French presses, also known as cafetiere, a piston, are a type of coffee brewing device known for its simplicity and its unique way of making coffee.
French presses consist only of two elements and are very easy to use. On the one hand, they have a glass container in the shape of a narrow and tall jug into which the ground coffee and boiling water are poured. They are left to rest for a few minutes, and then, with the plunger, the residues are pressed so that there are no lumps in the infusion.
The coffee is made in the form of an infusion to achieve a more intense and aromatic flavor. Also, since it consists of only two pieces, both making the coffee and cleaning the parts of the French press afterward become a very simple task.
10 Best French Press Coffee Grinders
- Hario (Slim and Skerton)
- JavaPresse Coffee Grinder
- Porlex Mini
- Zassenhaus Santiago Manual Coffee Grinder
- IZPresso Q2 Manual
- OXO 8717000 Coffee Grinder
- Capresso Coffee Grinder
- Baratza Encore
- Timemore Chestnut G1 Manual
- Breville BCG820BSSXL
1. Best Coffee Grinder For French Press – Hario (Slim and Skerton)
Hario Slim is the smallest version of the Hario series. It is a high-quality manual grinder, made with resistant materials perfect to be transported without breaking. It is sold for a price of $ 40
On the one hand, the body of this grinder is made of plastic, essentially. So it allows it to be transported easily without breaking. On the other hand, the internal grinding wheels are made of ceramic, which we know will be of good quality and resistant to the passage of time.
This particular grinder allows you to calibrate the size of the grind, can be adjusted to your likings, and offers a relatively homogeneous result.
It is a bit large in size due to its inverted cone shape, so it can hold up to two cups of ground coffee. The counterpoint is that just because it has that shape, it is easier for some coffee beans to get stuck, and it is necessary to maneuver with the crank to avoid breaking the grinding wheels.
The Hario Skerton PRO version is shaped like an hourglass, with a non-slip plastic base at the base for easy grinding. It also has ceramic grinding wheels and a greater capacity, up to 100 grams of capacity.
Its parts are of higher quality, offering greater resistance and consistency to use. So that it remains rigid when turning the crank. This is more expensive, priced at $65. Being a manual product without electronic parts or cables, the somewhat higher price of the product allows the materials to be of the best possible quality.
2. Best Coffee Grinder For Coarse Grind – JavaPresse Coffee Grinder
JavaPresse is one of the proposals in the field of manual grinders. For a price of $ 43.99, you can have a grinder capable of grinding in three different sizes.
The stainless steel body, combined with the ceramic grinding wheels, makes it another perfect candidate for your home. It is aesthetic, thin and tall, light, and with a capacity for two or three cups.
In addition, its design includes a small slit at the bottom to see at a glance the progress in the process of grinding the coffee beans. Its design, due to the grip between the upper and lower parts, makes it a little flimsy than other similar grinders with similar characteristics.
3. Best Grinder For French Press – Porlex Mini
Porlex Mini is a very small manual grinder of good quality and perfects to be transported. It is sold for a price of $80.99. For its quality, it is considered an adequate price, although there are other cheaper options.
The body of the grinder is made of stainless steel, which makes it hard, resistant, and easily cleanable. In addition, it is also light perfect for transporting it in bags, backpacks, and suitcases, ideal for any situation.
In addition, it is one of the few (or even the only one!) that has a small handle in which the disassembled metal handle can be inserted for better storage without having scattered pieces in your luggage.
The interior material is ceramic, which means that it is considerably stronger and more durable than grinding wheels of other materials. It should last for many years of operation in perfect condition.
The only major drawback to this grinder is precisely the size. It is an advantage in terms of portability for travel, but its capacity is low. This has only a 20-gram capacity, which is only useful for small cups.
If you want to use it for large mugs or for multiple people at the same time, it will have to be ground several times in a row, and this can be inconvenient if it is going to be used for daily use.
4. Best Manual Coffee Grinder For French Press – Zassenhaus Santiago Manual
Zassenhaus is the leading manufacturer of coffee grinders. They have been in the market for more than 150 years, and their material is of such high quality and durability that their guarantees last up to 25 years.
The Zassenhaus Santiago Manual model is shaped like a square wooden box. It has different finishes and, depending on the color; the price may vary. You can find it starting at $ 91.12. Its top-quality material offers an excellent grind.
It is adjustable depending on the size, and even the coarsest grinds will be made homogeneously, and without souring the flavor, it has a considerable capacity for a couple of cups approximately. In addition, it is very elegant and can also be used to decorate the kitchen.
The only counterpoint to it is that, despite being manual, it is large and heavy and uncomfortable to transport. It is an ideal kitchen tool for the home, but it should be combined with another smaller grinder for transport, if necessary.
5. Best Portable French Press Coffee Grinder – IZPresso Q2 Manual
The IZPresso Q2 model is stiff competition for the Porlex Mini. This is one of the smallest and most easily portable coffee grinder options. It costs $99, making it a bit more expensive than the other, but has the same capacity of 20 grams.
The 1 ZPresso has a small, discreet, and very light body made of stainless steel. It also has small wooden details that give it a perfect aesthetic touch for the most detailed. By having a slightly higher price, it allows more attention to the quality of the details. It is a robust and durable model, with no flimsy fittings or loose parts.
6. Best Electric Coffee Grinder For French Press – OXO 8717000 Coffee Grinder
One of the best options for grinding coffee beans into coarse ground. It is one of the few options for an electric grinder that goes below a hundred dollars and that at the same time maintains high quality in the end.
The OXO 8717000 grinder is priced at $99.95 and is one of the most affordable options on the market. It is not suitable for grinding all sizes because it does not have the capacity to grind extra-fine as it would be necessary to make espresso coffee.
But for the French press, it is a good option since it has a great grinding quality that allows maintaining the aroma of the coffee without spoiling the flavor.
7. Best Coffee Bean Grinder For French Press – Capresso Coffee Grinder
The Capresso Infinity is a model of an electric grinder, an affordable option that for just $ 120. offers a wide variety of grind modes and additional features such as the timer, which makes it easy to precision grind.
The body is compact, robust made of resistant plastic. It has an elegant design and is perfect for small apartments or kitchens with little space due to its shape.
It is one of the cheapest models of electric grinders. It has a sturdy but lower quality body, with stainless steel grinding wheels which, while robust, can heat the coffee beans and give them a bitter taste that can be annoying.
Due to its material and its lack of anti-static, it is common for the remains of ground coffee to stick inside. It is more laborious to clean, although it is a minor inconvenience because it is easily removable and washable.
It has sixteen options to grind the grains to different measures. Although in the coarser grinding mode, it may not give such homogeneous results.
8. Best Cheap Coffee Grinder For French Press – Baratza Encore
The Baratza family of grinders offers high quality from home. It is used and recommended by coffee professionals. This is the most like burr grinder.
Baratza Encore is a professional and affordable french press. For the modest price of $ 139. you can have a high-quality home electric grinder. What characterizes it especially is the ease of use; with a few easily recognizable buttons, a wide variety of grind sizes can be programmed.
It has more than forty programming options allowing it to achieve the perfect thickness for the French press customizable to the taste of each individual.
The material from which it is made offers both a robust and elegant design. Also, the grinding wheels will not over-scald the coffee, so you can enjoy the best flavor.
The plastic from which it is made allows it to be a light and low-noise product, so you can be quiet in the kitchen or grind your coffee early in the morning without disturbing the family. In addition, it has a sensor that will stop the process if necessary, before getting stuck or breaking.
9. Best Hand Grinder For French Press – Timemore Chestnut G1 Manual
It is one of the most elegant models on the market, With a Japanese aesthetic that combines stainless steel details in black with walnut wood for an elegant image. It is a model with quality wheels perfectly adjustable to the grinding size that is preferred. It is pleasant to use and can also be easily disassembled to clean each part separately.
It is an ideal model for the French press, although it only has a capacity of 25 grams, so for large cups, it is necessary to grind twice. Still, the grinding experience is nice and smooth; the wheels don’t get stuck, and that makes the experience enjoyable.
10. Best Burr Grinder For French Press – Breville BCG820BSSXL
This model of an electric grinder, with a higher price of $ 199.95, is one of the most professional options for grinding coffee at home. It is also known as a’ smart grinder’ due to the number of programmable options available to grind coffee to taste.
It has a metallic design that offers a very elegant and professional aesthetic for your kitchen. It consists of several buttons on the front and even on the side to fully customize the experience in addition to offering high-quality materials that protect the coffee beans while looking aesthetic and in line with the style of the model.
It consists of several removable elements that work magnetically to be able to disassemble and clean in a comfortable and safe way without having to screw and unscrew as happens with most electric models.
Buyers Guide: Coffee Grinders For French Press
Here we answer the most frequently asked questions related to grinders and French presses.
How to choose the best coffee grinder for French presses?
When we choose a coffee grinder for our home, we will have certain characteristics to take into consideration to make the best decision. Some will be determined depending on our situation or our tastes, but there are others that are general recommendations that you have to know before buying a random one.
First, you have to know exactly the grinding method that the grinder will use. There are two main categories: the blades or the grinding wheels. The best thing to do is to buy one that uses grinding wheels, which are the right tools to carry out the grinding function.
In addition, there are wheels of various materials, but the most durable arc ceramic wheels Aluminum and steel, can overheat and spoil prematurely.
The blades are not recommended because instead of grinding the beans, what they are going to do is chop them, lowering the quality of the coffee. In addition, they can be spoiled earlier.
The grinding wheels allow all coffee beans to be ground uniformly while the blades are more likely to cut randomly, leaving pieces that are too large and others that are too fine. You need a homogeneously ground coffee to make the perfect tasty drink.
In the second place, it is also important to decide the mechanism of operation of the device. There are mainly two grinders: the manual ones, which are usually cheaper, and the electric ones.
Both will serve to make the coffee to your liking, but this decision will depend mainly on the time available you have to prepare the coffee (doing it by hand is more laborious). It should also be borne in mind that electric grinders may have greater capacity and will allow you to grind it in advance and store it for future occasions.
Third, it will be very important that you look closely at the degree of grinding that this grinder allows. There will be some that are specialized in fine grinding for different coffee machines. In the case of French presses, you will need medium and large grind sizes.
There are grinders that are very precise and others that come with preset sizes. Choose the one you prefer for your coffee; in the French press, the size only matters according to the intensity you want
Finally, other elements that can help you make your decision can be portability (for example, if it is small, light, and resistant), the material (if it makes it more resistant heavy or easily disassemblable to wash) and the price, of course.
What is the correct grind for the French press?
When choosing your grinder, make sure you can choose the perfect degree of grinding. There are some more accurate than others, but most you can adjust the thickness of the grains.
In the French press, the best granulate size is medium to coarse. The reason is simple: this type of coffee maker which works by infusing the coffee, which keeps the water at a high temperature mixed with the beans in order to absorb the ideal flavor and intensity from them.
When the thickness of the grind is large, the water has a greater surface to cover, and it takes longer to soak all the coffee. That is the reason why it can offer an intense flavor.
When you have a grind that’s too fine, two things can happen: it soaks up too quickly and absorbs too much intensity, and it also seeps through the plunger into the infused water. When that happens, the coffee will be too bitter to enjoy.
With the French press, you can use the perfect degree of grind for each person. There are no strict rules for that type of coffee maker. So you can use a medium grind for a more intense and concentrated flavor and a coarsely ground coffee for a softer flavor.
Can you use regular grind coffee in a French press?
Although any coffee can be used, it is important to know how to choose the right type of coffee beans for the brewing system that the French press uses.
Most people use medium roast coffee and dark roast coffee for the French press in particular Although they tend to have a stronger flavor when the ideal infusion point is found, delicious, aromatic coffees with an authentic flavor can be made.
Still, any type of coffee can do; there is no right way or type. The mechanism is the same every time, and whatever you can grind properly will do—no matter where it is from and however thick it is. The most important thing when making this type of coffee is to find the type and the way to make it to enjoy it more. Everything is a matter of personal taste.
Also, you can use the desired size and form the desired source. With the French press, the coffee you use is up to you. As for the size, it can be used between medium and large thickness. So if you use a regular grind coffee, even store-bought, it will likely work for you.
It’s even likely that the store-bought one is ground more regularly and consistently, so you avoid finding leaked lumps in your cup. Of course, keep in mind that it is likely that those that are already ground lose their flavor in the process. You will obtain more aromatic coffees if you grind the coffee yourself just before preparing it.
Why is French press coffee bad for you?
Coffee beans have in their chemical composition two elements known as cafestol and kahweol. These provoke in the body indirectly to increase the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglyceride.
Normally, in other types of coffee machines, the paper filters significantly reduce the residues of the cafestol and kahweol that remain in the final drink. But drinks made without a filter or with metal filters let them reach the cups.
Since the French press uses metal filters, those two chemicals are found in a cup in a higher proportion than if paper filters are used. The risk that one takes when drinking that coffee will depend on two factors: the individual health of each person and the amount of coffee that each one drinks.
In order not to put your health at risk, you should check your cholesterol levels with your doctor and ask if drinking this type of coffee is indicated or contraindicated in your particular case. In addition, to prevent the possibility of increasing your risk, you can combine the taking of this type of coffee with conventional coffee.
This reduces the amount of coffee without a paper filter you drink. There are also paper filters that can be purchased separately, suitable for French presses.
In conclusion
In short, each of the models offers unique qualities at an unbeatable price. Everyone can choose the model according to the use they want to give it and according to the situation in which they find themselves.
For people on a tighter budget, the Hario family will do a very good job at a very reasonable price. If you have a higher budget and you want a barista level but homemade, you can opt for the Breville Instead for a mid-range budget and a comfortable, easy-to-use grinder. I would go for the Baratza Encore model.
Thank you very much for reading us, and we hope that we have helped you. Enjoy the best coffee! If you want more guides, check out our guide on the best coffee scale, the best burr grinder and the best coffee roaster for small business!
