and then store in a thermos for drinking throughout the day? And then you can re-use the mate once or twice? Are people making 8 – 12 cups a day?
use 1/2 cup leaves , and only half the carafe water at 170 f.(2 cups)
steep 20 min.
2nd pass: 1/4 cup leaves, half the water again at 170 f
steep 20 min.
Hi! Can you explain first and second pass?
I have been using a french press for years as the only way I have been drinking it.
I use Canarias Yellow, 3 heaping tablespoons in the French press.
I usually get two large (12 oz or so ) mugs out of it, with about 6 oz left over.
I save the left over and use it as the “starter water” for the next day’s brew:
( 3 table spoons fresh yerba mate leaves, then I add the left over, then hot water)
it is like sourdough bread I guess, lol
Note:
I have also experimented with re-using the yerba mate that is in the french press the next day by adding hot water: adding hot water.
I noticed I still get the flavor, but not the “punch” of the tea, so while it will still make “tea” it won’t give you that kick you like.. BUT if you make it and them put it in the fridge it makes a nice refreshing summer ice tea!
.. anyway.. that’s what I do.
enjoy!
Hi. You may have gotten your answer already, however, fyi mate stays fresh in the refrigerator. If you make a full batch, you can store it in a mason jar, shake it in the morning, and pour it in a mug to heat up in the microwave. I heat mine in a small glass mason jar as mugs don’t heat well in the fridge and then transfer it to my mug. This way you are not wasting your mate, you are saving time, and you can make a full batch perfectly. I hope you are enjoying your mate!