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Brew method

French Press grind size & ratio

Full immersion with a metal mesh filter. Heavier, rounder and more forgiving than pour over, at the cost of some clarity.

GrindCoarse
Ratio1:15
Water200°F
Time4 min

French Press grind setting on popular grinders

“Coarse” is a different number on every grinder. These are worked out from each model’s own dial curve rather than a generic chart.

French Press grind setting for popular coffee grinders
GrinderFrench Press setting
1Zpresso JX-Pro179 clicks
1Zpresso X-Ultra193 clicks
1Zpresso ZP6 Special71 clicks
Baratza Encore31
Comandante C40 MK433 clicks
Eureka Mignon Specialita1+5.5
Fellow Ode Gen 29
KINGrinder K6121 clicks
Mahlkönig EK4314.1
Niche Zero36.6
Timemore C322 clicks
Timemore Sculptor 07812.5
All 78 grinder charts →

How french press works

Everything steeps together for the whole brew, so extraction is governed by time and grind rather than by your pouring. That makes it the most repeatable method for most people.

The metal mesh lets oils and very fine particles through. Those give French press its weight and texture, and they are also why a cup left sitting keeps getting stronger and eventually bitter.

Decant as soon as you plunge. Coffee left on the grounds continues extracting, and the last third of a cafetière tastes noticeably worse than the first.

When it tastes wrong

Sour or thin

Grind finer or steep a minute longer.

Bitter or harsh

Grind coarser, and decant immediately after plunging rather than leaving it in the press.

The common mistake

Grinding too fine. Fines slip through the mesh and keep extracting in the cup, which is the usual cause of a muddy, over-extracted French press — not the steep time.

French Press recipes worth knowing

Your grinder, your number

Convert this grind to your grinder

French Press sits at grind index 72 on BrewMark’s 0–100 scale. The converter turns that into the real number or click count on any of 78 models.

Open the grind converter →

Dial-in charts by grinder

Every brew method's setting for one specific model, espresso through cold brew.

All 78 grinder charts →
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