I'm thinking of getting my dad a french press, but am afraid he'll have to get all new coffee grounds since I read they require coarser grinds. Is that true? He has so many other coffee already ground up for his drip coffee maker. Thanks.
A French press is supposed to give a fuller bodied, more flavorful coffee. I tried it a couple of times... meh, nothing to write home about. I've never noticed a difference between code and basket filters (of course, in the morning, all I want to do is push my face in the coffee mug and get something hot inside me).
It's pointless to use a french press if you are grinding ahead of time. You won't even taste much of a difference. You should have the beans in whole form, and grind what u need just before brewing. AND YES, the grinds should be bigger as it clogs the filter and just makes a mess.
yeah, supposed to be coarser ground than for drip machines. It is way better flavor-wise to grind fresh for each brew. If your dad doesn't have a coffee grinder and you buy your coffee at Starbucks, they can grind it specially for your specific machine.
absolutely. if you use regular drip grounds, they'll seep through the filter. eww. maybe look into getting him a new drip coffee maker, or get him a grinder AND a french press? if you get him a grinder though, make sure it's a Burr grinder. those are the best and grind the most evenly.
Yes, finer grounds are BAD for a french press. The ones he has ground up for a drip maker will pass through the filter and make one nasty, sludgy cup of coffee. Also, finer grounds make it harder to push down on the plunger and create sediment that way, too. What type of French Press are you getting him? There is also a difference of grind in the type of filter of the press. Generally, all presses should be ground to about the size of sea salts, but a metal filter needs to be ground a bit coarser than a nylon filter. best of luck!
