Can I Use Regular Ground Coffee In a French Press?

Ground coffee is often packed with preservatives that make it taste not very good. 

You can also use filtered coffee beans, which are also available at the grocery store or online. They come already ground up. 

Many different types of coffees are available these days, but when making a great latte at home, you have to know what you are doing. It doesn’t matter if you are making it for yourself or someone else; the rules are the same.

So you want to try your hand at brewing coffee with your french press. You wonder if you can use regular coffee grounds to brew the coffee you enjoy. You need some facts to find out for yourself.

Why Use Regular Ground Coffee in a French Press?

Many people have a common question of whether it’s possible to use regular coffee grounds in a French press.

The French press gets its name because of its unique design that allows you to use it as a powerful tool to crush ground coffee beans at the bottom of the pot. 

Using a French press makes it easy to brew great-tasting coffee, but most people think you need unique ground coffee beans for it. However, this isn’t the case; regular ground coffee will work just fine for your drinks. 

Regular ground coffee is more convenient, especially if you don't want to grind coffee beans every day. Also, it will get you to enjoy coffee more because it's a less complicated and inexpensive way to make your own. 

The French press also has a removable and washable filter, which means that regular ground coffee can also fit the bill for making a latte every day.

But, of course, the amount of coffee you can enjoy is really up to you, so choose your favourite taste and make coffee with it.

How the type of grind impacts the taste of the coffee?

Generally, the more coarse the grind, the thicker and tastier your coffee will be. However, the type of blend also matters a lot when brewing your coffee.

If the grind is too coarse, it will result in a very thick and grainy brew. It is because the water will flow through it at a much slower rate, and this will cause the brew to be under-extracted. 

The result is that you may have to use more coffee grounds and even more water to get the most decadent cup of coffee. 

Whereas, if the grind is too fine, the brewing water will flow through it much faster, resulting in an over-extracted coffee. The consequence of this is that you will end up with a solid brew that can be somewhat bitter.

Thus, the key to brewing great coffee lies in the grind size of the coffee grounds. The grind size directly impacts how much coffee comes out of the filter.

The best way to get a great-tasting brew every time is by using the right amount of ground coffee.

How to use the French Press to adjust the strength of the coffee?

The strength of the coffee you brew also depends on how you brew it. The most popular way to brew a cup of coffee using the French press is by steeping the grounds for 4 to 5 minutes. However, you can try adjusting the steeping time according to your preferences.

A lighter brew is when you steep the grounds for shorter periods, while more potent brews are made to soak the grounds longer. For example, if you are looking for a milder cup of coffee, then steep it for 2 minutes only. 

On the other hand, if you are looking for a more potent brew, steep the grounds for 5 minutes. Therefore, you must know the desired strength of brew before you start brewing, or else the results may vary.

Another method to adjust strength in the brew is by using more grounds or less, depending on your tastes. If you want to make more robust coffee, you can try using about two tablespoons for each 4-ounce of water. 

Whereas if you’re going to make milder coffee, you can use about five tablespoons for each 4-ounce of water. You should adjust the number of grounds you use according to the number of coffee cups you make.

Can You Buy Pre-Ground Coarse Coffee?

Yes, you can buy pre-ground coarse coffee. The French Press is ideal for using pre-ground coarse coffee because it will make brewing an espresso much easier.

Regular ground coffee is convenient, but its consistency and the taste may put some people off that it imparts in their drinks. 

Pre-ground coarse coffee solves this problem and saves you a lot of time. You can also purchase pre-ground coarse coffee online if you don’t have any local options. 

Pre-ground coarse coffee uses a fine grind ideal for brewing potent, rich, and strong coffee. 

The coffee grounds are more extensive than regular coffee grounds. It allows them to absorb more water, which results in a stronger-flavoured yet smoother cup of coffee. You can choose the type of roast you would like for your coffee and the grind size as well. 

However, you may have to adjust the amount of pre-ground coarse coffee to be consistent with what you want to achieve in terms of taste.

Can You Get Coarse Ground Coffee from the Grocery Store?

You may be surprised to learn that you can get coarse ground coffee at the grocery store. The supermarket offers four different types of coffee. These four types of coffee are Arabica, Robusta, Brazilian, and Central American coffees.

Arabica coffee is the most popular type of coffee that you can buy in the supermarket, also referred to as premium-grade coffee. 

However, you can also find other types of premium-grade coffees in your local grocery store if you are not sure which one to buy. 

This type of coffee is created by grinding the dried cherries of the Coffea Arabica tree into a medium-sized grind. A medium-sized grind is just right to provide you with a mild yet flavorful cup of coffee.

Robusta is the most commonly traded form of coffee in the world. It is known for its full-bodied flavour, which gives you a more robust cup of coffee.

Robusta has an intense aroma and tastes dark compared to Arabica. It is also lighter and milder compared to Brazilian coffee.

The only drawback to Robusta coffee is that it contains more caffeine than Arabica or other premium coffees.

It means that if you don't want too much caffeine in your beverage, then you should avoid this type of coarse ground coffee altogether.

Braza Brazilian coffee is known for its delicate blend of flavours. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most expensive types of coffee globally. However, this coffee can still be purchased at your local supermarket if you can afford it.

The Brazilians have made their coffee beans from a mixture of Arabica and Robusta coffees, which gives it its unique taste. 

The result is a medium-bodied brew with hints of fruitiness and sweetness. If you are looking for a fully flavoured cup of coffee, then you should try Brazilian coffee. 

Finally, central American coffee is renowned for its unique and rich taste. This type of coffee is also known as "Café de Olla," which means "coffee brewed in an olla" in Spanish. 

The central American bean has a distinct flavour from the volcanic soil in which the beans are grown.

You can purchase all of these types of ground coarse coffee at your local supermarket if you cannot find them at the speciality store near you.

Do You Need Coarse Ground Coffee for French Press or Cold Brewing?

You may be tempted to use regular ground coffee for your French Press or cold brew, but this may not always be the case. Some brewing methods cannot use regular ground coffee, such as cold brew and French Press. 

The French press is a brewing method whereby a mixture of hot water and coarse ground coffee grounds is steeped in a carafe to allow extraction of flavour compounds that the grounds have soaked up. 

It is achieved by allowing the liquid to cool down before pouring it into your cup. Cold-brew, on the other hand, is based on a similar principle.

If you are trying to brew this type of drink, you need to use coarse ground coffee to achieve the resultant flavour and texture you desire. 

The process of cold brewing involves steeping the grounds at room temperature in cold water for about 12 hours or overnight. 

This method extracts more caffeine and flavour from the grounds because there is no hot water present to remove them. It is why you should use coarse ground coffee when brewing cold brew.

Most Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is coarse ground preferred in a french press?

A coarse grind ensures that the grounds are fully saturated with water and not too fine or coarse. A coffee filter is used to filter the coffee during brewing, and if the coffee grounds become too fine after brewing, your coffee will take longer to brew, and you will have to wait a little longer before it is ready.

Is A Fine Grind Better For French Press Coffee?

No, it is not. A fine grind does not wholly extract the flavour from your coffee grounds. And the temperature of brewing can vary depending on how coarsely ground you have your coffee as opposed to a finer grind. 

You will have to set the temperature at a lower setting if you are using a finer grind, whereas using a coarse grind will result in a lower temperature setting in your French press and perhaps even scrambling the grounds.

How to use finer grinds in the french press?

If a finer grind is used, you will need to brew your coffee for a shorter time. It will result in the removal of more flavour, but the French press cannot cope with flavour extraction through taste and strength.

Why is french press coffee so hyped-up?

Many people use the French press for brewing because it is a no-mess method. The French press makes a delicious and aromatic cup of coffee, and it is also swift and easy to prepare. 

The french press can also allow you to make fresh coffee at home instead of using pre-ground coffee in your espresso machine.

Can you reuse coffee grounds in a french press?

You can reuse your coffee grounds once they are reduced to a fine grind, but you should ensure they are scorched before brewing. If your grounds are not dry, they may become mouldy and stain your coffee, causing a bitter taste.

How to Make French Press Coffee with Regular Pre-Ground Coffee?

If you are trying to brew French press coffee using pre-ground coffee and it does not taste as good as the coarse ground, place your pre-ground coffee in a blender or your grinder and grind it into a fine texture. 

Next, steep your coffee for about 5 to 10 minutes in hot water before loading your French press with the ground coffee.

How Do You Filter Finely Ground Coffee Through a French Press?

To filter finely ground coffee, you need to use an excellent filter. These filters may be available at your local grocery store, or you can also try using cheesecloth instead of a sieve. 

However, cheesecloth is not ideal because it can leave behind some coffee grounds, which will affect the taste of your coffee.

How Long Does it Take French Press Coffee?

It depends on how coarsely ground your coffee is. For example, it may take about three minutes if your grounds are very coarse, and if your grounds are excellent, it may bring about six minutes.

Conclusion:

It is essential to know whether you are using coarse or fine ground coffee before making an espresso drink. If you do not use coarse ground coffee in your French press, then your French press will be more challenging to use. 

You can use a finer grind if you have a French press and want to enjoy its benefits. However, if you are using pre-ground coffee and then blending it with water or ice cubes, this is not a suitable method of making coffee because the caffeine will not extract from the grounds.