According to coffee experts and Java aficionados everywhere, the best way to make a cup of coffee is by using a French Press. This method of extraction allows the essence of the beans to be fully extracted without under extracting or over extracting it in the process. In other words, these presses really do make a mean cup of coffee.
However, this method of brewing only makes a good cup of Joe if the operator uses proper technique and the best coffee beans for French Press brewing. And that’s why we’ve decided to help our readers make the best cup of coffee by explaining both the best method of French Press extraction and introducing them to the best beans available.
Best Coffee Beans For French Presses Reviews
10Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC Dark Roast
These dark roasted coffee beans are made from an exclusive blend of 100% Arabica coffee beans that are roasted, blended and packed exclusively in the United States. They have a dark, bold taste and have a smokey sweetness to them that few other coffees are capable of replicating. They are ideal for coffee drinkers who like more of a classic coffee that isn’t as acidic as some other coffee brands.
9Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Dark Roast
This company’s been using some of the best coffee beans in the world since 1966. They then take these responsibly sourced beans and turn them over to their master roasters who roast these beans by hand and in small batches. This results in a dark roast coffee bean that makes some really good French press coffees. And to ensure that each consumer gets the freshest product possible, the roast date of each batch is printed right on the bag.
8Koffee Kult Dark Roast Gourmet Beans
Packed fresh as soon as they’re roasted, these dark roast beans deliver a flavor that’s been rated as bold but still smooth enough to maintain its drinkability. Although we found these beans to produce a coffee that’s a little lighter than what you’d expect from a dark roasted bean, it has a nice taste to it. Besides, it also has a low acidity level and is never bitter. This makes these beans good ones to pair with a quality bean grinder and French press for a good cup of coffee.
7Kicking Horse Decaf Coffee Beans
Although these beans are a little oilier than what would be expected from medium roasted coffee beans, they do produce a coffee that’s dark and delicious. When using these beans in a French press, one can expect a flavor profile that’s chocolaty with notes of roasted hazelnuts to it. It also has a lasting finish to it that’s quite satisfying. Best of all, however, is that these beans are organic and sourced according to Fair Trade standards. It’s also Kosher and shade grown for best results.
6Equal Exchange Organic French Roast
Sourced using 100% Arabica beans that have been grown by small scale farmer cooperatives located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, this product not only has a nice taste to it but it is also Fair Trade Certified. Although its flavor is supposed to have chocolaty notes to it, we couldn’t detect it beyond its smokiness. However, this coffee still tasted great and brewed up an exceptional cup of coffee. And that makes it a brand worth considering if you love French Roast coffees.
5Chest Brew Moon Bear Premium Beans
This product contains some of the boldest coffee beans we’ve tasted. It’s made with Arabica beans sourced from Vietnam, and this creates a brew that is not only strong but also has a smooth and exotic flavor to it as well. Although some coffee lovers may have to dial down the amount they use to brew coffee, other people are going to love its strong flavor profile. It’s definitely a coffee bean that everyone should try at least once.
4Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC Italian Roast
Italian roast coffee beans are known for their dense flavor and are usually associated with bitter coffees. However, this Italian roast is a little bit different. Although it has the typical bittersweet flavor profile that is the trademark of beans roasted in this style, it’s never bitter and has a dense flavor that’s full of red fruit notes. This coffee produces a bold, rich flavor that’s good for not just French press coffees but is also good for espressos or drip coffees.
3Dark Sumatra Organic Dark Roasted
Roasted by a specialty coffee roaster located in Brooklyn, New York, these Sumatran dark roasted coffee beans have a unique flavor that isn’t replicated by any other coffee roaster. These coffee beans are grown in the Indonesian highlands and are grown, harvested and processed without chemical or pesticides. This allows these beans to create a coffee that’s syrupy with a full-body taste and which finishes quite smoothly. It may be a bit expensive, but it does produce an amazing coffee.
2Real Good Coffee Co. French Roast
These dark roasted beans create a coffee that’s bold in its presentation but ends up finishing with a sweet finish that’s very satisfying. This product is manufactured using Arabica beans that have been responsibly sourced from coffee farms in Central and South America. They are then professionally roasted in Seattle and packaged in a way that helps them retain their freshness for as long as possible. All so that coffee lovers can have an incredible cup of coffee.
1Mystic Monk Dark Roast Blend
Sourced from 100% Arabica coffee and roasted by Carmelite monks in Wyoming. They are dark roasted to create a flavor profile that’s reminiscent of charred cedar mixed with dark chocolate. It’s a bold flavor that starts off strong and finished just as strong. However, unlike many other dark roasted coffee beans, these don’t make a brew that’s bitter. Instead, they make a coffee with a smooth mouthfeel. This makes them not only the best French press coffee beans but the best of any coffee beans.
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How To Use A French Press With Coffee Beans
Although we’ve done guides on how to make coffee with a French press, we’ve decided to go ahead and write this article detailing how to use a french press with coffee beans. That’s because most guides deal with the process of using a French press by starting off with already ground beans. In this article, however, we want to do something a little different and write a guide with the emphasis placed on grinding your own beans.
Step One: Buy Suitable Coffee Beans
While it’s true that any coffee beans can be ground up and used in a French press, most experts tend to agree that darker beans produce better results in a French Press. Having said that, however, there are a few other things to consider when it comes to coffee beans. After all, the region in which the beans are grown has a profound effect on the flavor of the coffee. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular coffee bean types:
- Guatemalan Beans: These beans are aromatic and often have honey notes to them.
- Columbian Beans: Mellow acidity with caramel and nut notes in it.
- Brazil Beans: Hazelnut and chocolate notes abound in these low acidity beans.
- Peru Beans: Bright, soft and sweet with a medium body.
- Hawaiian Beans: Floral and fruit notes abound. Beans have a medium body.
- Yemen Beans: Earthy and punchy with a complex flavor profile.
- Kenyan Beans: High acidity, bright with berry and citrus notes.
- Sumatran Beans: Smooth and full bodied with chocolate notes.
- Costa Rican Beans: Silky smooth with a mild flavor and a clean finish.
- Ethiopian Beans: Floral and citrusy with a bright flavor.
- Jamaican Beans: Balanced and very rich.
The above varieties are really only a sampling of some of the coffee beans that are now available, but they’re a good place for most people to start. It’s important to keep in mind that you’ll probably need to try several different varieties before settling in on a coffee bean that you like, so don’t be afraid to do a little bit of experimenting. That’s really the only way you are going to end up buying the right coffee beans for your tastes.
Step Two: Grind Your Beans Properly
How you grind your coffee beans is just as important to your final cup of coffee as the type of beans that you use. Although we could write an entire article on how to properly grind coffee beans, we are going to skip to the most important part of grinding beans for French press coffee—which is to grind the beans coarsely. What does a coarse grind mean? It means that the grounds are chunky with distinct pieces of beans in them. And it should be noted that when you’re grinding your beans, you should use a grinder with conical burrs for best results.
Step Three: Use The Proper French Press Ratio
Once you have properly ground your coffee beans, it’s now time to measure them out. For most French press coffees, the experts recommend that you use a 1:12 ratio—which means that you should use 1 part of coffee to 12 parts of water. For example, if you are using 12-ounces of water to make your coffee, then you will need approximately 1-ounce of coffee grounds. However, it should be said that this ratio isn’t written in stone and you can adjust it to your personal tastes as you see fit.
Step Four: Use The Appropriate Water Temperature
When making coffee using a French press, you’ll want to make sure that you absolutely get water temperature correct. This means bringing the water temperature to 205-degrees Fahrenheit (96.11-degrees Celsius). You can either use a candy thermometer to determine the exact temperature of the water, or you can turn the water off after it has reached a rolling boil and let it sit for 30-seconds. It will then be exactly 205-degrees Fahrenheit.
Step Five: Use The Proper Procedure
Now, all that’s left is to actually make the coffee. Below is a brief overview of the entire process:
- Place your grounds in the French press.
- Give the grounds a gentle shake to form an even layer.
- Pour in half your water.
- Wait for 30-seconds.
- Stir the coffee grounds for 5 to 10-seconds.
- Allow the mixture to steep for 3 to 4-minutes.
- Push the French press plunger down slowly.
- Immediately serve your coffee.
- Enjoy the fruits of your labor.