I mostly do V60 but I also occasionally do Chemex and sometimes for a 4:6 method in both which uses a very coarse grind. I am considering a grinder that upper limit is 900 microns. Based on https://www.coffeeiq.co/en/grinding-par ... xtraction/ French Press is around 1500 microns. Also based on Kruve sifter manual, Chemex and French Press are up to around 1000 microns - that is the upper sieve recommended for both.

Are coarser brew methods really near or over 1000 microns? That seems pretty big to me, and if true would mean the grinder, a Ditty KF804, that I was considering might not be able to handle coarser brews.

There are varying opinions about the ideal grind size for French press. If you search you will find recommendations that are both above and below 1mm. It's kind of like looking for a weather forecast until you find one that makes you happier and just going with that. The real question is what grind size you prefer for French press. Nobody else can answer that.

I do french press almost exclusively. I don't know what size the grinds are but I use a Baratza Virtuoso on setting 26. It's actually not all that course. If you have the right technique you can grind to a more medium setting and you won't get fines in your cup. Don't plunge the plunger. Just leave it just above the level of the liquid and use the screen as a filter pouring slowly. I don't get fines in my cup. But I do get all that full flavor from the naturally occuring oils.

Acavia wrote:I mostly do V60 but I also occasionally do Chemex and sometimes for a 4:6 method in both which uses a very coarse grind. I am considering a grinder that upper limit is 900 microns. Based on https://www.coffeeiq.co/en/grinding-par ... xtraction/ French Press is around 1500 microns. Also based on Kruve sifter manual, Chemex and French Press are up to around 1000 microns - that is the upper sieve recommended for both.

Are coarser brew methods really near or over 1000 microns? That seems pretty big to me, and if true would mean the grinder, a Ditty KF804, that I was considering might not be able to handle coarser brews.

If you have a grinder that produces a lot of fines you are going to have to grind coarser to balance the fines. But if your grinder is far more consistent than you can go finer and finer. If you are sifting grinds then you can really reduce the fines or boulders and get a more consistent extraction based on a specific grind size.

The kruve sifter I know is a popular home set but I think you need to order a special pack of sieves to get up to 1500 which is pretty big. Kruve has its own recommendation than the website you listed so obviously there are different opinions.

I use the Kruve to calibrate the grind. Fines are typically the same (unless you're grinding really fine) but "boulders" are more relative based on what your trying to achieve. What you want is a balance of fines and boulders so if fines are 10% your borders should be 10%. Kruve seems to recommend a 400 um window for the grind target so pour over is 400 um - 800 um. That's where you want most of your coffee zoned in (for pour over) and the grinds outside this window should be balanced and I use the Kruve to determine where balance is for my grinder but I don't use it sift for each brew.

According to kruve French press is 600 um - 1000 um (the 400 um window agin) so you want most of your grinds in this range. The "fines" are anything below but I find the fines always stay the same. Maybe there are some boulders that go up to the 1500 um range but I personally think it's too high and if you useing sifted coffee you can always go finer.