TIL my french press needed a coarser grind after 8 months of bitter coffee

I've been making coffee in the same old french press every morning for like 8 months. And every single cup tasted kinda bitter and harsh but I figured that's just how french press coffee is. Then last Tuesday my buddy stopped by my shop and saw me scooping grounds out of my bag. He asked what grind I was using and I showed him this fine powder stuff I grabbed off the shelf at the grocery store. He laughed and said no wonder it tastes burnt, you need a coarse grind for a french press or the water over extracts everything. I switched to a coarse grind that same afternoon and it made a huge difference. The coffee is smooth and rich now, not bitter at all. Has anyone else accidentally used the wrong grind size for their brewing method for way longer than they should have?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lucas3d ago

Well, actually, over-extraction isn't quite the right word for what happens with fine grounds in a press.

rosebarnes3d ago

Maybe it's just me but I feel like this whole argument is splitting hairs a bit. Whether you call it over-extraction or not, the coffee still tastes bitter and gross if you let fine grounds sit too long. Seems like the real fix is just using a coarser grind or plunging sooner.

the_stella3d ago

That's a fair point, but your grounds still release more bitter compounds than they should when they're sitting in the water that long. That's what most people mean by over-extraction in this case.