French press coffee holds a special place in many a-coffee drinkers’ hearts, which is why countless people want to know what the best coffee grinder for French press coffee is. I personally drink French press nearly every morning, and I’ve tried out more grinders than I care to admit for making the perfect cup.
In this guide, I’m going to share with you what I’ve found in my extensive research. I’ll include my top five recommendations for coffee grinders for French press coffee, as well as s guide on how to choose the one that suits you and your lifestyle best.
Top 5 Best Coffee Grinders for French Press Coffee
- Lido 3 Manual Coffee Grinder — Best Overall
- Baratza Encore — Best Electric Grinder
- Fellow Ode Brew Grinder — Best Luxury Option
- Hario “Smart G” Ceramic Coffee Mill — Most Affordable
- Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder — Best for Travel
1. Lido 3 Manual Coffee Grinder — Best Overall
The Lido 3 from Orphan Espresso (OE) is my favorite grinder for making French press, and it’s the one I use just about every single morning. This is a manual grinder, which means you’ll have to put a bit of work in to grind the coffee beans, and it’s a bit on the expensive side. However, I think the cost is more than justified, given the durability, grind size consistency, and overall quality.
Pros
- Step-less grind size adjustment
- Super durable
- Outstanding grind size consistency
- Portable
- Great for a variety of brewing methods, including French press
Cons
- Expensive
- Grind size adjustment mechanism is a bit annoying
This grinder has 48 mm stainless steel conical burrs that are sharp and will last for 10+ years without a doubt. They provide outstanding consistency both within a batch and between batches for repeatable results and a well-balanced cup.
The Lido 3 can easily handle the larger grind size required for French press, and I’d say it’s a great choice for everything from pour over up to cold brew in terms of grind size. You can use this coffee grinder for a finer espresso grind as well, but it’s not ideal for this purpose.
2. Baratza Encore — Best Electric Grinder
If you’re looking for an electric grinder for French press coffee, I would very comfortably recommend the Baratza Encore. This is a popular grinder due to its relatively low cost and super high quality. You could also splurge for the Baratza Virtuoso Plus, this machine’s big brother, but that’s an unnecessary investment if you’re just going to be drinking French press.
Pros
- Convenient and effortless to use
- Powerful motor for fast grinding
- 40 grind size adjustments, several of which are great for French press
- Can handle grinding for a variety of brewing styles
- Relatively affordable for the value
Cons
- Stepped grind size adjustment
- Not quite as consistent as the Lido 3
This machine has a 0.5-amp motor and super durable 40mm steel conical burrs that can get through around 1 gram of coffee beans every second — way faster than you’d get with a manual grinder.
It has stepped grind size adjustment with 40 different selections, and these range between 250 and 1,200 microns. With the ideal grind size for French press sitting between 1,000 and 1,200 microns, this grinder can make a killer cup of French press. It’s not ideal for espresso, although it can be used for that purpose.
3. Fellow Ode Brew Grinder — Best Luxury Option
If money is no option and you just want the best coffee grinder for your cup of French press coffee, I recommend the Fellow Ode Brew Grinder. This is an electric grinder with a super powerful and super durable motor. It makes quick work of your coffee beans, grinding an incredible 5+ grams per second. While the machine is way more expensive than the Baratza Encore, it also grinds at about 5x the speed.
Pros
- High-quality
- Very durable
- Super powerful and fast motor can grind 5g/second
- 31 grind settings for pour over up to cold brew grind size
- Great for reducing grind retention
- Provides outstanding grind size consistency
Cons
- Expensive
Plus, it’s one of the few home grinders that use high-quality flat burrs. Many coffee drinkers prefer flat burrs because they provide a superior grind size consistency. This is important for controlling exactly how your coffee tastes and being able to make micro-adjustments to dial in your ideal cup.
It uses stepped grind size adjustment, and it has 31 settings. The upper end of that range is ideal for French press, and it can also handle down to about pour over. Espresso grinds are possible but not ideal.
One great thing about this grinder is the grinds knocker for reducing grind retention. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than not having this feature at all.
4. Hario “Smart G” Ceramic Coffee Mill — Most Affordable
The Hario “Smart G” is the only grinder on my list that has ceramic burrs instead of steel ones. They’re conical, and although they are less durable than stainless steel burrs and can crack if you drop the grinder, they’re still pretty consistent when it comes to grind size. However, they don’t provide nearly the same consistency as some of the more expensive options on my list.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Decent consistency
- Can grind for a wide variety of brewing styles
Cons
- Not nearly as consistent as my other recommendations
- Small hopper capacity (24 grams)
- Limited grind size adjustments
- Ceramic burrs are less durable
This grinder is manual, and while it requires a bit of work to use, it also is much more affordable than nearly any electric grinder you’ll find. It’s also far better in terms of consistency than you’ll ever get from an electric blade grinder.
The best part about this grinder is the price. At around $50, it’s the perfect option for beginners who have been making French press with pre-ground coffee. Dial in the right grind size for your taste, and I promise you’ll never look back.
5. Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder — Best for Travel
French press coffee is one of the best options for making when you’re traveling, so I’m including the Porlex Mini coffee grinder, which is my top pick for portability. This has a small hopper capacity of around 20 grams of coffee beans, but the grinder itself is small and light, which makes for excellent portability.
Pros
- Decent consistency for the money
- Relatively durable
- Affordable
- Grinds for a variety of brewing techniques
Cons
- Not nearly as consistent as more costly grinders
- Ceramic burrs aren’t as durable as steel ones
- Cannot handle grinding extremes, like espresso or cold brew
I’ve taken this camping, on backpacking trips, and even to work for making better coffee on the go. The stainless steel body makes for a good travel grinder, although the ceramic burrs are more likely to get damaged when you’re out and about.
The burrs in this grinder are ceramic conical burrs, so they aren’t as sharp or as durable as steel ones, but they’ll absolutely get the job done, usually for a few years. There are limited grind size settings on this piece of equipment, but it can comfortably handle grinds for French press, pour over, and every brewing style in between. I wouldn’t use this for espresso or cold brew, though.
The grind size consistency is decent and about what you’d expect at this price point. It uses a stepped adjustment and has 12 total settings, each about 37 microns apart.
Buyer’s Guide: What to Look for in a Coffee Grinder for French Press Coffee
There are quite a few things I’d recommend looking for in a grinder for any purpose, but especially for a grinder you intend on using to make French press coffee. I’ll discuss all of the factors you need to think about below.
Grind Size Consistency
One of the most important things when choosing a grinder for any brewing style is grind size consistency. You ideally want a grinder that provides consistency within a single batch — for a well-balanced cup of coffee — as well as consistency from batch to batch — for repeatable results. Having consistency means you can dial in the grind settings to suit your taste and then make your perfect cup every single morning.
Grind size consistency is a hard thing to measure without doing an analysis of your grounds, which I have done! When you get to be a coffee fanatic like me, you’ll stop at nothing to perfect your morning cup. Generally speaking, though, more expensive grinders will tend to yield better consistency.
Consistency is especially important for French press because it’s the only thing you can control. Since French press is an immersion style of brewing coffee, you don’t have to control the speed at which you pour or where you pour your water, as you would with pour over. Once you dial in the grind size consistency for French press, your coffee should taste exactly the same day after day, which is precisely what you want.
Flat Burrs vs Conical Burrs
Coffee grinder burrs — the pieces that actually perform the grinding — come in two options: flat and conical. Flat burrs are, unsurprisingly, flat and have a gap around the outside through which ground coffee can travel. Conical burrs consist of one cone-shaped burr that fits inside another, with a gap along the bottom for ground coffee to escape.
Flat burrs tend to be a bit more consistent, which means they’re better for most brewing types. However, they’re also more expensive and less widely available. And if you’re looking for a manual grinder, you’ll more or less be limited to conical burrs.
For French press, which requires one of the largest grind sizes, conical burrs and flat burrs will more or less perform about the same. The larger grind size means grind size inconsistency will be a bit more forgiving, so I’d say investing in flat burrs isn’t totally necessary for this style.
Some people also prefer conical burrs if they like French press. Conical burrs yield more “fines,” which are tiny coffee bean particles that lead to more extraction and may even get left over in the cup after you press down the mesh filter. The fines are largely what lead to the French press coffee mud at the bottom of the cup.
Fines lead to a thicker mouthfeel, which is a big reason why people enjoy French press in the first place. So, not only are flat burrs unnecessarily expensive for French press in most cases, but they may actually yield less desirable coffee if the mouthfeel is what you love about this brewing style.
Steel Burrs vs Ceramic Burrs
You’ll have two main options when it comes to the burr material: steel and ceramic. Steel burrs are sharper, will retain their sharpness for longer, can be resharpened, and are more durable overall — i.e. they won’t crack if you drop them.
Steel burrs are superior in just about every way except cost. Ceramic burrs are more affordable, so they’re a better option for beginners or those looking to minimize cost. Otherwise, I’d strongly recommend stainless steel burrs.
Stepped vs Step-less Grind Size Adjustments
Grinders typically — and should — include some mechanism for changing the grind size. Most grinders have stepped adjustments — especially when you’re talking about electric grinders — which limit you in how much you can change grind size from the largest to the smallest setting.
Step-less grinders use a sliding scale for adjustment, so you can infinitely tune the grind size within the total range. Step-less grinders are technically better since they give you unlimited options, but the way in which you make adjustments — like with the Lido 3 — is usually less convenient than a clicking wheel to change the size.
A step-less adjustment might be ideal for espresso, where super small changes make significant differences in the taste of your coffee. For French press, though, either option should work just fine. The larger grind size used for French press means micro adjustments have less of an impact on your final product.
Manual vs Electric Grinder
Ah, the age-old question: is a manual or electric grinder best for French press? Generally speaking, electric vs manual will make no difference in how your French press coffee tastes. As long as the grinders are the same quality, your coffee will taste the same. However, since you need to pay for a motor to power any electric grinder, manual grinders of equal quality and consistency will always be more affordable.
Manual grinders can be a real pain to use when you’re grinding for espresso because it takes longer, and physically turning the burrs to grind to such a fine size is harder than if you grind larger. French press is one of the easiest grinds to do manually because the beans aren’t reduced to a fine powder; instead, you’re grinding quite large, which takes less time and effort.
Additionally, French press is typically a better option for medium to dark roasts. Since the roasting process continuously makes the beans more brittle, medium and darker roasts are easier to grind and take less effort. Try grinding a dark French roast and then grinding a light roast in your manual grinder, and you’ll see the latter seemingly takes twice the effort.
Since French press is usually better for darker roasts, I’d recommend a manual grinder. You’ll get better quality burrs for the money, and the manual grinding process really isn’t bad with medium to dark roasts.
One quick note about electric blade grinders: I recommend staying away from them. They are cheap, which makes them appealing to many people, but it’s impossible to get good consistency with a blade grinder. You’re better off investing $40 to $50 in a cheap, manual grinder with conical burrs than trying a blade grinder.
Grind Retention
Grind retention refers to the small pieces of ground coffee that get trapped within your grinder, usually because of static electricity. Grind retention to some degree is unavoidable, although some of the higher-end grinders are a bit better at limiting how much coffee is lost to the inner machinations.
Grind retention affects all styles of brewing, so there’s nothing special to note here about the impact it has on a cup of French press. However, it’s worth considering, as it will play a role in how your brewed coffee tastes.
Grinds for Other Brewing Styles
You may also want to consider what other brewing styles your grinder can handle. I love using a French press to make coffee and drink this style most mornings, but sometimes I’m in the mood for a pour over coffee, cold brew, or something else. Getting a grinder that’s good for a variety of brewing styles allows you to change up how you make your coffee each morning.
In most cases, grinders that can handle French press can also grind for drip coffee machines, pour over cones, Chemex, Kalita Wave, and everything in between. However, if you want the option for espresso or cold brew (small and large grind settings, respectively), then you’ll want to make sure you get a grinder with a wide range of grind settings.
Wrapping Up: What’s the Best Coffee Grinder for French Press Coffee?
Ultimately, the answer to this question is up to you. There are tons of grinders on the market that can handle grinding for French press, and you need to find the best one for your purposes that falls within your budget. My buyer’s guide above should help you find the best one.
In my opinion, the Lido 3 from Orphan Espresso is the best manual grinder you can get for French press. It’s a bit expensive, but it can handle a huge range of brewing styles, provides incredible consistency for the money, and will likely last you for 10+ years. If you’re looking for an electric grinder for French press coffee, I suggest the Baratza Encore. It’s fast, reliable, consistent, and surprisingly affordable for the quality.
FAQ
Is an electric blade grinder good for French press coffee?
Generally speaking, no. Blade grinders cut your coffee beans instead of grinding them, which leads to a lot of inconsistency in each batch and from batch to batch. If you’re looking to keep costs down, I strongly recommend a cheap burr grinder, like the Hario “Smart G,” as this is still super affordable and will provide far better coffee morning after morning.
Is French press coffee bad for you?
French press is an immersion-style brewing method that generally doesn’t use a paper filter. Among other things, paper filters used in other brewing techniques remove a lot of the oils that naturally come out of your coffee beans. Two such oils are cafestol and kahweol. These oils are known to raise cholesterol. Some people consider unfiltered coffee less healthy for this reason, although a cup a day probably won’t be bad for you in the long term.
If you’re worried about cholesterol or have a medical condition that makes heightened cholesterol a concern, try a different method of brewing or use a paper filter along with your French press.
Is French press the best brewing method?
There’s no such thing as the “best” brewing method! Each style is different, highlights different flavors in your cup, and provides a different mouthfeel. French press has a hearty, almost “thick” mouthfeel due to the presence of coffee oils and “fines” left over, which are small coffee bean particles that remain in the brewed coffee after using the mesh filter. It’s a great brewing method for people who like strong coffee that feels substantial when you drink it.
For people who like a “clean” cup, like what a Chemex brews — or a pour over cone, to a lesser degree — French press will probably not be ideal.
Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference. Luckily, an actual French press is relatively inexpensive, and most grinders can grind for this brewing method. That means you can try out French press pretty easily without investing a ton of money into a setup, as you might with espresso.
Can I use pre-ground coffee for a French press?
Yes, absolutely! You can use pre-ground coffee with any brewing method, although I always recommend getting a grinder. Buying whole bean coffee and grinding it right before you brew is the single best way to improve your coffee, in my opinion. That goes for all brewing styles, including French press.
Freshly ground coffee will retain way more of the compounds and coffee bean oils that give your coffee a delicious taste without the acidity and bitterness that makes its way into some less desirable cups.
