Coarse Ground Coffee Suggestions

saffrontea on 01/07/2023 - 18:10

I've finally tried coffee with a plunger, and got some ground coffee from Aldi (Honduras organic) to try it out and it tastes great.
However, the ground coffee is quite fine (not powdery but definitely a lot finer than what I require). The packaging shows that it is suitable for french press but I'm not sure it is coarse enough.

Based on all the supermarket affordable options of ground coffee that you have tried, can you please suggest which ones are coarse? The coarse ones would be suitable for the french press.

I have looked at the packaging on a number of coffee bags but none of them actually mention the grind level - they just have the notes etc. If any of you can advise based on your experience that would help.

I expect a lot of you to suggest grinding my own coffee, which is my goal. For this time, I just want to get used to this process, so it would be amazing to find pre-ground coffee.

Thank you!!

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 01/07/2023 - 19:03
    +4

    Buy whole beans and a grinder.

    • saffrontea on 01/07/2023 - 19:07

      Thanks mate, but my post already mentions that this is something I want to do later but want a good pre-ground option now…

      • 87percent on 01/07/2023 - 19:33
        +1

        Just buy a hand grinder. They’re not expensive (I have a hario one I bought for $35 a few years ago and use it for an aeropress pretty much every morning)

  • Dominus on 01/07/2023 - 21:01

    Another semi-unhelpful post given your criteria would be to just find a nice bespoke roaster who does ground as an option. Ozbargain rightfully loves Lime Blue and they offer ground (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/784535), and for a cheaper option Airjo offer it too. Freshly roasted coffee, even pre-ground for you, will always be a great step up from supermarket before you consider going for a grinder.

  • [Deactivated] on 01/07/2023 - 21:57
    +1

    French Presser here & medium - coarse grind is definitely better. Ask at your local café as they'll grind it for you fresh rather than buying from a supermarket.

  • jv on 02/07/2023 - 00:45

    I just make a Moccona

  • shertiger on 02/07/2023 - 08:40
    +1

    I used Aldi Honduras with a plunger and it worked well. Now use a grinder with Aldi dark roast beans

  • skid on 02/07/2023 - 10:57
    +1

    I have tried a fair few supermarket affordable ground coffee and all of them are ground fine.

    Let the grounds settle to the bottom and slowly pour would be my suggestion.

    • saffrontea on 02/07/2023 - 17:05

      Thanks for your response.. so looks like there is no ready ground coffee except if I order from a roaster etc.

  • dtc on 02/07/2023 - 15:34
    +1

    Fine grounds tend to make a more bitter coffee in a French press (as it extracts faster than coarser grinds), which isn’t a bad thing if you like it bitter (ie if you like what you are making at the moment then why change?). I find coarse grinds to make a coffee that isn’t strong tasting enough for me and so I use a medium/fine grind

    If you aren’t quite satisfied then ways to avoid it is to reduce the ‘extraction’ - have a shorter extraction time (ie pour the coffee out after, say, 2 minutes rather than 4), use slightly less coffee and use slightly cooler water (say 80-90C), as cooler water will extract more slowly. Maybe give those a go first and see whether it gives a better result.

    However if you want to try coarser grinds then, as suggested by dominus, order online and ask for a coarser grind. Yes it’s a bit more expensive than Aldi but that’s the price you pay

    • saffrontea on 02/07/2023 - 17:04

      Thanks - makes sense. One of the main issues I have is the finer particles in my cup that escape the strainer due to the finer granules.. I'd rather have minimal dust at the bottom.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 02/07/2023 - 18:30

    Any cafe will grind the beans for you, and if you say it's for a french press they'll match the grind for it.

    Or just get a cheap grinder and do it yourself and get much better results than preground crap from a supermarket.

  • Yizzur on 03/07/2023 - 07:46
    +1

    Most pre-ground coffee is going to be on the fine side- in theory fine enough for a moka pot or home espresso machine. It will work in a French Press but won't be ideal.

    The best advice here is to A) buy from a cafe and ask them to grind for you, specifying that you want a medium coarse grind.

    Or

    B) buy a hand grinder. Hario Skerton is a good entry level that will run you somewhere round $50. A Timemore C3 is a better option for around $100

    I know you're saying you want to do this later but why not just go for it if you know you want to get there at some point?

    As a bonus this means you can adjust your grind as you inevitably fall down the rabbit hole of aeropress, v60 and so on ;-)

    Also- if you're getting into coffee, check out James Hoffman on YouTube, he has some great brewing technique videos, including french press.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join