Over the years, we have become very knowledgeable about coffee and the different ways to make it. If you are using a french press, for example, you know you can’t just use any kind of ground. It’s important to use the best coarsely ground coffee for the french press to achieve the best flavor possible.
A french press uses the immersion method of brewing where beans are extracted for a long time. Using a coarser grind will prevent over-extraction during this slow brew.
The 9 Best Coarse Coffee Grounds for French Press
Here’s our list of the best coffee brands for the french press in the market right now. I’ve listed down the pros, cons, specs, and my personal cup-approved rating (☕) of these delicious coffee products. My goal is to help you make an informed decision for your coffee journey.
1. Stone Cold Jo
Best overall
Score: ☕☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, single-origin
👉Flavor: hints of toffee caramel, chocolate, grape
👉Roast level: Dark
Stone Cold Jo has a caramelly, chocolatey, and fruity flavor made from single-origin Arabica beans. Despite the dark roast, it boasts a low acidity. So, happy tummy?
This coffee may be the best choice if you prefer a bolder flavor. Stone Cold Joe is 100% Arabica which may mean it’s on the expensive side but also means premium taste.
Now the fact that it claims to be organic AND kosher makes it a preferred option for those with specific coffee needs. It’s USDA-certified organic coffee that is grown on farms, according to strict standards set up by the United States Department of Agriculture.
This means no chemical contamination.
The taste of the coffee is silky and chocolatey and can be served hot or cold. They really take coffee seriously and are even members of the professional Roaster's Guild and the Specialty Coffee Association. They claim to only purchase from the top 2% of all Certified Organic Arabica raw coffee worldwide.
Talk about dedication!
You can taste hints of toffee, caramel, chocolate, and the fruitiness of grapes. Although Stone Cold Jo is promoted for cold brew, a lot of reviews claim that it’s also perfect hot from their trusty french press.
But since it’s a dark roast, it might really be a bit bitter for some people. To be fair though, this coffee is made with professional drinkers in mind.
I am giving this a 4 out of 5 and probably my personal favorite. I consider this the best pre-ground coffee for french press.
Pros:
✅low acidity
✅organic
✅versatile
Cons:
❌pricey
❌can be a bit bitter
2. Stone Street
Best for cold brew
Source: https://stonestreetcoffee.com/products/regular-cold-brew
Score: ☕☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, single-origin
👉Flavor: deep, dark chocolate notes
👉Roast level: Dark
You can buy Stone Street Cold Brew Coffee in whole beans or coarse grind. It’s made from dark-roasted Arabica beans that deliver robust, chocolatey notes.
This brand has been around for over a decade. Stone Street Coffee claims to have been providing coffee connoisseurs with the most delicious handcrafted coffee.
The company creates all types of coffee that have a full flavor profile and distinct characteristics.
According to them, every recipe calls for speciality-grade coffee beans that are freshly roasted in small batches to maintain the original quality. You can expect a well-balanced flavor that is smooth, strong, and bold. It’s quite expected when you’re using dark roast.
Here’s a very satisfactory review from Amazon
If you have a sensitive stomach, you’ll be glad to know that Stone Street Cold Brew is less acidic.
The 100% Colombian Supremo beans with a dark roast level are ideal for French press and cold brewing. About the flavor, Stone Street Cold Brew is bold, rich, and roastery. It has deep, dark chocolate notes that any coffee lover will appreciate.
The brand has also made a point of handling the packaging beautifully. The coarse ground coffee is sealed in a pouch with a one-way degassing valve. This is something I personally appreciate because it helps preserve all of the fresh aroma and flavor.
It can be quite expensive than other brands though. But then the good quality usually equals price, right? And because of this, I give Stone Street Cold Brew 4 out of 5.
Pros:
✅Not acidic
✅Consistent grind
✅Great packaging
Cons:
❌bitter aftertaste
❌expensive
3. Koffee Kult Dark Roast Ground Coffee
Best Artisan
Score: ☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, single-origin
👉Flavor: bold, smooth, cinnamon
👉Roast level: Dark
The Koffee Kult is a dark roast with coarse ground that delivers a bold taste. It has a smooth flavor with notes of cinnamon and a bright long finish brought to you by Colombian Arabica beans.
If you want to wake up to the best aroma of the coffee, buying a bag of this coffee is a good idea.
The coffee beans can also come from Guatemala, Sumatra, or Brazil. It’s roasted in small batches in the artisan way.
Artisan coffees are produced when a grower is willing to go above and beyond to ensure high-quality results, and a roaster is willing to pay a higher price to support quality.
To make your coffee experience healthy and special, they use the best organically sourced, smooth, and rich beans. They produce rainforest-friendly beans with a cinnamon flavor.
It has a strong flavor but is smooth to the palate so it won’t be too overwhelming for non-professional coffee drinkers. At the same time, the bold flavor would still be ideal for brewing in a French press.
Now, although they advertise it with a cinnamon taste, you might find it difficult to actually taste it in the coffee. Although it’s good that the packaging is easy to open and has a zip-lock to keep the freshness.
I’ll give Koffee Kult a 3 out of 5.
Pros:
✅fresh
✅flavorful
Cons:
❌may have a bit of acidity
❌pricey
4. Volcanica Peaberry
Best organic
Score: ☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica
👉Flavor: Honey, Lemon, and Almond
👉Roast level: Medium
The Volcanica Peaberry coffee is a medium roast with honey, lemon, and almond flavor.
This comes from the Aquiares Estate, which is located near the Pacific coast in the Tres Rios region. At an elevation of about 5,200 feet, this world-renowned single-estate peaberry coffee is shade-grown and rainforest certified.
Shade-grown coffee almost has no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. This is traditionally how coffee is grown.
Like other usual coffee, you can get from the region, the particular cup you’ll have should taste mildly sweet and bright.
It has a balance and intensity of flavors such as honey, lemon, and almond and has a distinct smooth flavor. These beans are pretty rare. However, the Volcanica Peaberry coffee might be more for espresso lovers.
It has a bit of acidity, which adds to the flavor, so it’s not entirely bad. Also, they roast their coffee per order so its freshness is guaranteed.
I’ll be giving this a 3 out of 5. I guess I just have a preference for dark roasts and bold flavor.
Pros:
✅Kosher
✅shade-grown
Cons:
❌has a bit of acidity (not entirely bad)
❌slightly bitter for a medium roast
5. Fresh Roasted Costa Rican Tarrazu
Best single-origin
Score: ☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, Single-origin
👉Flavor: smooth, milk chocolate and sweet honey
👉Roast level: Medium
The Fresh Roasted Coffee’s Costa Rican Tarrazu has a perfect balance of rich and smooth texture. It is medium-roasted with lots of milk chocolate and sweet honey.
It should be preferable for those who don’t like coffee that is hard to taste. So even if you're not a coffee person, you can give this one a shot.
The coffee beans at Fresh Roasted Coffee are sun-dried, which improves the coffee quality. They also use a washing technique to separate the bean and the pulp to create a distinct flavor.
Washed coffee is valued for its clarity and vibrant notes. By removing all of the cherries prior to drying, the intrinsic flavors of the bean can shine through without being hampered.
Tarrazu Coffee is one of Costa Rica's most prestigious coffee-growing regions. It has a light, clean flavor and fragrance.
One issue is that even for the advertised medium roast, it might be a bit bitter. Some people choose medium roast for a reason, so this might be a bit of a problem.
Another common issue is that the beans are known to develop an odor when exposed to sunlight. This means you have to take extra care with storage. Keep this coffee in a cupboard or shaded area of your kitchen.
Pros:
✅smooth
✅lovely aroma
Cons:
❌a bit acidic
❌flavor may be a bit weak
❌quite bitter
6. Lifeboost Medium Roast Coffee
Best for sensitive stomach
Score: ☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, single-origin
👉Flavor: smooth, sweet and mild
👉Roast level: Medium
Lifeboost medium roast ground coffee uses single-origin arabica beans that deliver a cup that has low acidity and smooth-sweet flavor.
A standard cup of coffee is very acidic. This is why some people experience stomach discomfort or tooth problems after drinking it.
The brewing process releases acids from coffee beans, resulting in an acidic beverage with a pH of 4.85 to 5.10.
So this could be an obvious choice if you have a sensitive tummy.
Their beans are sun-dried and washed in spring water. As a result, we have a pure, natural coffee that is derived directly from nature. This alone attracts a lot of people who are mindful of what they eat and refuse anything that uses pesticides.
Lifeboost offers 100% pure Arabica beans that have not been blended with any other coffee beans.
These French press beans are grown in Nicaragua's mountains. To ensure purity, each bean of the life boost medium roast coarse-ground coffee is hand-selected. It might just have a bit of a negative effect on the flavor though.
The lack of acidity may have mellowed the flavor too much.
They are organic coffee that is high in antioxidants. It is a third-party certified organic test. This means using an independent lab to test for:
- mycotoxins
- heavy metals
- pesticides
- toxins
By using a third party for testing, Lifeboost aims to prove its claims are legit.
I also appreciate the one-way valve that keeps the coffee fresh even without the vacuum seal. This allows the coffee to degas and minimize oxidative degradation.
I understand the need for low acidity, especially for those who really want to have coffee but have sensitive stomachs. I guess I’m just lucky to not have acid reflux because this coffee is pretty much on the pricey side too.
I’ll give this a 3 out of 5.
Pros:
✅low acidity
✅high in antioxidants
✅fresh
Cons:
❌Doesn’t taste well with cream and sugar
❌not as bold as some would like
❌Pricey
7. Fabula French Roast Coffee
Best in aroma
Score: ☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, blend
👉Flavor: Smooth, sugary, caramelly, smokey, chocolatey flavour
👉Roast level: Dark
The Fabula French Roast Coffee tastes caramelized sugars and bittersweet chocolate.
Like the previous item, Fabula promises a low-acid coffee for coffee lovers with sensitive systems, mold allergies, and acid reflux — or if you are just picky about your cup quality.
And like most of the coffee on this list, it claims to be specially sourced and roasted.
Aside from being easy on your tummy, it should be especially good for your body by being organic, non-GMO, no chemicals and guaranteed mold-free.
It’s pretty fresh and at peak flavor given that it roasts on demand. It’s won’t be surprising to be one of the best ground coffee for french press.
So once again, I just find the price a bit too steep. Or maybe this is just because I can easily find other cheaper coffee with the same level of flavor for a much lower price.
I even found a review on Facebook that their coffee tastes like Dunkin Doughnuts coffee.
It might be a bit bitter given it is a dark roast. I’m not sure why but it seems a lot of the organic items on this list have a flavor issue.
I’ll give this a 3 out of 5.
Pros:
✅aromatic
✅fresh
✅non-GMO
Cons:
❌very pricey
❌might be a bit bitter
8. Primos Coffee Co. French Press Specialty Coffee
Score: ☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, Single-roast
👉Flavor: medium-body, sweet and citrusy
👉Roast level: Medium
Primos Coffee Co. has a subtle but pleasant flavor with a medium body. It has smooth, sweet, citrusy notes. These medium-roast Arabica coffee beans have low acidity and consistent flavor.
This coffee is sourced from Nicaragua by Primo's Coffee Company. It’s also single-origin in a medium roast which ensures a well-balanced flavor. They roast in Texas and claim that they never blend their product —which is a good thing because it guarantees consistency.
Primos direct-trade coffee from the same family-owned lots every time.
Direct trade coffee sourcing means purchasing coffee beans directly from farmers. Coffee farmers benefit from direct trade, while roasters and consumers benefit from easier access to high-quality coffee beans.
Primos Coffee Co. French Press Specialty Coffee are coarse enough to cold brew, but they're even better in a French press. After roasting, the coffee is coarsely ground to accommodate longer or slower brewing methods.
The premium Arabica coffee beans they are using are naturally in the hot sun and fresh air. These dried green beans are then in small batches using a carefully developed medium-bodied coffee profile.
It's a mild taste that appeals to caffeine enthusiasts who don't like the loud punch of strong coffee. But that could also be translated as being weak and lacking in flavor —which is unfortunately a common complaint from buyers.
Take a look at the reviews below which seems to sing the same tune. 👇
But still, I don’t want to discriminate especially because I know there are still a lot of coffee drinkers who prefer light coffee. I’ll give this one a 3 out of 5.
Pros:
✅low-acid
✅aromatic
✅well-balanced flavor
Cons:
❌lacks flavor
9. Gevalia Special Reserve - Guatemala
Score: ☕☕☕
👉Bean type: Arabica, single-origin
👉Flavor: medium-bodied, earthy, smoky, with a hint of cocoa
👉Roast level: Medium
The Gevalia Reserve in flavor Guatemala uses Arabica beans and has a hint of cocoa. You’ll find the taste to be medium-bodied, earthy, and smoky.
To preserve the natural smoothness of the Guatemalan beans, Gevalia Reserve roasts medium. This blend is coarsely ground enough for the French press. However, you can also use them for cold brew which could take 24–36 hours.
You may also need to adjust the ratios to your liking. If you want a bolder, sweeter flavor, you might want to double the amount of coffee.
Aside from the sweet flavor with hints of chocolate and caramel, Guatemalan coffee is known for its citrus and floral aroma. However, Gevalia Reserve is really on the earthy side rather than the fruity.
I’ll give it a 3 out of 5.
Pros:
✅aromatic
✅kosher
Cons:
❌can be a bit strong for a medium roast
❌a bit acidic
How to buy the best french press coarse grounds
When buying coarse grounds for your coffee press, you have to consider the type of beans, and how it was roasted.
As I mentioned earlier, we have already come a long way as coffee drinkers. A lot of us have become very knowledgeable about the coffee we are drinking and the different ways of preparing it.
A lot of people prefer to use the french press because you can completely customize the cup of coffee that you're brewing. This is perhaps one of the biggest advantages of a French press coffee maker.
So if you have a specific taste in mind, you can vary the size and type of grounds being used, the temperature of the water, and the amount of time that the grounds are steeped.
Here are a few important elements to look for in choosing a coffee ground to use with your french press:
Coffee Bean
In buying your coarse grinds, you also need to take into consideration the type of coffee bean used and if it’s a single origin or blend.
There are four different types of coffee beans:
- Arabica - smooth, complex flavor, has a distinct lack of bitterness
- Robusta - strong smell, quite bitter, more caffeine than Arabica beans
- Liberica - spicy floral aroma, bold, nutty, woody, smoky flavor
- Excelsa - light aroma, tart and fruity flavor, less caffeine than others
Source: https://coffeeaffection.com/
The two main coffee beans widely produced and sold are Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora which is also known as Coffea Robusta.
Arabica coffee beans are the highest-quality variety. They are well-known for their smooth, complex flavor and lack of bitterness. Because of this, it might be the obvious choice as the best coffee bean for the french press.
Coffee could be made from single-origin or blended coffee beans. This means that either the coffee you are buying is made from just one bean type or blended with another type of bean.
A single-origin coffee has the boldest and most robust flavor. On the other hand, blended speciality coffee is balanced by combining different beans that complement one another.
Coffee connoisseurs swear on single-origin coffee. They consider single-origin coffee superior because it is coffee in its purest form. Blends have a bad reputation because some large roasters mix higher-quality beans with lower-quality ones to save money.
If you want a one-of-a-kind experience, go with a single origin. Blend if you want more consistency and a more muted look.
Type of roast
The roasting process contributes significantly to the aroma and flavor of the coffee. Many factors, including the body, acidity, and flavor of your tasty beans, can be influenced by the length of the roasting process.
Picking the best coffee roast for the french press will maximize the experience. Below is a list of the different kinds of roasts for your favorite bean 👇
- Gold - roasted at a lower temperature, no bitterness, less acidic, more caffeine
- Blonde - dropped out of the roaster right after the first crack, high acidity, citrusy
- Light - tangy and floral taste, sweet and less bitter than medium or dark
- Medium - smooth, sweet, chocolatey, bittersweet aftertaste
- Dark - bold, rich, chocolatey, toasty and bittersweet
Medium to dark roasts are ideal for brewing with a French Press. If you enjoy adding milk and sugar to your coffee, the darker roast will complement the French Press—a dash of milk really complements the deep, chocolatey, and earthy flavors.
Why use coarse grounds in a French Press?
Because the French press is an immersion method of brewing, the beans are extracted for a more extended period of time than other methods. As a result, we should typically use a coarser grind to slow extraction and prevent over-extraction.
When this happens, you can end up with coffee that tastes bitter. This is since the compounds that create sweetness and acidity will be overpowered.
Clearly, depending on the grind, the flavor of your coffee can vary.
Take a look at the varying grinds below 👇
Source: https://satoricoffee.com/pages/coffee-grind-sizes
- Coarse
- Medium-Coarse
- Medium
- Medium-Fine
- Fine
How quickly water extracts flavor compounds from your grounds can impact how your coffee tastes. Aside from that, the duration or how long you brew your coffee will have an effect on the flavor as well.
This is because the surface area of coarser, larger coffee grounds is less than that of finely ground coffee grounds. For example, coarsely ground coffee for french press allows for greater water flow and does not lose flavor as quickly.
If your coffee tastes watery and acidic, it's possible that the beans you’re using are too coarse. If you’re not a fan, you should try a finer grind.
On the other hand, if your coffee is too bitter for you, it's possible that the grind is just too fine. This is when a coarser grind can help enhance the flavor of your brew.
Where to buy coarse ground coffee for french press?
You can buy coarse ground coffee online like on Amazon, or eBay. Or just find the best store-bought coffee for the french press at the grocery. You can also visit your favorite coffee shop like Starbucks to stock up on coarse ground coffee.
Remember, grind size matters since it is directly related to the following elements in coffee:
- Taste
- Strength
- Flavor
Whatever you decide, keep in mind that using finely ground coffee is not a good idea for brewing methods that demand slower or longer steeping. It’s important to know about different coffee brands and their characteristics of coffee.
It will help you pick the best coarsely ground coffee for the french press that suits your taste.
