title_body: Does French press coffee taste like instant coffee?
upvoted_answer: 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.
  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 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.