Best Coffee Beans for French Press: Top Choices for 2025

The French press coffee makers are one of the simplest and oldest brewing methods that stood the test of time. Grind coffee, hot water, and the plunger – that’s it. That’s all there is to it for a cup of coffee. But there is a catch. And it comes before you even use a French press.

If you pick the wrong coffee beans, you’ll end up with a chewy cup of bitter-tasting muddy drink instead of the expected rich, sophisticated blend brew you’re longing for. So, naturally, you ask, what coffee beans brew up the best French press coffee? Let’s dive into our best coffee beans for French press review for that and learn much more!!

Lifeboost Coffee Whole Bean

Lifeboost Beans are grown in the shades of the Central American mountain (mostly in Nicaragua). Lifeboost Single Origin Acid-Free Coffee beans grow at high-elevation mountainous farms. This region in Central America is where the widest variations of Arábica coffee beans grow. These exclusive farms are all bird-friendly and hand-select their beans to ensure purity.

Lifeboost whole Arabica beans are available in 5 distinct flavors – Dark Roast, Half Caff, Light Roast, Medium Decaf, and Medium Roast. All of them are delicious and ethically sourced coffee beans. Lifeboost packs only the Non-GMO organically roasted whole bean that contains low acid coffee and is high in flavor. The beans go through sun drying and then spring water washed. As a result, you get pure and natural coffee derived straight from nature. They are considered one of the best coffee beans for the French press for a reason.

Your standard cups of coffee are generally very acidic. That’s why some drinkers have stomach discomfort or teeth issues from drinking only coffee. The solution is to drink low-acid coffee beans, and guess what? Lifeboost whole beans are low-acid organic beans. The antioxidant-rich organic beans always deliver all the wonderful benefits of coffee and do not carry unwanted side effects.

Lifeboost Coffee is a USDA-certified organic brand. It’s also 3rd party tested for mycotoxins, pesticides, heavy metals, and 400 other toxins. This is why with one sip of coffee made from these organic whole beans, you’ll never go back to another ordinary cup of coffee.

Lifeboost has a good habit of checking up on the consumers’ feedback. And it’s true that you can try a bag of Lifeboost Coffee for 30 days. If you don’t love it, they’ll give you your money back. This confidence in their product also reflects the quality they maintain for their product.  

What’s Good

• Low-acidic coffee beans
• Certified Organic coffee brand
• Well-balanced and rich in flavors
• It soothes digestive problems because of the low acidity levels
• Guarantees premium quality roasting process that includes hand-picking and hand-washing

What’s Not Good

• One of the most expensive brands of coffee
• Not recommended for those who like their dark-roasted coffee
• Not recommended for those who like their coffee with normal or highly acidic

Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee

It’s not an accident that Lavazza is Italy’s favorite coffee (you know Italians are so picky about their coffee). Lavazza’s 4 generations and 120 years of dedication to finding the best blends of coffee beans from all over the world ended up with their Italiano espresso blend. Looking for the next best blend is Lavazza’s vision. They take pride in taking this quest in the form of art.

With intuition, inspiration, and dedication behind each pack, this blend provides an authentic Italian experience. The Lavazza Espresso Whole Bean is a mix of Central and South American Arabica varieties. This mix creates a rich-bodied delicious espresso roast with high aromatic notes in every sip. This blend is applicable for French presses, drip makers, espresso machines, and even Moka pots.

Espresso Italiano’s 100% Arabica blend from Central and South American farms delivers highly aromatic notes, a rich body, and delicious flavor. Best beans for French press – not only for the Italians but also for coffee lovers around the world. The medium-roasted coffee beans help to achieve their distinctive Italian espresso taste. Their generous 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) of whole bean can help you prepare with different coffee machines for a long time. If you like smaller portions of beans, you can also pick their 12 oz. Whole Bean packs.

What’s Good

• Italiano blend offers smooth and well-balanced flavors
• Carefully produced blend made up of 100% Arabica beans
• Grounds are applicable to not only French presses but also to drip makers, espresso machines, and Moka pots

What’s Not Good

• The featured chocolatey and nutty undertones are too subtle to appreciate

Peet’s Coffee Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Peet’s Organic French roast is featuring the deepest dark roasted beans. The dark roasted beans have several flavors available, such as – Major Dickason’s, Big Bang, Organic French Roast, Espresso Forte, and Organic Alameda Morning Blend.

The beans are from the leading farms of Latin American origins, such as Colombia and Guatemala. These high-altitude farms enable coffee cherries to mature slower than usual but help to become denser, harder, and more flavorsome in the process.

These inherently bright and juicy coffee beans under the heat of a deep roast, retain their bold complexity. Peet’s Coffee follows conventional farming benefits from carefully formulated nutrients and organic farming. This process is labor-intensive but more rewarding. It’s more work to produce less coffee but Peet’s are happy to support the extra effort. Because in the end, you’ll be able to enjoy meticulously grown, deep-roasted coffee with bold flavors. Thus, Peet’s achieved a place in our best beans for the French press list.

Peet’s Coffee is an organic brand that not only passes stringent USDA verification but also has to meet Peet’s own exacting standards for superior quality and taste. Their roasting method uses human senses not mechanical — to unlock each bean’s full flavor potential. In the end, you’ll have forward, smoky, bittersweet flavors with hints of caramel from these 100% dark roasted Arabica beans.

What’s Good

• It’s coffee for pure coffee lovers
• Superior quality beans with an affordable price tag
• The flavor is complex enough as well as smooth tasting
• The coffee smell is rich and robust enough that fills up a room
• It is a fabulously rich and full-bodied roasted bag of whole beans
• Qualified to make an excellent espresso for those who are craving a traditional roast

What’s Not Good

• Too bold for beginners and slightly acidic
• This coffee packs a powerful punch, so it may not be suitable for mild coffee lovers
• Peet’s Coffee also will not blend away if you add sugar or any other sweet ingredients

Real Good Coffee Company Whole Bean Coffee

Real Good Coffee Company consists of a small team who take pride in themselves in making real good coffee for their consumers. They believe in simplicity and abstain away from fancy premium exotic names and packaging. No distractions with any gimmicks because they know their coffee tastes simply impressive. Some mentionable flavors from their whole bean coffees are Breakfast Blend Light, Dark French Roast, Decaf Medium Roast, Organic Dark, and Medium Roast. Real Good Coffee, based in Seattle, has been crafting roasted coffees for more than 30 years. They also advocate creating great coffee with fair value and fair trade.

They use 100% Arabic coffee beans from the farms of Central and Southern America. These beans carry a distinct hint of sweetness with extremely bold and dark-roasted flavors. You’ll get the fruity undertones of raspberry, the taste of rich dark chocolate, and an aroma of spice such as star anise. These beans are free from any artificial ingredients, preservatives, or additives.

With over 30 years of dedication and experience in the craft of coffee sourcing and roasting, they aim to bridge the gap between premium quality and affordability factors in the coffee industry. They are passionate about providing their loyal patrons with the most sophisticated and strongest cups of coffee. Real Good Coffee doesn’t need many bells and whistles as its coffee precedes its reputation and is the best choice for your French press at home.

What’s Good

• Affordably priced coffee beans
• Naturally farmed and roasted ingredients
• Premium quality 100% Central American Arabica beans
• Smooth, rich, and bold flavors with hints of spice and fruity chocolaty sweetness
• French press, drip machine, espresso machine, Moka pot, and Aeropress-friendly coffee

What’s Not Good

• High in acidity
• Not ideal for those who prefer sophisticated flavors
• They couldn’t remove a bit of bitterness from the blend

Kicking Horse Coffee Smart Ass Whole Bean

Kicking Horse is one of the leading Canadian Coffee companies now owned by Lavazza. Their whole bean packs have different flavors such as Smart Ass, Three Sisters, 454 Horse Power, Kick-Ass, Grizzly Claw, and Decaf. Their Smart Ass roasted beans bring a bright, chocolaty concoction for the smart-thinking, seasoned coffee crowds. It has mouthwatering syrupy sweet, vanilla bean, and stone fruit aromas. Once you take a sip of this coffee, you’ll be able to find out tart red currant, sugar cane notes, and milky chocolate with honeyed berry body taste profiles. Kicking Horse coffee beans are good for French press, pour-over, drip machines, and espresso machines.

Smart Ass whole beans have a light body with a mild and bright mouthfeel. Similar to the acidity, the body doesn’t overwhelm the coffee as at the end of your brew you’ll be rewarded with a balanced cup of Joe. Aroma notes consist of Cane Sugar, Creme Brulee, and Custard Apple once the grounds blend with the hot water. Reasons why they are the Canadian coffee sweethearts and best coffee for French press in the North American market.

Flavors of banana, salty caramel, smoky plantain, and mango permeate when you take a sip of this coffee. The front end consists of a mango burst then the flavor slowly evolves into a banana-ish and ends with smoky caramel. The coffee is bright at first but fades into a savory and manageable profile. The coffee does have a mild acidity. Brewing at lower temperatures will amplify the acidity. The Aeropress immersion at 205 Fahrenheit brewing will yield a drink with mild acidity.​ ​

What’s Good

• Cheeky, bright, and precocious tasting
• Organic, Fairtrade, and Kosher approved
• African, Central, and South American Arabica beans
• Grown in a socially and environmentally sustainable way
• Roasted under the towering Canadian Rocky Mountain peaks
• Cane Sugar, Creme Brulee, and Custard Apple (Annona Reticulata) aromas

What’s Not Good

• Beans can be oily
• There’s a tad bit of a bitter afternote
• Can be too fruity and sweet for some drinkers

Primos Coffee Co. French Press Coarsely Ground Specialty Coffee

Since 1929, Don Felipe began farming Arabica coffee beans in the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua. Primos Coffee has since then perfected its ability to produce the finest specialty coffee. Primos is a direct-trade coffee brand. Their coffee is grown under the shade, harvested by hand, and exported to their facility in Texas. Flavors available from this coarse grind pack are Dark Roast, Medium Roast, and Medium Dark Roast.

Primos coffee is mild with subtle flavors; always delightful and easy to drink coffee. Their coffee is richly sweet with a gentle note of acidity. It’s well-balanced, and smooth, with fruity and cacao notes – which qualify it to be the best type of coffee bean for the French press category. A mild coffee shares profiles like medium body, low acidity, smoothness, and citrusy sweetness.

Medium roasted beans are for subtle and pleasant flavors. The coarsely ground beans are perfectly made for the slow brewing method in the French presses. Whatever the roast levels are, Primos picks only the premium Arabica beans from the best micro-lots at their fourth-generation family farm. The subtle citrusy notes plus the presence of low acidity should be convenient enough for those who are prone to heartburn due to drinking coffee.

What’s Good

• Low in acidity
• 100% premium Arabica beans from Nicaraguan lands
• Hand-picked, sun-dried, and roasted in small batches
• A smooth and consistent body that comes with a citrusy aftertaste

What’s Not Good

• You can only buy these coffee packs in pre-ground
• A little too coarser and as a result, it may need longer steeping

Gevalia Special Reserve Guatemala Single Origin Coarse Ground Coffee

Gevalia started their journey in Gavle, Sweden 1853. Gevalia Guatemalan Single Origin Coffee will fill your mug with never-bitter and rich medium-roasted coffee. Gevalia beans are slow-roasted and snap-cooled – to preserve the aroma and flavor of their best French press beans. Their ground coffees are made from 100% Arabica beans. These full-flavored beans are sourced exclusively from the high mountains of Guatemala. Gevalia has an array of specialty flavors such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Decaf House Blend, Colombia, French Roast, House Blend, Chocolate Mocha, Espresso, Vanilla, and Mild Roast.

Their ground beans can be used in all French presses as well as automatic drip brewing machines. The Guatemalan medium roast releases an aroma that will fill your home. Each Gevalia variation is Kosher and Rainforest Alliance certified. Gevalia Ground Coffee brings 150 years of Swedish coffee roasting experience and tradition to each cup.

What’s Good

• Comes in re-sealable bags and retains freshness
• A household specifically for French press brewing
• Smooth velvety taste of 100% Arabica beans from Guatemala
• A medium-bodied coffee that has notes of earthy and smokiness with a hint of cocoa

What’s Not Good

• Even the mild brew tastes a little strong

Cafe Du Monde Coffee Chicory

The Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory are traditionally served in the Café Au Lait at the famous Café Du Monde (the Original French Market Coffee Stand) – a blend of mixed half and half with hot milk. This New Orleans landmark has been in the same location since the early 1860s. However, since people liked it so much they started to demand variations of this coffee alongside the ever-famous Hot Beignets (a type of French Doughnut). Thus the coffee is now available in strong and black, with sugar, with milk, or maybe even as a weaker brew. This coffee blend has a rich, full-body flavor. There is a hint of chocolate when served as “Au Lait” of course.

During the American Civil War era, the practice of coffee and chicory was developed by the French. Because coffee was scarce during those times and it was found out that if chicory gets added to coffee, it adds body and flavor to the overall brew. Chicory is the root of the endive plant (a type of lettuce) for those who are wondering. The root of the plant gets roasted and then ground. Once added to the coffee, it softens the bitter edge of the dark roasted coffee. Also adds an almost chocolatey flavor to the Cafe Au Lait. Café De Monde sells this blend in 13 oz. vacuum-sealed can.

What’s Good

• It’s a sip of true American coffee culture
• Chicory softens the robustness of the dark roasting
• Made of 100% Arabica beans which provide smoothness and a rich aroma
• Authentic New Orleans-styled rich blend of dark roasted coffee and chicory

What’s Not Good

• May have an earthy smell
• Inferior quality tin can packing
• The coffee is very dark, even after adding cream to it

French press is a full immersion coffee brewing machine. NO! It’s not a pour-over machine. It brews full-bodied coffee with more oils and texture as well as a sandy mouthfeel. If you properly control the water temperature, grind size, and brew time, you’ll be able to experience more subtle aromas and flavors.

When Cafetiere was first invented and patented by Milanese designer Attilio Calimani in 1933 (some say in 1929), this café culture soon prospered. Soon these establishments were in need of easy yet high-frequency coffee makers. Later a Swiss guy named Faliero Bondanini came up with the coffee plunger-based design.

In 1958 the French contemporary designer brand Chambord started to make this machine with a glass vessel, round handle, and steel lid.  The construction became so popular that it was later bought by the Danish brand Bodum in 1991. And that is why a lot of us simply refer to these machines as Bodum. 

This timeless design (the original Chambord design) of heat-resistant Pyrex glass-made beaker, the black durable bakelite plastic, and chrome frame and handle has become an icon in the coffee machine industry. It’s popular because of the simplicity that binds it with practicality. Always easy to dismantle, thus cleaning, and replacing any components. Brands like Bodum, Hario, Bialetti, Barista & Co., and OXO have all their own versions of design and style these days.

If you’re interested in French presses for your kitchen check out these products, and check out our reviews.

Finding the best French press beans require to fulfill proper roasting grades and it also should match personal preferences. The grind levels and roast types of the coffee of your liking are the key first few steps in creating quality French-pressed coffee at home.

Then timing and temperature of the roasting process should be considered. These two directly affect the coffee flavors. If you prefer milder brews, go with lightly roasted beans. If you like bolder flavors, go with dark roasted beans.

It’s true that whole coffee beans are wonderfully aromatic by themselves but grinding them up will really bring out the full flavor. A well-grinded coffee has the ability to release the flavors more easily when the grounds finally come in contact with hot water during the brewing process.

Also, it reduces the extraction period. Meaning water can easily soak through the smaller coffee grounds evenly to extract the acids and the oils. By the same logic, this is why large-sized grounds take longer brewing periods.

Coarse Grinds Are Ideal Because…

Coffee grounds come in an extended range of grind sizes, from extra fine to extra coarse grind. When brewing, it’s the best bean for French-pressed coffee.

Since the French press applies the immersion brewing method, it does not require adding more water to the coffee unlike drip or pour-over brewing. It’s a slower process that soaks the ground for around 4 – 5 minutes to extract the optimal amount of flavor.

A coarse grind maximizes the availability of the surface area for the hot water to penetrate. As the hot water steeps, the beans then slowly release carbon dioxide, guaranteeing a tastier brew. The metal mesh filter catches the coarser grounds so that they don’t fall into your coffee cup.

Why Avoid Finer and Medium Grinds…

If you go with a finer grind of coffee, the coffee grounds will simply pass through the mesh filter and into your coffee cup. If you use medium grind then it will clog up the filter and will make the plunging press way too difficult as it will create extra resistance. Note that, medium grinds are not ideal but can be good coffee beans for French presses if applied with extra care.

French press coffee has been one of the most reliable methods of brewing coffee. Because it brings out the true soul of the bean with uncomplicated efforts. The only prior conditions are that you use proper coffee beans and you should make peace with the fact that it’s a time-consuming brewing method. We hope that our list of best coffee beans for a French press will bring a successful end to your coffee quest.

Enjoy Your Coffee!