Yes, you can use fine ground coffee in a French press. For the best results from a French press use coarse ground coffee beans that are midsize. Fine ground coffee in a French press can quickly become oversaturated in the water and get through the mesh filter, causing sediment and a bitter taste.
The following will explain what size coffee ground to use in a French press and how to grind beans to the right size.
Can You Use Fine Ground Coffee Beans in a French Press?
You can use finely ground coffee in a French press, but this can create bitter-tasting coffee as the grounds can escape through the mesh. Adding another step to the filtering process such as a strainer or paper filter can help stop sediment in coffee. Using coarse grounds produces a better taste from a French press.
Can You Buy Pre-Ground Beans for a French Press?
Yes, you can use pre-ground beans in a French press rather than grinding your own. Ensure that the beans you buy are ground coarsely and are midsize for the best results. Grinding your own beans will give you the best results as you can ensure coffee grounds are the right size, are fresh, and therefore more flavorful.
Can You Use Instant Coffee Powder in a French Press?
Yes, you can use instant coffee in a French press. However, instant coffee comes in a very finely ground powder. This means that it does not produce the best results in a French press compared to coarser ground coffee. The small, fine grounds can get through the mesh filter and cause sediment and bitterness.
Do You Use Ground Coffee in a French Press?
Yes, ground coffee beans are used in a French press. As long as coffee is ground coarsely and midsize you can buy pre-ground coffee to use or grind your own at home. Grinding your own beans creates a fresher, richer flavor during the steeping process.
What Size Should Coffee Ground Be?
The size of your coffee ground depends on what type of coffee you are making and the brewing process. For French press coffee, beans which are coarsely ground and midsize produce the best results. This also gives the grounds more surface area as they steep in the water for a few minutes so that they do not get over-extracted.
How Do You Grind Coffee Beans at Home?
You can grind coffee beans yourself at home by using a grinder. You can buy manual grinders, electric grinders, burr grinders, and blade grinders. A burr grinder is the best to use to grind beans for a French press as it grinds midsize, coarse and uniform grounds.
What Is A Burr Grinder?
Burr grinders grind coffee beans by pressing them between two rotating serrated surfaces. You can increase or decrease the size of the grind by moving the two surfaces either closer or further apart. As mentioned above, these grinders create uniform grounds and are ideal to use for French presses.
What Is A Blade Grinder?
Blade grinders, also known as coffee mills, are made up of sharp blades which rotate and dice coffee beans in-between them, chopping them up into tiny pieces. Blade grinders are slower than burr grinders. The longer you let the grinds be chopped by the blades the finer you can get your coffee grounds.
What is the Difference Between A Manual and Electric Grinder?
A manual grinder is one that you grind yourself with your own hands, whereas an electric grinder has power behind it and automatically grinds beans. Burr grinders can be manual or electric, and blade grinders are usually electric.
Which Coffee Beans Should You Use in a French Press?
You can use any kind of coffee bean in a French press – Arabic, Robusta, light, or dark roast. The flavor is affected more by the thickness of the coffee ground and how long you brew it for. Use any coffee bean in a French press, just make sure they are ground to the right size.
Does Fine Ground Coffee Taste Better in a French Press?
French presses are known for making some of the best tasting coffee with a hearty, rich flavor. Finely ground coffee can actually taste bitter though when made in a press, due to the method of steeping the grounds in hot water for a few minutes. The fine grounds can become over extracted during this time and taste bitter.
Why Does Fine Ground Coffee Taste Bitter in a French Press?
If the beans are ground too finely the flavors will become over extracted when brewing in the hot water for several minutes, becoming too strong and bitter. As the grounds are so small they can also get through the mesh filter the press users and into the water, causing sediment particles and a bad taste.
Should You Dispose of Coffee Grounds After Using a French Press?
You should properly dispose of coffee grounds after each use of your French press. Do not rinse them down the sink as this can cause blocked pipes. Instead sieve them and throw them away with your usual household waste, reuse them for composting or even make a body scrub.
How Do You Make Coffee in a French Press?
- Buy pre-ground beans or grind your own at home (ensure they are coarse!).
- Put coffee grounds into French press.
- Boil water and leave for 30 seconds to cool.
- Pour hot water over grounds.
- Put lid on and leave to steep for a few minutes.
- Press plunger down to filter grinds and water through mesh.
How Long Should You Brew Coffee in a French Press?
French press coffee is usually brewed for between 3 and 6 minutes, with 4 minutes at average. Yet if you are using finely ground beans the coffee should be steeped in the water for less time, a couple of minutes, as it can become bitter more quickly.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.