The Best Way To Prevent Coffee Grounds From Getting Into Your French Press Coffee

A perfect cup of coffee is one of life's greatest pleasures, and often the route to that prefect cup is through a French press. The French press is a carafe — often made of Pyrex, plastic, or steel — with a stainless steel mesh filter attached to the bottom of a plunger. As Good Housekeeping explains, the French press uses that plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the coffee you drink.

Contrary to its name, the French press, called a cafetière in Europe, originated in Italy, according to Barista Institute, but its design was perfected in Switzerland by Faliero Bondanini. Some coffee aficionados believe the French press makes a superior cup of coffee over the usual drip method. Art of Barista credits the French press's rich flavor to the oils that remain in the coffee instead of being absorbed by a paper filter.

But the love affair with French press coffee ends the moment you get a mouthful of sediment. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent coffee grounds from overwhelming your cup.

JavaPresse believes that swallowing some coffee grounds is the price we pay for the perfect cup. Grounds are, after all, what makes such rich, flavorful coffee while keeping the acidity low. However, if more than a few stray bits are getting into your French press brew, the company recommends using a coarser grind setting.

Above Average Coffee agrees. Per the outlet, other possible reasons why too many grounds may be ending up in your French press coffee include a slightly askew plunger or a filter with a hole in it. But if your carafe and plunger check out, then look at the size of your grounds. Course grounds are what you should aim for when it comes to French press.

For the right-sized coffee grounds, burr grinders could be the answer. As Nathanael Mehrens, co-founder of Stay Golden Coffee and Matchless Coffee Soda, explained to Forbes, "Having control over your grind is really important because the more uniform your particle size, the more uniform your extraction of those particles. Better extraction means a better tasting cup of coffee." 

Not even a burr grinder is infallible, though, so skimming the foamy surface of the coffee before right plunging can help capture finer particles and prevent coffee grounds from getting into your final French press cup. If grounds still slip through the filter, however, a second strain through a fine mesh sieve while pouring should help remove the debris. 

Finally, JavaPresse recommends slowing down. A slower plunge, followed by a resting period of a minute or two, will help contain the coffee sediment to the bottom.