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If you want one answer, get a burr grinder that opens up to a genuinely coarse setting and holds it evenly. For most French press drinkers that is the Baratza Encore, which runs 40 grind settings across a 250 to 1200 micron range on 40mm conical burrs, per the Baratza product page. The whole point of French press is a coarse, uniform grind, and a blade grinder cannot give you that.
Why grind matters more than the beans in a French press
French press is an immersion brew with a metal mesh filter. Water sits on the grounds for four minutes, then you press. Two things go wrong when the grind is off. Too fine, and you get a muddy cup with sludge at the bottom and over-extracted bitterness, because a metal filter does not catch fines the way paper does. Uneven, and part of your dose over-extracts while the rest under-extracts in the same brew, so the cup tastes both harsh and thin at once.
A blade grinder produces both problems at the same time. It chops beans into a random mix of powder and boulders, which is the worst possible input for a mesh filter. A conical or flat burr grinder crushes beans to a set gap, so the particle sizes cluster tightly. That is what a French press wants. You are aiming for a coarse grind, roughly sea-salt sized, and the grinder's job is to hit that consistently every time.
Best electric grinders for French press compared
| Grinder | Burrs | Grind settings | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baratza Encore | 40mm conical | 40 settings, 250 to 1200 microns | $149.95 | The all-rounder pick |
| OXO Brew Conical Burr | 40mm stainless conical | 15 settings plus microsettings | $109.95 | Budget with a timer |
| Fellow Ode Gen 2 | 64mm flat | 11 settings, 31 total steps | $399.95 | Flat-burr clarity, brew only |
Sources: Baratza Encore, OXO Brew Conical Burr (price via Williams Sonoma), and the Fellow Ode Gen 2 spec page.
The picks, and who each one is for
Baratza Encore. This is the default recommendation for a reason. 40 settings across a 250 to 1200 micron range mean the coarse end is truly coarse, and the 40mm conical burrs and 450 RPM motor keep fines low. Its coarse settings, around 28 to 32, land right in the French press zone. If you also make pour over or drip, the same grinder covers those without complaint. Check it on Amazon.
OXO Brew Conical Burr. The cheaper burr option that still does the job. It has 15 grind settings plus microsettings between them and 40mm stainless steel conical burrs, and a built-in timer that remembers your last setting, so a daily French press routine gets one-button repeatable. Fewer coarse steps than the Encore, but the top of its range is coarse enough for press. See the OXO grinder on Amazon.
Fellow Ode Gen 2. The step-up. Its 64mm flat burrs deliver a very even grind and clean, defined flavor, and Fellow builds it specifically for brewed methods including French press, pour over, drip, AeroPress, and cold brew. Note it is not intended for espresso, so if you need one grinder for both, skip it. At $399.95 it is a commitment, but flat-burr clarity in a press cup is real. Look at the Fellow Ode on Amazon.
The pattern across all three: pick the one whose price and other brew methods fit your kitchen, then set it to the coarse end and leave it. Any of them beats a blade grinder for press by a wide margin.
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FAQ
What grind setting is French press on a Baratza Encore? Start around setting 28 to 32, near the coarse end of the Encore's 40-setting range, and adjust to taste. Coarser if the cup is muddy or bitter, slightly finer if it tastes thin.
Can I use a blade grinder for French press? You can, but the results are poor. A blade grinder produces a random mix of powder and chunks, which gives you sludge and uneven extraction through a metal mesh filter. A burr grinder is the real fix.
Do I need a separate grinder for French press and espresso? Not always. The Baratza Encore and OXO cover coarse press grinds well and can manage other brew methods. The Fellow Ode Gen 2 is brew only and not intended for espresso, so choose based on whether espresso is in your plans.