Best Coffee Grinders for French Press (2026)
by barotips editorial team · 🇨🇦 Canada edition
French press wants a coarse grind around 1000-1200 µm. The big risk: fines (particles below 200 µm) that escape the mesh filter and turn the cup muddy. Conical burrs at coarse setting produce some fines; flat burrs produce fewer. For French press, conical is usually fine because the 4-min steep dilutes any muddy effect.
What we looked for
- Coarse setting in 1000-1200 µm range
- Burr grinder (blade grinders produce too many fines)
- 30+ adjustment positions reaching coarse
- Decent build for daily use
- Available on Amazon.ca
French press grind reference
Coarse range with dose and brew time for French press.
What grind size for my brew method?
Pick a brew method and see the recommended grind size in microns, plus dose and brew time.
Grind size
Medium
Burr particle size
600-800 µm
Dose / ratio
1:16 ratio (15 g / 240 g water)
Brew time
3-4 min total
Tip: Adjust finer if draining too fast, coarser if too slow.
Our picks
Ranked by overall fit for this use case. Prices verified on 2026-05-26.
- #1Best Overall
Baratza Encore
Around CAD 220(as of today)
Best for: The default French press home grinder.
- Burr: 38 mm conical steel
- 40 settings reaching French press coarse
- Replaceable burr cartridge
- 5-year track record
- Quiet operation
- #2Best Value
Bodum Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder
Around CAD 130(as of today)
Best for: Budget French press drinkers who own a Bodum press.
- Burr: 38 mm conical steel
- 12 settings (fewer than Baratza)
- Built-in timer
- Quiet
- Bodum-built for the French press brand match
- #3
Hario Skerton Pro Manual
Around CAD 85(as of today)
Best for: Manual grind enthusiasts on a tight budget.
- Burr: 38 mm ceramic conical (manual)
- Adjustable click positions
- Glass jar dose collector
- Travel-portable
- Outperforms electric blade grinders
- #4
Timemore C2 Manual
Around CAD 105(as of today)
Best for: Cottage owners who want a battery-free grinder for French press at the cabin.
- Burr: 38 mm stainless steel (manual)
- 30 click adjustments reaching French press
- Quiet
- Travel-portable
- Beats sub-CAD-200 electric burrs
- #5
Capresso Infinity Plus
Around CAD 140(as of today)
Best for: Budget electric for daily French press with hopper convenience.
- Burr: conical steel
- 16 settings
- Quiet (less than 75 dB)
- Large bean hopper
- Removable burr for cleaning
- #6Best Premium
Baratza Virtuoso+
Around CAD 425(as of today)
Best for: French press drinkers who also brew pour-over or AeroPress.
- Burr: 40 mm conical steel
- 40 settings
- LCD with timer
- Lower retention than Encore
- Replaceable burrs
Side-by-side comparison
Scroll horizontally on narrow screens. Highlighted row is current price.
| Spec | #1Baratza Encore Best Overall | #2Bodum Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder Best Value | #3Hario Skerton Pro Manual | #4Timemore C2 Manual | #5Capresso Infinity Plus | #6Baratza Virtuoso+ Best Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Around CAD 220 | Around CAD 130 | Around CAD 85 | Around CAD 105 | Around CAD 140 | Around CAD 425 |
| Burr | 38 mm conical steel | 38 mm conical steel | 38 mm ceramic conical (manual) | 38 mm stainless steel (manual) | conical steel | 40 mm conical steel |
| 40 settings reaching French press coarse | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Replaceable burr cartridge | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 5-year track record | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Quiet operation | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 12 settings (fewer than Baratza) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Built-in timer | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Quiet | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Bodum-built for the French press brand match | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Adjustable click positions | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Glass jar dose collector | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Travel-portable | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Outperforms electric blade grinders | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 30 click adjustments reaching French press | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Beats sub-CAD-200 electric burrs | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 16 settings | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Quiet (less than 75 dB) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Large bean hopper | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Removable burr for cleaning | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 40 settings | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| LCD with timer | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lower retention than Encore | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Replaceable burrs | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
- Can a blade grinder work for French press?
- Technically yes, but the result is muddy because of too many fines. Even a CAD 100 burr (Bodum Bistro) is a 2x quality upgrade over any blade grinder.
- How coarse for French press?
- Like coarse kosher salt. About 1000-1200 µm. On Baratza Encore, that is setting 28-32. Adjust by feel: muddy means too fine, weak coffee means too coarse.
- Do I need a CAD 400+ grinder for French press?
- No. French press is the most forgiving brew method for grinder variation. Spend CAD 200 on the grinder, save the rest for better beans.
- Why are my French press grounds muddy?
- Most common cause: blade grinder or too-fine burr setting. Second cause: not pre-rinsing the mesh filter. Pre-wet the press before brewing.
- How long should beans sit before brewing?
- Best within 1-2 minutes of grinding. Pre-ground beans lose 30-50% aroma in 24 hours. Grind into the brew vessel directly.