Achieving the perfect cup of coffee is a goal that coffee enthusiasts strive for.
It’s sad that many of us don’t make great coffee at home. The coffee we make is usually just fine, and sometimes even good. But it’s missing that special something that would make it a truly perfect coffee.
To make the best tasting coffee, it is important to have the right grind coarseness. This is especially true when using a bean-to-cup coffee machine, as most of these machines have multiple settings that range from fine to coarse.
We’ll go over everything you need to know about how coarse you should grind your coffee, and how that affects the taste.
What size should I grind with my coffee
There is no one perfect way to brew delicious coffee. The size of your coffee grinds depends on the brew method you plan on using.
Coffee made using two different brew methods can taste completely different.
The size of your grind can also affect the amount of time it takes to brew your coffee How important your brewing method is to the coffee’s quality cannot be overstated. This is also true of the grind size; if the grind is too large or small you risk sub- or overextraction. Furthermore, the grind size will determine how long brewing takes.
We will discuss extraction later, but for now let’s focus on choosing the right grind size for your brewing method.
Why is grind coarseness important
Coffee grind can range from coarse to fine, with each affecting the coffee in a different way. Coarse grind is suitable for Cowboy coffee, while fine grind is used for Turkish coffee. The science behind grind size is that it affects the coffee in a different way.
You can make a great cup of coffee using any brewing method, as long as you use the right grind. Some people spend a lot of time debating which method is better, but it doesn’t really matter.
A mediocre cup of coffee is usually caused by extracting too little or too much coffee from the bean. Coffee that’s extracted too little may taste weak, sour, or too acidic. Coffee that’s extracted too much often tastes bitter, burnt, or hollow. You can control these factors by adjusting the coarseness of the grind.
Flow rate and contact time
Your coffee grind size will determine how fast your coffee brews and how long the grinds are in contact with the water. This, in turn, affects the coffee’s flavor.
The flow rate is how quickly or slowly water passes through your coffee grinds. A high flow rate can result in under-extracted coffee, while a low flow rate can cause over-extraction.
The amount of time the water is in contact with the coffee grinds is called the contact time. If this time is too low, the coffee will be under-extracted. If it is too high, the coffee will be over-extracted.
The perfect cup of coffee can be made by finding the perfect balance of flow rate and contact time, which can be adjusted by the size of your coffee grinds.
Other factors that determine taste
There are other concepts that play a role in the flavor of your cup of coffee, in addition to grind size. I talk about this more in my article on the science of brewing, but here is a brief overview.
Temperature is just one of the many factors that can affect the taste of your coffee. Depending on how hot or cold your water is, you will get a different tasting cup of coffee. Generally speaking, hotter water will produce a coffee that is fuller-bodied and sweeter, but there is also a higher risk that it will be bitter and astringent.
Coffee that is brewed at a lower temperature is generally more sour and brighter, with less bitterness and fullness.
Small variations in your brewing temperature can have a big impact on the flavor of your coffee. You may not be able to control this if you’re using a coffee machine, but it’s worth considering when you’re adjusting the grind.
Other than water temperature, the presence of different materials – especially heavier elements – can also have a significant impact.
The other factor that affects the results is the pressure. For example, with a percolator, espresso machine, or syphon brewer, the pressure will change the results.
Increasing pressure decreases the amount of time the coffee is in contact with the water, which lowers the amount of coffee that is extracted. Decreasing pressure increases the amount of time the coffee is in contact with the water, which raises the amount of coffee that is extracted.
Rules of thumb for different brewing styles
Your personal taste should be your guide when choosing how to grind your coffee, but there are some general principles you can follow to get closer to the perfect cup. The best way to find the perfect grind for your taste is to start with these guidelines and experiment from there.
Extra coarse – Best for cold brew coffee and immersion
An extra coarse grind is about the size of rock salt and is ideal for making a strong, delicious batch of cold brew coffee.
During the 24 hour brew time, you’ll want to circulating cold water through the coffee.
If the coffee beans are ground too finely, they will clump together when submerged in water and this will result in suboptimal extraction.
The cowboy coffee brewing method involves boiling water in a pot or kettle, then adding coarse coffee grounds to the hot water.
It is important that there is a strong water flow and that the coffee grounds are coarse so that they settle to the bottom of the kettle before pouring.
The grind should be much coarser for cold brew than for other brew methods For cold brew coffee, you should use the coarsest grind possible. This is because the coffee is extracted at a very low temperature, which takes a long time – typically 12-48 hours. The grind should be much coarser than for other brewing methods.
You can also use a finer grind, but it will be more difficult to filter and an extra coarse grind is your best option. Cowboy coffee also uses an extra coarse grind.
Immersion brewers, like a French press, work best with a coarse grind, slightly less coarse than cold brew. The coarse grind is easy to filter out the solids.
Aeropress brewers tend to work best with a medium-fine grind, similar to a French press.
Coarse grind – Ideal for French Press coffee
The ideal grind size for a French press is one that is coarse enough to allow water to flow freely during the recommended brewing time, but not fine enough that it will pass through the filter screen on the plunger when pressed.
You should also grind your coffee beans coarsely when using a percolator.
This method uses water that is hotter than other methods, so grinding the beans too fine can result in over-extraction.
Your coffee grounds should be coarse, about the size of sea salt.
Medium-coarse grind – for Chemex, Flat-Bottom Pour Overs and Drip
This is where things start to get a little tricky. Your medium-coarse grind will be similar in size to coarse sand. Not quite as coarse as a French press grind, but notably coarser than a medium grind.
This size is ideal for pour-over brewers that have a flat bottom.
The Chemex filter is thicker than a standard paper cone-shaped pour-over filter. This means that a coarser grind is necessary so that the water can flow more freely. This will avoid over-extracting the coffee by increasing the brew time.
This also applies to flat-bottom pour-over brewers. Since the water flows more slowly than in conical brewers, a coarser grind is necessary.
The grind size for drip coffee brewers and percolators should be medium-coarse to medium. The best grind size for your brewer depends on your brewer, so you should experiment with different grind sizes to find the one that works best for you.
If you have a pour-over brewer, it is recommended to use a medium to medium-fine grind, as this is usually the best starting point. However, everyone’s mileage may vary based on the particular model they have.
If your coffee is under extracted, that’s a sign that you need to increase the amount of time the coffee is in contact with the water, which you can do with a finer grind.
Medium grind – Best for drip coffee makers, Longer Brew Aeropress and Syphon
This grind is similar in size to regular beach sand and is ideal for drip coffee makers.
This type of coffee maker uses a medium to medium-fine grind size. The finer grind causes the water to flow more slowly through the filter, which increases the extraction time.
The grind size you use will depend on your brewer, filters, and personal preferences, so you’ll have to experiment to see what works best with your pour-over brewer.
The medium grind setting is also the first grind level at which the Aeropress brewing method appears on the coffee grind chart.
Use Aeropress with medium grinds and brew for three minutes or more.
A syphon brewer may be the coolest way to make coffee, and these brewers work best with a medium-fine grind. These brewers use pressure to force water into the chamber holding the coffee grinds.
The coffee is finished brewing once it has been forced through the lower section. After the coffee has steeped for a sufficient amount of time, the heat is removed and a vacuum is formed. This vacuum causes the coffee to be forced through a lower section of the brewer, which filters out the grounds. The coffee is done brewing once it has been forced through the lower section.
Medium – Fine grind for cone-shaped Pour Overs, Espresso and Aeropress
Ground coffee that is the size of table salt should be used in a cone-shaped pour-over brewer or Aeropress. The brewing time should be two to three minutes.
Fine grind – Perfect for a Moka Pot, Espresso and Shorter Brew Aeropress
The size of the grind is about the size of granulated sugar.
This grind size is optimal for making espresso or an Aeropress with a brew time of one to two minutes.
To make coffee with a Moka pot, you should grind your beans to a medium-fine consistency, which is finer than a regular coffee grind, but not as fine as an espresso grind.
The espresso grind should be fine in order to maximize the contact time and produce the best flavor.
Extra-fine grinds – Recommended for Turkish Coffee
You only need to grind coffee into a flour-like consistency when using the Turkish coffee method. A Turkish coffee grinder can help you achieve a extra-fine grind.
How does grind size affect coffee taste
If your coffee grounds are too coarse, you may not extract all the flavor from the beans, resulting in coffee that tastes sour, salty, or acidic. If the grounds are too fine, you may extract too much flavor, resulting in coffee that tastes bitter and hollow.
The grind size is important to use because it influences how the coffee brews.
The coffee grind chart can only give you a general idea of how to grind your coffee. You will need to do your own experimenting to find the perfect grind for your coffee brewing.
If your coffee is too sour, try grinding your beans a little finer.
Too bitter? Grind coarser.
A good coffee grinder should be able to produce a consistent grind and shouldn’t cost too much. How important grind size is to your coffee’s taste means that the type of coffee grinder you use makes all the difference. A coffee grinder that is good should be able to produce a consistent grind and not cost too much.
There are two types of coffee grinders, blade grinders and burr grinders.
Final thoughts
The easiest and most effective way to control the taste of your coffee is with the size of your grinds.