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Took me 6 months to realize I was grinding my beans too fine for my French press | Coffee Enthusiasts - Librear

Took me 6 months to realize I was grinding my beans too fine for my French press

I kept getting this muddy, bitter cup every morning and thought it was just the beans. Then a barista at a shop in Portland asked what I was using and told me to try a much coarser grind. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that change their whole coffee routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

karenf404mo ago

Wait, isn't that the whole point of a French press though? I mean, the metal mesh filter is supposed to let the oils and fine bits through for that rich, full taste. Grinding too fine just makes it a muddy mess and turns it bitter because the water can't flow through right. I learned that lesson the hard way too, but it took me only a few bad cups to figure out I was doing it wrong. Coarse grind literally saves your morning and your taste buds, no question about it.

abbyl494mo ago

That's exactly what happened with me too! I was grinding way too fine for weeks thinking it would give me more flavor, but it was just bitter sludge every single morning. @nathanrobinson you hit it spot on about overcomplicating stuff, I did the same thing with seasoning my cast iron pan until someone told me to just use less oil and keep it simple. Coarse grind and a four minute steep completely changed my mornings and now I don't dread that first sip anymore.

nathanrobinson4mo ago

The exact thing happened to me with my drip brewer for years. It's wild how one tiny variable makes or breaks the whole thing. Makes you wonder how many other things in life we're overcomplicating when the answer is just backing off a little. Like with cooking or even just how tightly you grip a screwdriver when fixing stuff. Most problems come from trying too hard instead of letting things be simple.