THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO COFFEE GRINDING
WHY IS COFFEE GRIND SIZE IMPORTANT?
The right grind size corresponds to the brewing method: how much pressure is used, and how long the beans hang out in the water.
A whole coffee bean is full of flavour and aroma. How that bean is ground affects how the flavour is released. The more hot water that connects with the surface area of a coffee bean, the more opportunity it has to extract flavour. Coffee that is ground super-fine has lots of surface area.
Freshly ground coffee that is coarsely ground has less surface area for water to extract flavour. Water that has very little time in contact with the grounds can create a coffee that is weak, and tastes sour and thin. This is called under-extraction. Coffee that has been brewed too long can taste bitter. This is called over-extraction.
FINE, MEDIUM OR COARSE: WHAT COFFEE GRIND SIZE IS NEEDED?
Grind size helps to perfect extraction. Typically, French press brewing method requires a coarse grind. Drip, pour-over or Chemex brewing requires a medium grind. Espresso requires a fine grind.
Espresso coffee is brewed fast. It takes between 20-30 seconds of high pressure water to create a shot. That means super fine grinds are required: lots of surface area, and not too much time.
Drip-brewing, Chemex or pour-over coffee doesn’t involve much pressure (it’s just gravity!) These methods of brewing use little pressure, and can take a few minutes to brew, with water flowing through the grounds. That means medium grinds are best.
Brewing French Press coffee takes 4-5 minutes of brewing, with grounds resting in hot water, and modest pressure at the end of brewing. Large, coarse grounds are perfect, and help prevent the coffee from tasting over-extracted.
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT COFFEE GRIND? USE A BURR GRINDER
Getting a consistent kick-ass cup of coffee, requires using a consistent grind size.
There are basically two types of grinders: blade and burr.
Blade grinders randomly whirr through beans at high speeds, creating various sized chunks. Coffee that has been broken with blades will be an inconsistent mixture of powder and chunks.
Burr grinders uniformly render the beans into the perfect desired size, crushing them into consistent-sized particles. This is why we recommend using burr grinders.
Not interested in the daily grind? Find your bold, beautiful ground coffee blend.
