Coffee for your French press or cafetière

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French press coffee

Coffee for a French press has to be coarsely ground. In a French press, or cafetière as it is also known here, the coffee steeps loose in hot water for a few minutes before the plunger pushes the grounds to the bottom, and a coarse grind is made for that long steep. Everything on this page is our own fresh coffee, which we grind coarse once you have ordered. What goes wrong with a finer grind, and how much coffee to use for how many minutes, is explained below the products.

Why a French press needs coarse ground coffee

A French press needs coarsely ground coffee because the only thing between the grounds and your cup is a metal mesh filter. Coarse grounds, roughly the size of coarse sea salt, stay behind it; fine particles slip through its holes, leave a layer of silt at the bottom of the mug and make the plunger stiff. Fine grounds also release their bitter compounds quickly, so after four minutes the brew already tastes over-extracted. A coarse grind needs exactly the long, gentle steep a cafetière gives it, and pays you back with a full-bodied cup.

French press ratio, temperature and time

For French press coffee, use about 60 to 70 g of coarse ground coffee per litre of water; a 500 ml cafetière takes around 30 to 35 g. The water should be just off the boil, about 93 to 96 °C, which in practice means letting the kettle settle for a moment after it clicks off. Steep for 4 minutes, then press the plunger down slowly. The step-by-step method is in Brewing French press coffee, how do you do that?

Choosing coffee for your cafetière

Strength. A French press brings out the full body of a coffee, so even one from the middle of our 1 to 13 strength scale makes a robust cup.
Ground to order. Set the coffee type to "Freshly ground - Cafetière" and the grinder only runs once your order has come in.
Beans for your own grinder. Prefer to grind at home? Choose the beans option of the same coffee and set your grinder to coarse, or browse all coffee beans.

Other brewers, other grinds

How a French press compares with a filter machine is covered in What's the difference between French press and filter coffee? If you brew through paper, the medium-coarse Chemex coffee or ground filter coffee suits you better, and an AeroPress takes a finer grind again. A moka pot, sold on this site as percolator coffee, is the one to watch out for: it needs a fine to medium-fine grind and makes weak coffee with coarse grounds, so choose moka pot coffee for it.

Frequently asked questions about French press coffee

What grind do you need for a French press?

A French press needs a coarse grind, coarser than for filter coffee or a Chemex. The plunger filters through metal mesh rather than paper, and only coarse grounds stay behind it. On our own coffee, that grind is the option "Freshly ground - Cafetière". Espresso or filter grind is too fine: expect sediment in the cup and a bitter taste.

How long do you leave coffee in a French press?

Four minutes is the standard for a French press, counted from the moment the just-boiled water goes onto the coffee. After that, press the plunger down gently and pour straight away. Coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and gets more bitter, so if you want a stronger cup, add more coffee rather than more time.

Why is there sludge in my French press coffee?

Sludge in French press coffee nearly always comes from grounds that are too fine. Small particles pass through the metal mesh and settle in your cup. Use coarsely ground coffee, push the plunger down slowly and leave the last mouthful in the pot. A little sediment is part of a French press; if you want none at all, brew through a paper filter instead.

Is French press coffee the same as filter coffee?

No, although neither method uses pressure. In a French press the coffee steeps in the water and a metal mesh holds back the grounds, so oils and a trace of sediment reach the cup and the coffee tastes fuller. Filter coffee runs through paper, which catches those oils and gives a cleaner, lighter cup. More in What's the difference between French press and filter coffee?

Coarsely ground coffee for your French press

Why a French press needs coarse ground coffee

French press ratio, temperature and time

Choosing coffee for your cafetière

Other brewers, other grinds