How To Grind Coffee Beans For French Press?

But, grinding coffee beans is an essential part of making great coffee.   However, it can be a long and tedious process. If you’ve ever tried to make your coffee at home, you probably know what I’m talking about. 

When making coffee, it's essential to have the proper coffee grind size to extract and taste good adequately. This article will show you how to grind coffee beans for the french press. 

What Is French Press Coffee?

The French press (or press pot), also known as a coffee press, is a pour-over style coffee brewing device invented in France in 1901 by Italian designer Attilio Calimani.  It consists of three main parts:

• The carafe
• A lid containing a filter
• An attached bottom section for the ground coffee

The three French press parts are held together by a rubber band.

How to make French Press Coffee?

French press coffee is easy to make, and it’s one of the most popular methods of brewing coffee because it’s rapid, easy to use, and produces great-tasting coffee.  Just follow these five steps to learn how to make French press coffee. 

Step 1:

In a french press, add 2-3 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee per 6 ounces of water. You can use more coffee beans or less water for a more potent brew. 

If you're using a brand new french press filter, skip this step because it will probably make your coffee bitter.

Step 2:

Heat water in a kettle to about 195°F, which is about 10°F lower than a boiling point – this temperature will prevent the grounds from over-extracting and becoming bitter.

Pour the hot water over the grounds and let the mixture sit for 3 minutes so that the coffee can "bloom". /

Step 3:

Using a fine-mesh strainer or a metal sieve, pour the coffee grounds into the top of your french press. The grounds will sink to the bottom, and the coffee concentrated on top.

Then slowly and gently place the lid on the container, centred and straight.

Insert your plunger into the French Press so that there is 1/4 inch headspace – and then remove it slowly and carefully. Do not plunge too fast. Otherwise, you could over-extract your coffee.

Step 4:

Now, press down the plunger very slowly and evenly to extract the coffee. After 30 seconds to a minute, you’ll have a smooth and delicious cup of your favourite coffee.

Then remove the plunger from the container, and place it on its device for easy storage.

Step 5:

Enjoy your fresh cup of flavorful coffee!

How To Grind Coffee for a French Press?

When making quality coffee, it’s essential to know the correct size of your grind. Because the grind determines how easily water can pass through it. 

If it is too fine, water will pass through it quickly, and you'll extract too many seeds from the coffee. If it's too coarse, the coffee will become bitter. 

So, you’ll need to find the right grind size. Also, the grind size is not the same for all coffee makers. For a french press, grind your coffee beans coarser. 

The French press uses a "plunger" to push the coffee grounds to the bottom of the brewing container. You should use a grind size between "coarse" and "medium grind". 

An excellent way to tell if your grind size is correct is by checking out your coffee’s sediment. If you have tiny deposits in your coffee cup, you can use a finer grind. 

However, if there are large amounts of sediment in your cup, try using a coarser grind. It will help prevent over-extraction and bitterness.

Is a Burr Grinder Important for Good French Press?

Generally, a burr grinder is an excellent choice if you want to make the best possible cup of coffee. It allows you to grind your whole beans into the desired size for whatever brewing method you wish to use. 

But for the french press, they tend to be a bit more tricky to use. It's because they typically have different grind settings than other methods of brewing coffee. They also tend to cost more than other brewing methods. 

Moreover, your coffee will be over-extracted and taste bitter.

In my opinion, a burr grinder is the best choice for preparing espresso, drip coffee, and french press as it ensures that all of your beans are ground evenly and consistently into the same size particle. These types of grinders are also more efficient at grinding.

Why Are Coarse Grinds Preferable for French Presses?

We know that a French press is a simple and easy way to make coffee. It’s similar to a coffee maker but without electricity. However, a French press does have its limitations as it’s not a high-tech device. 

So, you need to make sure that you have the proper settings for your particular French press. It is why you'll want to use coarse ground coffee beans for a french press since it ensures that your coffee will be fairly ground and evenly extracted.

However, if you want to use a semi-automatic machine, espresso grinds are usually recommended to yield better results. 

FAQs:

What is the right size coffee grind for espresso?

The right grind size for espresso is slightly coarser than for drip coffee because they use different brewing methods. 

A French press does not work well with too fine of a grind because the plunger prevents you from using too much water, which extracts more flavour and oils from your beans.

Is fine ground coffee stronger?

The short answer is no. The opposite is true. The reason for this is that with finer grinds, you’ll use more coffee to get your desired strength and over-extract your coffee, making it taste not very pleasant. 

So, coarse grinds are optimal for French presses because they help prevent over-extraction.

What Is the Right French Press Coffee Ratio?

The proper coffee-to-water ratio for your French press is about two tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee for 6 ounces of water.

When choosing a grind size and water ratio, the critical thing to remember is that you should use the coarsest grind that still allows the plunger to move freely. 

If you try to plunge with this consistency, your plunger will get stuck, and you’ll have to make a mess!

Why use a French press for making coffee?

• The French press has a greater surface area than the famous coffee makers. As a result, it helps the coffee release its flavours more quickly than other brewing methods, such as drip or espresso.
• The ratio of coffee used to water is about 1:4 for French press vs drip or espresso, which yields more robust coffee with more body and flavour.
• A French press holds more coffee grounds than other methods, so it extracts all the flavour from your beans, resulting in a more robust and better-tasting cup of coffee.
• The plunger reduces over-extraction, which results in a better-tasting cup of coffee that doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste

Is A Fine Grind Better For French Press Coffee?

The answer to this is no. A fine grind is not better than a French press coffee grind. It’s more likely to extract too much of your coffee, resulting in over-extraction and bitterness.

A coarse grind will result in a better cup of coffee because it helps prevent over-extraction and bitterness.

What is the best French Press Ratio?

The ratio is about ten grams of coffee for every hundred grams of water. So if you want to make a cup for one person, then use about ten grams of coffee and three hundred grams of water. 

However, if you prefer a more robust cup of coffee, then use twelve or fourteen grams and go up from there.

Is the French press the best way to drink coffee?

The French press has its benefits because it preserves more flavour than other brewing methods such as drip and espresso. However, it also releases more oil into your cup than other brewing methods. 

As a result, it means that your coffee will taste richer and creamier than it would with other methods. 

Can you use regular ground coffee in a French press?

Yes, regular ground coffee is the same as coarse ground coffee. Just know that you’ll have to use more grounds to get the same amount of water due to your French press having a smaller diameter than a traditional drip coffee maker.

French presses are also known as cafetières. They are usually made from glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or plastic. 

Today, the most popular choices for French press manufacturers are still glass and steel models. These are very durable and built to last for many years to come!

Can You Use Paper Filters With A French Press?

Yes, you can use paper filters. Using it will help keep the grounds out of your cup, and in fact, some people prefer the taste of coffee brewed with a paper filter.

However, most French presses have screens on the spouts to keep grounds from escaping into your cup.  

But, you should always run a little water through the press before putting in your coffee grounds to ensure that there’s no buildup.

Conclusion:

French presses are some of the best ways to make coffee at home. They are easy to use and very effective in extracting the best tasting and most robust cup of coffee from your favourite beans. 

The taste and aroma of a cup brewed through a French press is something that cannot be beaten!

If you decide to go with a French press, there is an extensive range of choices when choosing features, materials, and style. So think about what you want out of your pot for the best results!

Ensure that you're using the proper brew ratio to get the freshest cup possible.