Can you use any coffee in a French press is a question often asked by many beginners and newbies who are using a French press coffee maker for the first time as they figure out and improve their French press coffee making skills.
This is something that we encourage at Latte Love Brew, as this brewing technique is one of the better ones for using with specialty coffee beans and single origin beans as it is a very forgiving and affordable brewing method.
The French press is much loved in the coffee world because you get full control over all the variables associated with the extraction of the flavors and oils from your coffee beans.
Here is the quick answer for those that are in a rush.
Yes, you can use any coffee in a French press brewer, as long as it is a whole bean or coarsely ground and of a medium-dark or dark roast.
Keep reading as we dig deeper into this topic and give you a more detailed answer.
Can You Use Any Coffee In A French Press?
As I mentioned earlier, the answer to this question is affirmative. Although this brewing technique and method is one of the better ones for top quality specialty single origin beans and blends, there is no “must use” or obligation to use those types of beans.
Literally, any bean or any roast will work with a French press.
However,
just like anything else, there are certain beans that work better and certain beans that you are best using another brewing method.
Medium-dark and dark roasted coffee beans will work much better with the immersion brew method as the oils have moved more to the exterior of the beans and are easier to extract and get a full flavored coffee with a great body.
Light roasted, and medium roasted coffee beans can, of course, be used, but the lack of oil will make them slightly more difficult to work with, and you might end up with a grainy tasting coffee.
Before you use these roast levels, get comfortable using a press to brew your coffee first. If you get really good and competent with a French press and use medium and light roasts, you can start to draw out all the floral and unique flavors associated with the origin.
There is no truth at all in the story that French roast coffee beans are for use exclusively in a French press. This roast level is a very dark roast. It is a very dark and bold roast, that really, you should really only use if you enjoy this roast.
Read: Can you use regular coffee in a French press
What Coffee To Use For French Press
The best coffee beans to use for your press is a matter of personal choice and taste. Each and every single one of us has different taste preferences.
The two most important parts in selecting coffee beans are to ensure that they are freshly roasted coffee beans and as high a quality as you want to get and, of course, the roast level.
French press coffee experts have a preference for medium-dark and dark roast coffee as this type of bean has a good level of extraction of the flavors, oils and unique characteristics of each bean.
When you are buying French press coffee beans, and specialty coffee beans in general, pay attention to the tasting notes and characteristics of the beans and buy the beans that are best suited to your own preference and ones that you will enjoy.
Single origins are great as you will get the unique flavors of one single location. Specialty blends are great also, as you will get the nuances of a variety of coffee beans and locations blended together.
Best Pre-Ground Coffee For French Press – Stone Street Cold Brew Reserve Dark Roast
Created as a specialist coffee for cold brew, these coarse ground dark roast coffee beans by Stone Street can be used for making cold brew coffee and hot brewed coffee. This is perfect for a French press coffee maker as you can use it to brew both hot and cold brew coffee.
The beans are 100% Gourmet Arabica, Kosher and single origin blend sourced from Colombia and wash processed. Expect a low acidity, smooth and bold coffee with nutty and chocolate notes.
The coffee is great and perfect for French press brewing. It’s pre-ground coffee that is ground at a coarse grind size and with perfect consistency in grind size.
Starbucks Coffee For French Press
Starbucks has 3 great coffees that work very well for the French press brew method, which are Sumatra, Caffe Verona and their French roast. Thankfully, their dark roast variety pack contains all 3.
Each one has unique tasting notes. Their Sumatra coffee is a volcanic coffee from the Indonesian island, it’s spicy, roasty and herbal with an earthy aroma and full-bodied.
Caffe Verona is very well-balanced with a deep dark cocoa texture. The French roast is all that you would expect of a roast of this level. It’s deep, dark, full-bodied and very smoky.
| Starbucks Coffee | Tasting Notes |
| French Roast. | Dark, smoky, intense and full-bodied. |
| Sumatra | Full bodied, herbal and earthy. |
| Caffe Verona | Balanced, sweet roasty and with hints of cocoa. |
Is French Press Coffee Good?
Yes,
French press coffee is more than good, it is great! If you can master this very easy and very forgiving brewing method, you can, and you will extract all the great tasting compounds and oils from your beans. This is why coffee enthusiasts love to use high quality specialty grade coffee with their French press.
Frequently Asked Questions About Can You Use Any Coffee In A French Press?
Do You Need Special Coffee For A French Press?
No, you do not need to use specialty coffee beans to make a great cup of coffee with your French press. However, the French press method of brewing is perfect for high quality freshly roasted coffee beans as you have full control over all the variables associated with coffee brewing and flavor extraction.
Expert Baristas insist that medium-dark and dark roast coffee works the best due to the slower extraction of the coffee oils and flavor compounds from the beans. Medium and light roasts can also be used in a French press, but your ability to get a great cup will depend on your French press brewing skills. These two roast levels work best in a drip coffee maker or pour over.
What Happens If You Use Fine Ground Coffee In French Press?
The French press brewing method is a full immersion brewing technique. This means your coffee beans extract for longer than other brewing methods. Due to the long brewing time, a coarse grind size is required. A finer grind, or a fine coffee grind, will over extract and result in a bitter tasting cup of coffee.
Also, the French press filter will not filter fine grinds and stop them from getting into your cup of coffee.
Can I Use Instant Coffee In A French Press?
No,
there is no reason to use instant coffee in your French press. Instant coffee is soluble, effectively you will be just using your French press as a large cup of coffee as no real brewing will be taking place.
Can I Use Store Bought Ground Coffee In A French Press?
Yes,
you can use pre-ground coffee that you bought in your local store or supermarket to make coffee in a French press brewer. Make sure they are of a medium-dark or dark roast and of a coarse grind size. If not, you will start having difficulties and not getting the best out of either your French press or your pre-ground coffee beans.
Can You Use Regular Coffee For French Press?
Yes, regular coffee is perfectly okay for using in your French press. It is not an absolute requirement that you must use specialty grade or premium grade coffee. Don’t use the same ground coffee for your drip coffee maker as the grind size is too fine. You must use a coarse grind size in your French press coffee maker.
What Kind Of Coffee Can You Use In A French Press?
The best kind of coffee to use in your French press is medium and dark roasts. Dark roast coffee compliments the full immersion brewing process better and produces a great tasting, intense and full-bodied coffee.
It is best when you use whole bean coffee than pre-ground coffee and the flavors pop more due to the freshness boost.
What Happens If You Use Regular Ground Coffee In A French Press?
If you use regular ground coffee from coffee beans that have been ground too fine for French press brewing, you may end up with a cup of coffee that is overtly bitter taste and end up clogging your mesh filter. You must use coarse ground coffee for the best results.
Can I Use Extra Fine Coffee In A French Press?
No, if you brew with extra fine ground coffee you will end up with a brew that is too strong, over brewed and bitter. Also, the extra fine coffee grounds may clog your filter or cause difficulties in filtering.
Frappé-Ing It All Up – Can You Use Any Coffee In A French Press?
If you have read this far, you know the answer to this question, can you use any coffee in a French press is yes. You can use any coffee in your French press as long as you have a coarse grind size. The best results will be achieved with medium-dark and dark roasted coffee beans.
Of course, the better tasting the beans are, the better tasting your cup of coffee will be. This is simply the barista principle: the better the ingredients, the better the results will be. The French press is very good at extracting the oils and flavor compounds.
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Derek Marshall
Coffee is love, it's more than love — it's a passion of mine. I've had the luck to have travelled and enjoyed the most exotic of coffee's and unique flavors, brewing methods and techniques of making the perfect coffee from Thai hill tribe coffee to Indonesian volcanic coffee, Malaysian coffee that comes in a tea bag and the array of flavors in Vietnam, from Vanilla to Orange to Coconut to Avocado to even salt coffee and the famous egg coffee. The best part of my coffee adventures is getting to mix with the locals over a nice brew and learning how they make it! I'm cited and referenced on Google Scholar for the topic of coffee. Learn more about me and Latte Love Brew by checking our About Page
