If you’re looking for a quick answer, Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend is the best for French Press coffee to my taste at the moment. It’s a dark roast, rich, complex, and full-bodied. But let’s take a step back and talk about French Press coffee.
A French press is an excellent alternative to the traditional coffee pot. The french press coffee maker is relatively simple to use, cheaper, and easier to clean. In this article, we’ll discuss what kind of coffee you should use, and I’ll share with you my recommendation for the best coffee (beans or pre-ground) for a french press.
The Best Coffee for French Press at a glance
This article will help you choose the best coffee for your french press coffee maker. Check out the following list and find your new favorite coffee beans if you are in a rush.
Skip to the best part:
The Best French Press Coffee
Using a French Press gives you control over the brewing process, which means you can create your own signature blend by adjusting how long the grounds are steeped for and how finely you grind them.
It’s essential to try and find what French Press coffee is most suitable for your personal taste, as it will affect the quality of your coffee. The type of coffee you use, the grind size, and the temperature all play a role in how your coffee will taste.
Choosing the Right Type of Coffee for Your French Press
Making a perfect cup of coffee starts with excellent beans. You can use various coffee types according to your personal taste with a French Press.
When choosing the best coffee for you, remember that a French Press is different from other types of coffee-making methods. They use a coarser grind and manual pressure to extract the flavor from the beans, and in addition: the coffee grounds in a French Press keep contact with the water in the pot. It means the french press coffee gets stronger and more bitter the longer it sits in the pot.
What do the different roasting levels mean?
Choosing the type of beans for your taste of french press coffee depends on how strong you like your coffee.
A lower temperature roasting typically creates dark, bitter, and full-bodied coffee. On the other hand, higher temperatures roasting process produce light, fruity, and bright coffee.
As a rule of thumb: a darker roast makes stronger coffee. It will produce a less acidic coffee with a higher amount of oil. If you want a bold-tasting coffee, a dark roast bean will work well for you. If you prefer a milder cup, opt for a light roast bean.
So the roast level depends on your personal preference. If you’re a beginner – the safest choice would be Medium to dark roasted coffee.
Should you get whole bean or pre-ground coffee for your French Press coffee maker?
Whole bean coffee can be inconvenient because it takes time to grind and brew. But if you’re really into high-quality coffee, buy yourself fresh coffee beans and grind them just before making your coffee. You’ll get an authentic barista-level coffee.
Another advantage of grinding coffee yourself is your control on the coarse level. Ground coffee tends to be too fine for a french press. With a too-fine ground coffee, you will notice you need to apply force on the plunger when pressing it down. That’s because the fine coffee ground is stuck between the plunger and the walls of the french press pot. When buying pre-ground coffee, make sure it’s more coarse than the coffee you buy for a drip coffee maker.
Remember that ground coffee will not keep fresh for long periods, especially after exposure to sun or air. In short – invest in yourself and buy a coffee grinder, but in the meantime – yes, you can use pre-ground coffee.
What is the Best Italian Coffee for French Press?
As a part Italian, I’d like to start with two Italian classics, Lavazza and Illy, and see their best coffee for a french press.
Lavazza
A few years after Luigi Lavazza opened his small bar in Turin in 1895, he started selling coffee to locals. Fast forward to the early 20th century, and people worldwide are beginning to learn about the reputation of Lavazza espresso. Today, the company is known for its espresso blend, perfect for espresso machines.
Lavazza Qualita Rossa Pre-Ground
Origin: Mainly from South America and Africa
Aromatic notes: Chocolate
Roast level: Medium roast
Type: Pre Ground
Lavazza Qualita Rossa is a pre-ground, high-quality coffee that has been roasted to perfection. It’s a medium roast with a full and rounded body, chocolate notes, and a warm golden cream color.
It is made from Arabica and Robusta beans, Mainly from South America and Africa. These beans are carefully selected and then roasted in Italy in a traditional Italian way.
Lavazza Super Crema Coffee beans
Origin: Arabica beans from Brazil, Colombia, and India and Robustas beans from Indonesia and Vietnam
Aromatic notes: hazelnut and brown sugar.
Roast level: Medium to medium-light roast
Type: Pre Ground
Lavazza Super Crema Coffee beans blend Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. They have a very rich taste, aroma, and crema. This blend is more suitable for espresso machines with its medium to medium-light roast, but I find it quite good for a French press coffee.
The blend of the Arabica and Robusta beans makes Lavazza Super Crema Coffee beans so unique. The Robusta beans give it a strong taste that will not disappoint any coffee lover, while the Arabica gives it a milder flavor and aroma, perfect for those who prefer lighter-tasting coffee.
This coffee has a rich aroma, with hazelnut and brown sugar notes.
Lavazza ¡Tierra! Usda Organic Ground Coffee Premium Blend
Origin: Africa, Central, and South America
Aromatic notes: Honey, malt, and chocolate
Roast level: Medium to medium-light roast
Type: Whole Bean / Ground
Lavazza ¡Tierra! For Planet is the absolute perfect choice for anyone looking to explore espresso outside of the standard lines. This premium blend of hand-picked organic Arabica comes from Africa, Central, and South America, where Lavazza Foundation assists farmers in building a better future. As per their motto, “Lavazza works in every possible way towards its primary mission: coffee for the planet and good for humanity.”
This hand-picked organic blend is Rainforest Alliance certified, ensuring biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. It has floral and dried-fruit aromatic notes with caramel, honey, and butter hints.
Illy
Did you know that illy is the leading coffee roaster in Italy? It all started in 1933 when Francesco Illy opened a small roastery in Trieste, Italy. While the brand has grown across the globe, Illy still maintains a strong presence in its original home. The Illy brand was an early adopter of fair trade and sustainable practices for coffee. It offers several varieties of coffee and espresso, including whole and ground beans and various flavored coffee blends and shots.
Illy Classico Ground Drip Coffee
Aromatic notes: caramel, orange blossom, and jasmine.
Roastlevel: Medium
Type: Ground
The illy Classico Ground Drip Coffee is a medium roast. When brewed in a french-press, it produces a rich, full-bodied coffee with a sweet aroma. It’s 100% medium roasted, with caramel, orange blossom, and jasmine notes. It’s an excellent option for those who enjoy the taste of dark roasts but want to avoid the bitterness that comes with it.
Illy Coffee Whole Bean Arabica Colombia
Origin: Colombia
Aromatic notes: Citrus notes
oast level: Medium
Type: Whole Bean
When you smell these beans, the first thing you notice is their distinct aroma. They are grown at an altitude between 300 and 1,600 meters above sea level, which allows the beans to develop a richer flavor.
These kosher-certified beans have been cultivated through the most environmentally friendly methods possible. This means that you can enjoy the rich, satisfying aroma and flavor of these whole bean Arabica Colombia coffee beans without worrying about any pesticides or herbicides.
Illy Coffee Decaffeinated Ground Coffee
Aromatic notes: Caramel, orange blossom, and jasmine.
Roast level: Medium
Type: Ground, Decaffeinated
Illy Coffee Ground Decaf is the perfect blend of 100% Arabica beans. It has a light, smooth flavor with a delicious aroma. It’s roasted to perfection, so you can enjoy its rich, smooth taste without any caffeine in it that might affect your sleep patterns or give you jitters.
If you need a good decaf coffee blend, opting for a high-quality Italian brand like Illy will ensure that you get the optimal taste and aroma possible. We promise this coffee won’t disrupt your sleep or make you jittery after drinking it!
From Peet’s Coffee to Koffee Kult – The best coffee for french press by local roasters
Peet's Coffee, Major Dickason's Blend (beans/ground)
Roast level: Dark
Type: Whole Bean / Ground
Peet’s Coffee is a coffee company that specializes in fair trade and organic coffees. It was founded by Alfred Peet in Berkeley, California, in 1966.
Peet’s Coffee is well-known for its strong, aromatic notes due to the unique blends of coffees they use. These notes are more pronounced than other blends because they use darker roasts than most companies. Peet’s Coffee also uses a higher percentage of Arabica beans in its blend. This gives their coffee a more full-bodied flavor with less acidity than other blends on the market today.
Now, let’s talk about Peet’s Coffee, Major Dickason’s Blend, which you can buy as whole beans or pre-ground packs. It’s a dark roast, rich, complex, and full-bodied.
There’s actually a nice story behind the name. A loyal customer of Peet’s Coffee, retired army surgeon Key Dickason brought the idea for our original blend to Alfred Peet in 1969. It was so successful that Peet decided to name it after his friend and promote him from a surgeon to a Major while at it.
Koffee Kult Colombian Coffee Beans Huila
Origin: Columbia Huila
Aromatic notes: chocolate and caramel.
Roast level: Medium
Type: Whole Bean / Ground
Koffee Kult Colombian Coffee Beans Huila is like champagne for the coffee world. The Koffee Kult Colombian beans are grown at an altitude of 1,600-2,000 meters above sea level, which helps them develop a sweet taste. They have a strong, complex flavor that is hard to find in other products.
These beans have a medium-dark roast, which means they were roasted for about 18 minutes. This roast gives them a full body with a bitter aftertaste. The aroma of these coffee beans is very rich, and it has hints of chocolate and caramel.
Costa Rica Peaberry Coffee, Whole Bean, Medium Roast
Origin: Tres Rios, Costa Rica
Aromatic notes: Honey, lemon, almond
Roast level: Medium
Type: Whole Bean
Volcanica Costa Rica Peaberry Coffee is a small-batch, award-winning coffee roaster. It was founded by two friends living in San Jose, Costa Rica. They started roasting coffee at home and soon found a small but loyal following among their friends and family.
The most important thing about this coffee is 100% Arabica beans. These beans are grown at high altitudes and roasted in small batches to preserve the natural flavors of the coffee.
Peaberry coffee is a popular option for people who prefer fresh and flavorful grounds. Peaberry coffee beans contain just one rounded seed instead of the usual two. Peaberry beans are known for being smaller too, which means they produce less of a massive, bitter taste.
The Volcanica Costa Rica Peaberry Coffee has an aromatic note that can be described as fruity or floral, with a medium-light body and a smooth to bold taste.
The Best Coffee for French Press – Final Thoughts
The taste of coffee is a very subjective thing. However, you can use the information we shared here to find the best coffee beans for your French press. The steps we showed you in this article will help you get the most out of your coffee beans. So go ahead start brewing the perfect cup of coffee with your French press.Coffee for French Press – FAQ
The roast level depends on your personal preference.If you’re a beginner – the safest choice would be Medium to dark roasted coffee.
As a rule of thumb: a darker roast makes stronger coffee. It will produce a less acidic coffee with a higher amount of oil. If you want a bold-tasting coffee, a dark roast bean will work well for you. If you prefer a milder cup, opt for a light roast bean.
Whole bean coffee can be inconvenient because it takes time to grind and brew. But if you’re really into high-quality coffee, buy yourself fresh coffee beans and grind them just before making your coffee. You’ll get an authentic barista-level coffee.
Another advantage of grinding coffee yourself is your control on the coarse level. Ground coffee tends to be too fine for a french press. With a too-fine ground coffee, you will notice you need to apply force on the plunger when pressing it down. That’s because the fine coffee ground is stuck between the plunger and the walls of the french press pot. When buying pre-ground coffee, make sure it’s more coarse than the coffee you buy for a drip coffee maker.
Remember that ground coffee will not keep fresh for long periods, especially after exposure to sun or air. In short – invest in yourself and buy a coffee grinder, but in the meantime – yes, you can use pre-ground coffee.
A French press requires coarse ground coffee to get the best flavor. The grind size should be similar to sea salt. Make sure you grind the beans just before making your coffee.
The grind’s coarseness affects how quickly the water will seep through to extract all of the flavors from your coffee grounds.
It’s a matter of personal taste, but I really love Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend. It’s a dark roast, rich, complex, and full-bodied.
