<p><strong>Use better coffee or adjust your recipe.</strong></p>
<p>With a french press you can pretty much get the characteristics of every coffee out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st571DYYTR8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">if you brew it properly</a>.</p>
<p>If your coffee was bitter, tasted off or tasted like instant coffee, it was not the french press's fault (unless it was very dirty).</p>
<p>You can either try <a href="https://www.baristahustle.com/wp-content/uploads/images/products/products-Coffee-Compass-1024x1024.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">adjusting your brew recipe</a> if you're convinced your coffee is good or you can try to find some locally roasted coffee. Search for &quot;specialty coffee&quot; or roasteries near you.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-23T17:11:04.477Z
2021-01-23T17:11:04.477Z
technical_difficulty
<p>Maybe it’s a dumb question, but I made French press coffee for first time using kicking horse smart ass beans, and the taste was very much like instant coffee.</p>
<p>It didn’t have the metallic taste you can get from instant coffee and was smoother and not bitter.</p>
<p>Also, the effect of the coffee was wonderful, I really felt picked up without any jittery feeling and very alert and focused.</p>
<p>I usually drink Tim Hortons, and I don’t get the same effect.</p>
<p>But, I really like the Tim Hortons flavour better.  The French press coffee was very one note.</p>
<p>Maybe is the beans?  Should I try a lighter blend?  I’ll get through the ones I have now, maybe it will grow on me.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-21T15:57:24.097Z
After reducing the suggested 2 tablespoons beans to 1 tablespoon per cup I had a much better result! Next time I may go up just slightly on amount.  I think the kettle water also muddled the flavour somewhat, I will try descale.
dave
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-23T23:03:19.897Z
Coffee for a french press must be ground much coarser than other brewing methods. If you did not use a  coarse grind, or have uniformity in the grind, it will not be right and may taste  vastly different depending on the size of the grind you used.
Alaska Man
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-25T14:27:24.160Z
@AlaskaMan thanks, I set my hario pro grinder to 15 notches (previously 11) and had a better result!  I think it was the finer particles affecting the flavor.
dave
<flavor><french-press>
Does French press coffee taste like instant coffee?
dave
# Does French press coffee taste like instant coffee?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-21)

Maybe it’s a dumb question, but I made French press coffee for first time using kicking horse smart ass beans, and the taste was very much like instant coffee.

It didn’t have the metallic taste you can get from instant coffee and was smoother and not bitter.

Also, the effect of the coffee was wonderful, I really felt picked up without any jittery feeling and very alert and focused.

I usually drink Tim Hortons, and I don’t get the same effect.

But, I really like the Tim Hortons flavour better. The French press coffee was very one note.

Maybe is the beans? Should I try a lighter blend? I’ll get through the ones I have now, maybe it will grow on me.

**Tags:** flavor, french-press

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: After reducing the suggested 2 tablespoons beans to 1 tablespoon per cup I had a much better result! Next time I may go up just slightly on amount.  I think the kettle water also muddled the flavour somewhat, I will try descale.  
> **username_1**: Coffee for a french press must be ground much coarser than other brewing methods. If you did not use a  coarse grind, or have uniformity in the grind, it will not be right and may taste  vastly different depending on the size of the grind you used.  
> **username_0**: @AlaskaMan thanks, I set my hario pro grinder to 15 notches (previously 11) and had a better result!  I think it was the finer particles affecting the flavor.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-23. Score: 2

**Use better coffee or adjust your recipe.**

With a french press you can pretty much get the characteristics of every coffee out [if you brew it properly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st571DYYTR8).

If your coffee was bitter, tasted off or tasted like instant coffee, it was not the french press's fault (unless it was very dirty).

You can either try [adjusting your brew recipe](https://www.baristahustle.com/wp-content/uploads/images/products/products-Coffee-Compass-1024x1024.jpg) if you're convinced your coffee is good or you can try to find some locally roasted coffee. Search for "specialty coffee" or roasteries near you.


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