Hot take: I was grinding my beans for a French press all wrong for years

I always used a fine grind, like for espresso, because I thought more surface area meant more flavor. Then last month, a barista in Seattle told me that creates too much silt and over-extracts, making it bitter. He showed me a coarse grind, similar to breadcrumbs, and the difference was like night and day. Has anyone else had a similar 'aha' moment with their brew method?

3 comments

3 Comments

robin6582mo ago

Like for espresso" is a wild choice, I mean I get the logic but that sounds like a cup of mud. My aha moment was just reading the instructions on the bag, which was deeply embarrassing.

the_mary2mo ago

Oh man, "reading the instructions on the bag" hits home. I once had a whole phase, @robin658, where my coffee tasted like sour pennies because I was using a super fine grind for a pour-over (don't ask me why, I thought I was being fancy). Turns out I was basically making a weird, gritty tea. The bag said "medium coarse" and I just ignored it for months, blaming the beans. Felt like a real genius when I finally figured that one out.

the_jade22d ago

Switched to a coarser grind for my French press too and it fixed everything. I was getting that gritty sludge at the bottom of my cup for months and just accepted it. Now the coffee actually tastes smooth and I don't chew my last sip.