I made a mistake ordering ground coffee - will Expresso ground coffee work for a French Press?

Question

Can someone tell me the difference between Expresso ground coffee and French Press ground coffee? I placed an order for this ground coffee, but only realised after arrival that I should have chosen the French Press option. I have a French Press. I don't have a Expresso machine. I don't drink coffee, hence the mistake. I run an Airbnb and it's for my guests.

I'm not sure what to do with it if it's not usable for a French Press. It's not returnable to Amazon. Perhaps let some future guests have it?

Answer 1

Ideally from a business setting

Order new coffee and give the grounds away to someone who can make espresso from it. You could offer it as a gift to guests or others.

If you do end up using it for the guests, make sure you indicate the problem. If possible, try one of the methods below yourself first.

On actually using the coffee

I wouldn't be too worried about the grounds coming through the mesh, they almost certainly will. This is easily solved by pouring your coffee through a paper filter. I know don't normally do that for French press, but in this case it seems sensible to do so.

I'd be more worried about extraction time and taste. When I make French press, I grind as fine as possible without it becoming to bitter, with a consistent time the particles are still larger than holes in the mesh.

Since the coffee is already ground, you can play with two factors: time and dose. You probably want to use less time then you're used to. The dose is difficult, if you use too little coffee, you won't get a full body. If you use too much, it will taste very bitter.

Alternatively, you can try to make turkish-coffee in a pan. The espresso grounds will be alright, but a bit on the big size for that.

Answer 2

Espresso grounds are much finer than those used in French press. French press typically has larger grounds than even drip machines so that fewer particulates sneak their way through the mesh. Since you have already purchased it, I would recommend using slightly less espresso grounds as the smaller pieces allow for the coffee to be more compressed and also allow the coffee to rest a few seconds to a minute after pressing so the grounds can settle to the bottom. Avoid completely inverting the press when pouring and there should be less “mud” at the bottom of the drinkers cup.