The 9 Best Coffee For French Press/Coffee Plunger | 2024 Reviews

Last Updated on 12/11/2023 by Miki

Did you know that the beans that you choose for your French press/coffee plunger can have a drastic effect on the taste of your coffee? There are a number of things to consider when choosing beans for your French press. Previously, I have written about how to make French press coffee at home because it is one of the classic coffee makers on the market and you may want to try it.

The more I learn about the French press/coffee plunger, the more I would love to share my discoveries with you here 🙂 I have mentioned many times how important coffee beans are to making delicious cups at home. They have to be freshly roasted, freshly ground to the appropriate size, and brewed in a proper way. If you don’t choose good quality coffee beans, then you won’t be able to achieve your desirable cups of coffee. Therefore, it is necessary to get the best possible beans as you can and here are my top 9 picks of the best coffee for coffee plunger/French press.

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The 9 Best Coffee For French Press/Coffee Plunger

The French press/coffee plunger is a coffee maker that has made a dramatic comeback in the last few years. It seems that the French press has been resurrected as the coffee maker of choice for those who don’t want to deal with filter paper and paper filters, and who want their coffee to taste a certain way. That being said, it’s worth knowing which coffee is best for the French press so you can get the best flavour from the beans you’ve chosen. Here are some of my favourites:

The 3 Best Overall Coffee Beans For French Press/Coffee Plunger

Roasting Warehouse Specialty Coffee – Freshly Dark Roasted Coffee Beans 

You may not have heard of its name, Roasting Warehouse Specialty Coffee uses high-quality and ethically sourced coffee beans globally. The Evolve is a great choice for French press since it’s dark roast with hints of chocolate and honeycomb. Sounds irresistible, doesn’t it? Additionally, the coffee is 100% vegan and GMO-free. It’s also satisfying to know that a company has a conscience. For example, Roasting Warehouse Specialty Coffee’s commitment to the environment, to global health, and to the communities where they do business. They ensure the farmers are treated equally and they use solar power to preserve the planet. How impressive! Absolutely great coffee from a great company.

illy Intenso Whole Bean Coffee 

This 100% Arabica coffee has an intense and robust flavour with a hit of deep cocoa. The unique packaging can optimize the freshness of the coffee. With the use of the French press, you will fully enjoy the beautiful aroma and rich flavour with notes of cocoa and dried fruit. However, this coffee can be costly due to the packaging. It’s the patented system that extracts air from the package and replaces it with an inert, pressurised gas. Considering the system, it would be worth investing in as the coffee would stay fresh longer than the regular packaging. Also, it’s perfect for those who drink multiple cups of coffee daily as it comes with 3kg!

San Francisco Bay Coffee French Roast

San Francisco Bay Coffee French Roast is the perfect dark roast for coffee lovers. These grounds provide a rich and flavourful experience that can’t be beaten. The aroma of the coffee is incredibly inviting, making you want to take a sip right away. The deep and dark flavours are strong yet smooth, allowing for a pleasant cup of coffee with every brew. The roasting process gives it a smoky finish that lingers on your tongue. Furthermore, considering high-quality beans with 100% Arabica, this coffee is reasonably priced. If you’re looking for a strong dark roast that doesn’t disappoint, San Francisco Bay Coffee French Roast is the way to go.

Overall, each one of them will be a great choice, but there are 6 more coffees for a French press that are worth being shared with you. I have picked 3 whole coffee beans and 3 ground coffee beans for your convenience.

The 3 Best Whole Coffee Beans For French Press/Coffee Plunger 

Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw Dark Roast

Kicking Horse Coffee offers high-quality beans with 100% organic Arabica and it is funny how they have named their flavours like Smart *ss and Kick *ss. As the brand name implies, Kicking Horse coffee can be so powerful that it will wake you up! The Grizzly Claw has a flavour of dark chocolate and roasted hazelnuts, which sounds totally irresistible (I love dark chocolate and any nuts.). The beans are from Central and South America and are roasted in the Canadian rocky mountains. Imagine the beautiful nature 🙂 This coffee is rich and smooth without being bitter. There are a lot of happy customers on Amazon if you check this flavour in particular. Highly recommended.

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend

Lavazza is one of the leading coffee roasters globally and there are many flavour selections. Super Crema Whole Bean Blend is 60% Arabica and 40% Robusta and is perfect for a traditional espresso with its rich and strong taste. Due to the natural sweetness, you would enjoy it without sugar. This medium-roast coffee will work well with an espresso machine and your cup will be satisfyingly delicious with its beautiful crema. However, it comes with a 2.2 pound (998g), so I highly recommend using up this package as quickly as possible.

Copper Moon Blast Off Blend

Copper Moon is a family roaster based in Indiana, USA. If you prefer supporting local businesses, this is a great choice. The Blast Off Blend is bold and smooth with no acidity. What’s unique about it is the fact that it contains the maximum caffeine content, which is over 1.5x more than regular coffee! The purpose of this is for you to ‘blast off’ after one sip or two. It can become your perfect morning coffee. Having said that, it can be flavourless or stale depending on the batch you get.

The 3 Best Ground Coffee Beans For French Press/Coffee Plunger

Harris Strong Coffee Beans

Harris Strong Coffee Beans are robust and bold, definitely a strong cup of coffee. The aroma of the roast is amazing – it’s rich and inviting. The quality of this coffee is excellent, and I really appreciate that the size of the beans is consistent, ensuring a smooth and consistent grind each time. Plus, the 1kg packs are great value for money, they last a long time! Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with this product and would highly recommend Harris Strong Coffee Beans to anyone looking for a full-bodied cup of joe.

The Organic Coffee Co, Sumatra Mandheling

This 100% organic Arabica coffee is a traditional Indonesian coffee with boldness and aromatic tasting notes. It is conveniently pre-ground in case you don’t own a grinder or you don’t simply have time to grind. It is medium-bodied and less acidic, and you will enjoy the health benefits of organic coffee as well as those of our environment. If you like the classic taste of French roast, this is the one for you. However, there can be a possibility that you find the coffee quite ordinary. Having said that, we cannot really complain about it with its affordable price.

French Market Coffee & Chicory City Roast

French Market Coffee has many dedicated fans in New Orleans where it originated from. With its long history of over 130 years, coffee and chicory have become a tradition in the city. Chicory has a similar taste to coffee and it can be a substitute. The beans are 100% Arabica and packed in a can. This Coffee & City Roast adds a woody and nutty flavour to your coffee and it will be perfect if you enjoy discovering a new favourite. With that being said, you may find the flavour too unique.

What Type Of Coffee Grind Is Best For French Press/Coffee Plunger?

The brewing method of the French press is an immersion that requires a longer steeping time to extract the maximum flavour than other methods like drip and pour-over. A finer grind needs a shorter time to extract all the natural oils from the coffee beans. On the other hand, it takes longer for a coarser grind to extract all these flavour contributions. Don’t forget to use a good burr grinder to get the best result.

Another point to mention is that a filter of the French press. Coarse grounds won’t pass through the filter and pour into your cup whereas fine grounds can get through. Moreover, a finer grind may cause clogging and make it difficult to plunge. Therefore, you will want to use coarse grounds for the French press.

What Type Of Roast Coffee Is Best For French Press/Coffee Plunger?

French press coffee is a great way to make an amazingly flavourful cup of coffee, and there are a lot of options when deciding what roast to use. The basic answer would depend on what you’re going for in terms of flavour. For a light, fruity taste, you might want to try a light roast with a hint of chocolate. If you’re craving something a bit more nutty or earthy, a medium roast with a bit of sugar might be better. If you’re looking for something more smooth and complex, then go for a dark roast! Generally speaking, a medium to dark roast is preferred for French press coffee due to its natural oil content.

French Press/Plunger Coffee FAQ

Why Is My French Press Coffee Bitter?

There are several factors of the bitterness in your French press coffee.

• Roast Level: In general, lighter roast beans taste less bitter while a darker roast is more bitter. Keep in mind that a light roast is more acidic than a dark. If you don’t want bitterness in your coffee, you may want to choose a lighter roast.
• Grind Size: Your grind can be too fine if it tastes too bitter due to over-extraction. If this is the case, try to use a coarse grind. You will need to experiment a bit before getting the perfect grind size.
• Steeping Time: The standard steeping time for French press coffee is 4 minutes. If you leave the coffee in the press too long, it will become bitter because it gets over-extracted. Do not forget to transfer the rest of your coffee into a thermal pot after the first cup.

How Do You Make French Press Coffee Stronger?

You may find your French press coffee taste a bit weaker than you like. In this case, you can try these tips to make it stronger.

• Use More Ground Coffee Beans: It may be obvious, but the more beans you use, the stronger your coffee will be. Simple and effective!
• Grind Beans To A Bit Finer: You can adjust your grind to a bit finer so that the beans will extract more flavour. Keep in mind that you don’t want to grind the beans too fine because we need slow brewing for the French press. Fine grounds will be brewed too quickly and can cause bitterness.
• Steeping A Bit Longer: If you steep the coffee a bit longer, it can get stronger. However, be careful not to steep it too long as it will make your coffee bitter and unpleasant. You will need to find your perfect cup by experimenting.

How Much Caffeine Is In French Press?

It completely depends on your coffee beans such as grind size, the amount you use, the water temperature when you brew and the steeping time. That being said, the average caffeine content of an 8 oz cup of French press coffee would be 107.5 mg (80-135 mg).

If you compare a cup of the French press to a shot of espresso, it contains more caffeine since one shot of espresso (30 ml) contains 63.6 mg of caffeine. However, if we calculate the amount of caffeine per ounce, the amount is much higher in espresso. So, if you drink only one cup of French press or one shot of espresso, then French press will give you a stronger kick!

Final Thoughts

It is really amazing that we can keep learning something new about coffee endlessly. The French press has been used for a long and it is still one of the most popular coffee makers in the world.

There is a good reason why people love French press coffee and you should try it if you haven’t. My picks of the best coffee for the French press/coffee plunger will help you achieve the delicious cups of coffee that you expect because choosing the best coffee is one of the most basic, yet important factors to make your perfect cup 🙂