Making delicious coffee in your cafetière is quite easy, but if you want to achieve exceptional results, you need to own a few additional accessories.
Getting the best and most adequate grinder for your French press will help you improve your brew and let you enjoy your coffee even more.
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In this guide, I will share reviews of both manual and electric grinders that provide consistent results on coarse settings.
To make coffee in a French press, no matter if it’s cold brew or not, you need a uniform medium-coarse grind.
Nevertheless, among my product recommendations, you will find entries that you can use for grinding your coffee beans for espresso and pour-over too.
This flexibility is highly valued by those who want to experiment with coffee brewing devices other than the French press.
So let’s dive in!
Best Grinders For French Press – Reviews
| Model | Burrs | Type | Price Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Fellow Ode Brew Grinder | Steel, Flat | Electric, Sutable for French press, cold brew, pour-over |
$$$ |
| 2. Timemore Chestnut C3 MAX Pro | Stainless steel, Conical, patented S2C design for excellent grind consistency | Manual, Suitable for French press, pour-over, AeroPress |
$$$ |
| 3. Baratza Virtuoso+ | Steel, Conical | Electric, Suitable for French press, pour-over, cold brew |
$$$$ |
| 4. 1zpresso JX-PRO S | Steel, Conical | Manual Suitable for espresso, French press, pour-over, cold brew, AeroPress |
$$$ |
| 5. Baratza Forte Brew Grinder | Steel, Flat | Electric, Suitable for French press, pour-over, cold brew, AeroPress |
$$$$ |
If you’re reading this post, then you probably know that the quality of the grinder you use does matter, regardless of whether you use a French Press, AeroPress, a Chemex, or, say, an espresso machine.
If the size of the coffee particles isn’t even, some of them will get over-extracted and unpleasantly bitter, while others – under-extracted and sour. This will throw your brew’s flavor off-balance and won’t let you enjoy your coffee to the fullest.
Needless to say, grinding your beans at home instead of buying pre-ground coffee is the only way to go if you truly care about your morning cup of Joe’s flavor. This is so, as coffee beans oxidize quickly and lose their flavors at a higher pace once ground.
To learn more about proper coffee storage and flavor preservation, check out my post on how long coffee beans last.
Anyway, among my top picks, you will find reviews of high-quality yet budget-friendly hand and electric products that I’ve either tested or thoroughly researched.
So without further ado, here are the best grinders for French Press:
1. Fellow Ode Brew Grinder
Click here to see the current price and more photos on Amazon.
The Fellow Ode Brew grinder is one of the best electric grinders for French press, as its burrs provide the necessary grind consistency at medium and coarse settings.
It has a nice and compact design and it looks great on the kitchen counter, which definitely makes it stand out among the other bulkier picks on this list.
Furthermore, the Fellow Ode Grinder makes significantly less noise compared to the majority of electric alternatives.
So if you get frustrated by loud noises and you want to avoid them in your morning coffee brewing routine, this grinder is definitely the one for you.
It’s a stepped, not a stepless coffee grinder, but its increments are fine enough to make adequate adjustments, especially if you are to use it for French press coffee.
It’s fairly easy to dial in the Fellow Ode Grinder. On the inside of its lid, it has a grind guide chart that you can use to dial in an adequate setting, according to the brewing method you use.
What’s worth noting is that this grinder doesn’t grind fine enough for espresso.
Apart from grinding your beans for French press coffee, you can use it for pour-over, drip coffee maker, cold brew, and AeroPress. It goes fine enough for Moka pot coffee too.
Just keep in mind to always grind finer than what the grind chart shows if you use light roasts.
What’s also worth noting is that the coffee grounds often stick to the sides of the catch bin.
You can minimize the coffee ground static by adding a droplet of water to the beans before grinding.
The Fellow Ode grinder has a knocker on its side that you can use to knock out the grounds that are stuck and haven’t entered the metal catch bin.
The thing is that no matter how much you knock it, there are always a few grounds that come out of the chute. So there’s definitely a bit of grind retention.
Another disadvantage of this French press grinder is that the beans often don’t empty out of the hopper completely before it shuts off automatically.
This means that you should turn it on again and make sure that all the beans have gone through it.
On the other side, because of the design of its stainless steel flat burrs, the Fellow Ode grinds faster than other devices.
This in combination with its quietness, nice design, sturdiness, and the grind consistency it provides, makes it one of the best choices one can make when opting for a French press grinder.
2. Timemore Chestnut C3 MAX Pro
Click here to check out its price and more photos on Amazon.
The Timemore Chestnut C3 MAX Pro has high-quality stainless steel burrs with a patented Spike-to-Cut (S2C) design, which provides excellent grind consistency on coarse settings.
Furthermore, this manual grinder also performs great on finer settings, which makes it ideal universal grinder, suitable for French press, pour-over, and AeroPress.
The Timemore C3 MAX Pro has has clean, stylish design. Its handle is foldable, which makes it compact and easily portable.
I chose to include the C3 MAX Pro model in the list, since its chamber capacity is higher (25-35 grams), compared to the C3 Pro model (Amazon link).
After all, if you are to make a few cups of French press coffee at once, the larger capacity of the upper chamber is more convenient.
The Timemore Chestnut C3 is a step grinder which lets you fine-tune the grind to achieve the best French press coffee flavor.
Adjusting the grind is quite easy. You simply need to rotate the dial all the way to the start point (the finest setting).
French press settings are at around 25 clicks backward from the start point.
The flexibility this manual grinder provides lets you use it for various coffee brewing methods. So if you’re a passionate coffee lover, who has an arsenal of brewing devices, the Chestnut C3 Pro is a grinder for you.
Nevertheless, the latter doesn’t have the upgraded S2C burrs that are trully exceptional at achieving an impressive grind uniformity.
With that being said, the Timemore Chestnut C3 MAX Pro is one of the best grinders for French press at its price point.
Furthermore, if we are to also consider its quality and durability, it can be considered a long-term investment that’s definitely worth it.
3. Baratza Virtuoso +
Click here to see the current price and more photos on Amazon.
The Baratza Virtuoso + is an electric grinder with commercial-grade conical burrs that will grind your beans uniformly on coarse settings.
This makes it ideal for those who mainly use a French press to prepare their coffee.
It also has a built-in digital timer that you can set from 0.1 to 40 seconds.
This is convenient as it allows for repeatable dosing.
The Baratza Virtuoso+ has 40 steps of grind adjustments.
The increments are small enough to let you dial-in the grind with enough precision to make improvements in your brew.
This device is also suitable for pour-over, cold brew, and AeroPress coffee.
When it comes to espresso, if you are to use it with a non-pressurized portafilter, it won’t grind fine enough. Nevertheless, if you have a home-grade espresso machine with a pressurized portafilter, the Baratza Virtuoso + will serve you well.
The Baratza grinders are often picked by coffee enthusiasts that don’t want to compromise on the quality of their brew.
Not only do they provide consistent results, but they’re also built to last.
On top of that, the brand is famous for its helpful customer service and grinder repair program.
You can easily upgrade or replace your grinder’s parts.
So getting a Baratza grinder is a long-term investment in reliable coffee gear.
As a disadvantage, I should point out that the Virtuoso+ doesn’t look as good compared to the Fellow Ode.
It also makes more noise and grinds a bit slower compared to the first entry on this list.
Click here to see its price on Amazon.
It’s the go-to electric grinder for many entry-level coffee lovers, who are trying to improve the quality of coffee extraction.
Even though it doesn’t have a timer and it makes a bit more noise compared to the Virtuoso, the Encore provides the necessary grind consistency. So it will definitely let you enjoy smooth-tasting French press coffee.
4. 1zpresso JX-PRO S
Click here to see the current price and more photos on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a high-quality manual grinder for French press and espresso, then the 1zpresso JX-PRO S is certainly one of your best options.
It provides remarkable grind consistency on both fine and coarse settings.
It has a step adjustment wheel with small enough increments that will let you dial in the ideal grind for the beans that you use, no matter if you are to make pour-over, AeroPress, espresso, or French press coffee.
Nevertheless, it costs twice as much compared to the 1zpresso JX-PRO S.
Still, the latter doesn’t step back when it comes to consistency and grind quality.
Furthermore, the 48 mm stainless steel conical burrs of the 1zpresso JX-PRO let you grind faster and easier compared to the 39 mm burrs of the Comandante.
The 1zpresso grinder has a capacity of 1.23 oz. (35 grams), so you can grind enough beans to make 17 fl. oz. (500 ml) of French press coffee at once.
Its ergonomic handle design and the rubber sleeve that lets you hold the grinder more firmly, make the process of grinding more effortless.
The JX-PRO has appealing looks and comes nicely packaged in a box with a cleaning brush.
The “S” model also has a user-friendly foldable crank handle that makes the hand grinder more compact and convenient.
All in all, if you’re looking to get the best bang for your buck, the 1zpresso JX-PRO S definitely deserves your attention.
And most importantly – this grinder has all it needs to make a great improvement in the flavor of your French press coffee.
5. Baratza Forte Brew Grinder
Click here to see the current price and more photos on Amazon.
With its 55mm professional steel flat burrs and its built-in scale and timer, The Baratza Forte Brew Grinder is surely one of the best electric coffee grinders for French press brewing.
For that matter, it’s also ideal for pour-over, AeroPress, and cold brew, as it provides excellent grind consistency on coarse settings.
Yes, it is the most expensive grinder on this list, but it is for a reason.
It has 26 micro and 10 macro settings, which lets you easily adjust the grind size until you reach the perfect spot.
You have the option to program your Forte to grind the exact same dose each time, which is quite convenient.
It is a bit loud, but it’s very well built and will last for years.
Furthermore, you can always come in touch with the Baratza customer service team if you have any issues, and they will be happy to assist you in a timely matter.
As previously discussed in the review of the Virtuoso+, this brand has an outstanding customer support team that makes your purchase pretty much risk-free.
So if you’ve set a higher budget, and you really love making coffee at home, no matter if it’s French press or, say, pour-over, get the Baratza Forte Brew Grinder. You won’t regret it.
What to Look For in a French Press Grinder?
When I was creating my list of the best grinders for French press, I took a few key characteristics under consideration.
If you are a beginner and you’ve only recently decided to step up your coffee brewing game, you may find this information helpful.
So here are the required characteristics of a grinder that’s suitable grinder for French press coffee making:
Grind Consistency
The uniformity of the coffee particles plays a huge role in how your coffee turns out.
If there’s a significant difference in their size, some of them will over-extract, while others – under-extract.
No matter if you use a French press or not, this will lead to an unbalanced and, sometimes, even unpleasant flavor.
That’s why the grinder needs to to provide a consistent grind.
The fewer the fines and the bigger the uniformity – the better the end result in terms of flavor.
In my list, I’ve only included burr grinders that meet this requirement.
For more tips on how to make the best French press coffee, check out my complete step-by-step brewing guide with photos.
Being Consistent on Coarse Settings
Some grinders do pretty well on fine settings but produce too many fines when you try to grind coarsely.
Contrarily, others can only produce consistent grind on coarse settings, but can’t go fine enough for espresso.
French press coffee is usually made with a medium-to-coarse grind, so all of the products that I gathered work well on coarse settings.
For those who want to have the option to switch from extra fine to coarse, I’ve also included some grinders that do well on both – from espresso-fine to extra-coarse.
Adjustment Capability
Dialing in the perfect grind for a particular type of coffee beans is a process of trial and error.
If your coffee is too bitter, you may want to go a bit coarser next time.
If it’s too sour and/or dull – a bit finer.
It always takes a few changes in the grind settings until you hit the perfect spot.
That’s why you should be able to easily make adjustments.
Furthermore, the stepped grinder should have small enough increments.
This allows for precision and provides the needed control.
All of the grinders that I’ve included can easily be adjusted and their increments are small enough for you to be able to get the best result.
Longevity and Price
In my product reviews, I’ve only included grinders that are known to be durable and reliable.
I also made sure to cover some more affordable products without compromising on the quality.
Final Words
I hope that you found my post useful and that you have a top pick among the French press grinders that I’ve gathered in this list.
Feel free to leave me a comment below if you have any questions.