Best Type of Coffee to Use for French Press Brewing

The French press is one of my absolute favorite methods for brewing coffee, and I use my French press just about every morning. There’s just something about that thick, oil-rich mouthfeel and intense, fully extracted flavor that makes French press coffee downright addictive for me.

But not all coffees are equally well-suited to the French press brewing method. The key is choosing a coffee that aligns with and complements the unique flavor profile this brewing approach produces.

In this detailed guide, I’ll break down exactly how to select the ideal roast level, coffee origin, and grind size to make consistently amazing French press coffee.

Can You Use Any Type of Coffee Beans in a French Press?

The short answer is yes, you can technically use any type of coffee beans in a French press. But some will certainly be far more enjoyable and taste better than others.

The French press as a manual brewing device highlights and accentuates the flavors that come specifically from the roasting process. The extended 4-9 minute steep time (depending on your recipe) allows for those aromatic compounds associated with darker, longer roasts to fully extract and dominate the overall flavor profile.

On the other hand, many lightly roasted coffees that emphasize bright, tangy acidity and delicate fruity flavors tend to become muted and frankly get a bit lost in the mix when using the French press brewing method. The immersion style of brewing simply doesn’t allow the nuanced flavors of a light roast to shine through in the same way as a pourover or another method might.

However, with the proper grind size dialed in and using fresh, high quality coffee beans, light and even medium roasted coffees can still taste very nice if you know how to use a French press properly.

I’d suggest experimenting with light, medium, and dark roasts from a variety of different coffee origins to find which ones you like. With that being said, I’ll give you an overview of what you can generally expect flavor-wise from each different roast level when brewing with a French press in the following sections.

Light Roast Coffee in a French Press

Light roasted coffees, sometimes also called City, City+, or New England roasts, are roasted for a much shorter period of time. This preserves many of the naturally occurring organic acids and volatile aromatic compounds in the green coffee beans that primarily give coffee its intrinsically bright, fruity, and floral flavor notes.

Some specific examples of important organic acid compounds found in far greater concentrations in light roasted coffee beans include the following:

Citric acid
Malic acid
Quinic acid
Chlorogenic acid

These organic acids impart distinct tasting notes of lemon, apple, stone fruits like peach, and fresh red berries.

Additionally, chemical compounds like terpenes, esters, and aldehydes also survive in higher amounts in light roasts. These are responsible for delivering aromatic flavors and smells of jasmine tea, orange blossom, and honey.

However, because light roasts are roasted for a shorter time, that means the natural sugars found in coffee beans like sucrose don’t have a chance to fully caramelize and break down. So you miss out on some of the deeper, richer roasted flavors.

Important amino acids that interact during the roasting process to bring out nuttier, chocolatey, coffee shop style flavors also remain underdeveloped without longer roasting times.

Given that the French press coffee brewing method inherently mutates and mutes the more delicate flavors of lighter roasted coffees, I’d suggest focusing on single origin beans with inherent sweetness and relatively low baseline acidity if you want to use a light roast in a French press.

For example, coffee beans from places like Sumatra, Brazil, and Peru tend to have naturally lower citric acidity coupled with underlying earthy sweetness and smooth caramely flavors that can align much better with the French press brew method.

You’ll also notice that the overall mouthfeel and texture may be a little thinner and lighter since fewer oils have had a chance to fully surface and be released from the coffee beans during the shorter light roast. But a well extracted light roast prepared properly can still produce a pleasant, almost tea-like drinking experience in the French press.

Medium Roast Coffee in a French Press

For me personally, medium roast coffee hits the sweet spot and provides the perfect balanced blend of light and dark roast flavor characteristics when brewed in a French press.

Medium roasts, sometimes referred to as Full City, Full City+, or American roasts, develop a fuller range of the sugars and amino acids largely responsible for giving coffee its rich chocolate, caramel, and nutty cereal-like tasting notes—perfect for the French press!

Simultaneously, the juicy organic acids found in light roasts mellow out noticeably during a medium roast, significantly lowering the perceived brightness and tangy acidity.

You’ll get less of the very fruity ester compounds that give coffee some stone fruit and berry flavors in lighter roasts. But there should still be at least a subtle touch of citric and malic acidity to provide some liveliness and vibrancy.

The best part of medium roast coffee for French press in my opinion is that you gain considerable sweetness and complexity from the Maillard reactions occurring during roasting without going so far as to produce an intense, overpowering roasted bitterness.

The specific coffee bean origin’s inherent character isn’t totally lost or muted yet either at a medium roast level. Coffees like good Ethiopian and Kenyan beans will still exhibit some of their characteristic fruitiness, while Sumatran and Brazilian coffee origins will emphasize their natural underlying sweetness.

Overall I’d definitely suggest trying a medium roast coffee from one of the sweeter, smoother Latin American or Indonesian origins for French press brewing. The rich chocolate and caramel-like notes you get with a medium roast complement the French press method incredibly nicely.

Dark Roast Coffee in a French Press

Dark roasted coffees are certainly what many people most closely associate with French press coffee. The extended brewing time the French press allows can handle the increased bitterness of a dark roast surprisingly well, while the lack of paper filtration when pressing leaves all the rich oils released during roasting completely intact.

These very dark roasts, sometimes referred to as Vienna, Italian, or French roasts, develop complex Maillard browning reactions during the roasting process that generate potent sweet flavors reminiscent of molasses, brown sugar, and super dark chocolate.

Most of the organic acids naturally found in the coffee beans have thoroughly degraded by the end point of a dark roast, so the overall acidity you perceive drinking it is surprisingly low. You also completely lose most of the fruity esters and fresh terpenes as well, so don’t expect much brightness or prominent fruitiness.

In dark roasts, compounds like lactones, phenolic acids, and melanoidins are found in far greater concentrations. These are responsible for bringing out the perceivable nuttiness, spiciness, and yes, increased bitterness in the flavor profile.

Additionally, the overall percentage concentration of soluble solids in the beans is exponentially higher after a longer time in the roaster. And this is a key factor leading to the signature thick, almost chewy, oil-rich mouthfeel French press dark roasts are known for.

My top suggestions for dark roast coffee beans for the French press would be beans sourced from Latin America or Indonesia, since their inherent sweetness and low acidity when roasted darkly complements what the French press does best.

An additional tip for dark roasts would be trying adding a splash of steamed milk or cream to help soften and tone down some of the bitterness if it gets to be too much for your preferences. Darker roasts pair particularly well with added dairy.

What Is the Ideal Grind Size for Brewing Coffee with a French Press?

Choosing the proper coffee grind size is absolutely essential for achieving great flavor from the French press brewing method. The ideal grind for French press is a very uniform, medium-coarse consistency usually between 1,000 and 1,200 microns.

This coarse particle size provides just the right amount of surface area to get a beautifully balanced extraction that provides some bitterness and sweetness for a delicious cup of French press coffee.

I’d highly recommend using a proper standalone burr coffee grinder rather than relying on something like an inexpensive blade grinder. Burr grinders produce a remarkably more consistent grind size distribution, leading to much better balanced overall flavor that isn’t over or under-extracted in different parts of the brew.

Blade coffee grinders are notorious for producing far too many ultra-fine coffee particles because of their inconsistent grinding action. Too many fine grounds can lead to astringent over-extraction and pronounced bitterness in French press coffee, especially since the fines will easily slip through the mesh screen and continue extracting in your cup. Check out my hands-on reviews of the best coffee grinders for home for some recommendations.

It’s also crucial to grind coffee beans fresh immediately before brewing your French press. Pre-ground coffee has exponentially more surface area exposed to oxygen in the bag or container, causing the beans to go stale rapidly and lose aromatic and flavorful compounds.

Fresh grinding your own beans right before brewing maximizes the flavor nuances and aromatic qualities you want in your cup of French press.

Why Is the Grind Size So Important for Proper French Press Coffee Brewing?

There are a few key reasons why nailing the right grind size for French press is so important. These include the following:

Enables uniform extraction: With an evenly ground dose of coffee, hot water is able to flow through and permeate all the coffee grounds in a uniform manner. This allows for even extraction of flavor compounds without accidentally over or under-extracting certain particles. The result is a beautifully balanced final brew. Use a glass French press or double-walled stainless steel French press to retain that heat and extract evenly.
Minimizes fine particles: Too many ultra-fine powder-like particles lead to uneven over-extraction and excessive perceived bitterness, especially in unfiltered coffee like French press. A proper coarse grind significantly minimizes the amount of fine coffee sediment that could pass through the metal or nylon mesh screen.
Highlights sweetness: The long extraction time you use with French press brewing can easily create bitter coffee because the coffee is immersed in your hot water for several minutes. The proper grind size prevents overextraction, which allows the coffee’s natural sweetness to shine through.

In short, proper coarse grinding helps minimize bitterness and astringency while maximizing sweetness and balanced, nuanced flavor for exceptional French press coffee brewing. It’s truly one of the keys to making this classic manual brewing technique shine.

Wrapping Up: Tips for Choosing the Best Tasting Coffee for French Press Brewing

While any coffee beans can technically be used in a French press, taking the time to choose an origin, roast level, and grind size specifically suited to the brew method makes all the difference. Medium and dark roasts do just that, as the French press highlights flavors associated with the roasting process, so longer roasting times are going to produce better results.

Still, I’d suggest sampling an array of light, medium, and dark roasts to find which roast intensity you most prefer. Beans with inherent sweetness and low acidity from places like Latin America and Indonesia tend to fare best. And consistently grinding to a uniform coarse particle size before brewing brings out the most balanced flavor with minimal bitterness.

With the right fresh coffee and proper grind dialed in, your daily French press brew will be aromatic, bold, complex, and incredibly satisfying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does French press coffee taste different than other brew methods?

The French press highlights flavors from the roasting process due to the long 4-8 minute steep time and the fact that the coffee is unfiltered. This extended contact with hot water and the fact that the coffee oils remain in your cup brings aromatic compounds associated with the roasting process to the forefront. The coffee oils also provide a much thicker mouthfeel than you’d get from filtered coffee.

Is dark roast coffee required for French press?

No, dark roast is not required for brewing in a French press. While it’s common, medium roasts can also taste excellent by providing sweetness without excessive bitterness. Some people even enjoy light roasts like Ethiopian and Kenyan beans for a fruitier profile. But in general, choose roasts and origins with low acidity.

How do I grind coffee beans for French press?

Use a burr grinder to grind to a uniform medium-coarse size between 1,000 and 1,200 microns. This prevents too many fine particles that over-extract and produce bitterness in your cup. Grinding coarsely highlights the coffee’s inherent sweetness. Also, it’s best to grind right before brewing, as ground coffee rapidly loses its freshness, flavor, and aroma.

Can I use pre-ground coffee in a French press?

It’s better to grind beans fresh right before brewing. Pre-ground coffee stales rapidly as the grounds are exposed to oxygen. Fresh grinding maximizes the flavors and aromas that French press brewing highlights. If you do want ot need to use pre-ground coffee, choose a coarse grind size that’s suited specifically for French press. Avoid using coffee that’s ground for drip machines, as you’ll get an overly bitter cup.