You want to make a fresh cup of French press coffee but don’t know what size grind to use. Unfortunately, that’s a common question because grind size isn’t often discussed among regular coffee drinkers.
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What size grind do you use for a French press?
As it happens, it does matter, and you’ll need a specific size. Allow me to assist you.
So, how big should the French press coffee grind be?
You’ll need to use the coarsest setting on your grinder to get the right size for a French press. The bits are usually about the size of sea salt flakes and have a gritty texture to them, similar to that of salt flakes.
This size is required because the French Press has a long steep time. Therefore, the larger the grind, the longer the steep time.
Alternatively, the larger the grind, the longer it takes water to extract everything fully.
If you used a different grind size (too large or too small), you’d have a disappointing cup of coffee for a variety of reasons that I’ll go over.
A burr grinder is your best bet for getting an even and consistent coarse ground. These are more dependable than blades and will break the coffee into similar pieces.
Can regular ground coffee be used in a French press?
You can’t do it. This is because regular ground coffee is usually a fine grind, which is much, much smaller than what is required for a French press.
The French Press, you see, works by trapping the grinds and most of the silt at the bottom of the beaker. This is accomplished with the assistance of a metal filter, which contains some wire mesh to help keep things in place.
However, the holes are far too large for fine ground coffee. That means all of that coffee will end up in your cup, which is neither tasty nor healthy.
That’s why you can’t use regular ground coffee in a French press.
But suppose you had no other choice but to use it. What would you do in this situation? You’d have to filter your coffee in some way.
As a result, you’d make French Press as usual, but with fine ground coffee. After pushing the plunger, you’d need to place the filter inside a metal sifter and pour the coffee through it into the cups.
The filter inside the sifter will catch the ground coffee and much of the silt, resulting in a very clean and clear cup of coffee. It tastes a lot like regular drip-filter coffee. Except you’d have to wait a little longer for it to brew.
If you’re in this situation, you’d be better off making coffee in a pot. It’s easier to clean, and it still uses finely ground coffee.
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Is French press coffee more potent?
Does the size of the grind in a French press affect its strength? That is something you could say.
The thing is, the longer you allow your coffee to be steep, the more caffeine and aroma you’ll get from it. Of course, you must consider the size of the grind you are using.
A coarse grind, such as a French press, can withstand a longer brewing time, such as 3-4 minutes. It requires a longer brewing time to extract everything it has.
Consequently, French press coffee is more potent than other types of coffee. While other types of coffee employ a finer grind, they can’t be brewed for more than a few minutes or perhaps a few seconds, which is why this is the case with Ethiopian coffee (like espresso).
It also depends on what the French press coffee is being compared to. Yes, it is stronger when compared to Moka or espresso.
It’s also slightly stronger than filter coffee or Turkish coffee, though not by much.
Nonetheless, it is one of the most efficient and flavorful methods of brewing a cup of coffee.
What is the best roast to use in a French press?
Another thing to keep in mind when making a cup of french press coffee is that the roast level is important.
Because this is a brewing method that will produce a very flavorful cup of coffee, it must have a high roast level.
This typically refers to a medium roast. This is because a light roast brings out more of the fruity, distinct flavors of the coffee bean.
However, because they have very little body, they can sometimes be too ‘green’ or taste too light.
A dark roast will taste almost too harsh in a French press because its toffee and dark caramel tones will brew very quickly, making it possible to over-extract in a French press.
A dark roast will have more body than a light roast, but it will be ‘too much for the majority of individuals. So, a medium roast is a way to go, possibly a medium-dark if you prefer a stronger coffee flavor.
A medium roast brewed on a French press will produce a beautiful result. Because of this, it will have the ideal space to exhibit its taste and subtler characteristics, while also providing adequate body and mouthfeel to your cup of coffee, while also being wonderful to drink straight up.
If you use a medium roast, the addition of natural coffee oils and a longer steep time will result in a great cup of coffee.
In a French press, how much ground coffee should I use?
To begin brewing a cup of French press coffee, use 7-8 grams of ground coffee for 200 ml/6.7 oz of water.
To brew the coffee properly, you’ll need a water temperature of 93 C/200 F.
That is the water that will be used, but not all of the water will end up in your cup as coffee. Some of it will remain because you can’t possibly drip enough coffee grinds, and they will absorb some of the water anyway.
The French Press presses the coffee to extract as much liquid as possible, but some are lost to the coffee.
As a result, you’ll most likely end up with 180 ml/6.1 oz of actual, drinkable coffee, which is quite a lot.
Bear in mind that the size of the French Press will also be a concern if you plan on serving more people than the recipe calls for.
If you want to use a press, you should think about how much space the ground coffee will take up in the press and how much water you can safely add to it.
Final thoughts.
French press coffee is delicious, and it’s the best way to brew coffee to get both flavor and caffeine. It takes a little longer, but it’s well worth it.
The only requirement is that you use coarse ground coffee. Anything smaller than that will pass right through the Press’s filter, and you’ll be very disappointed.