Coffee Grinding Explained
How to grind coffee for each type of coffee brewing method
Getting the right grind size is key to getting a tasty cup of coffee. Grinding coffee correctly can hugely improve the quality of your home brew, so it’s worth learning some coffee grinding basics if you want to enjoy a delicious cup.
Questions about the grind size answered
What grind size should I use? What is the best grind size for espresso, AeroPress or filter coffee? What difference does grind size make in coffee flavors? These are very common questions about grinding coffee beans and we have some answers.
In this article we will talk about the following topics:
- coffee grind sizes and grind names
- how to measure the grind size
- the right coarseness for each brew type
- answers to some common questions about grinding coffee
First, let’s specify what we exactly refer to when talking about different grind sizes.
Coffee grind sizes explained
What are the main grinds of coffee? What are the measurements of each grind size?
Here are short descriptions of how each grind size looks and feels, as well as the grind sizes measurements.
7 coffee grind sizes and their measurements
- Extra fine grind – feels soft like flour, sticks together when pressed – 0.1 mm
- Fine grind – feels soft and sticks together when pressed, looks like table salt – 0.2 – 0.35 mm
- Medium fine grind – feels gritty and looks like sillica sand – 0.5 mm
- Medium grind – feels crumbly, looks like ground pepper – 0.6 mm
- Medium coarse grind – feels and looks like coarse sand – 0.7 – 0.8 mm
- Coarse grind – feels like coarse sea salt – 1 mm
- Extra coarse grind – peppercorns size 1.5 mm
Coffee grinding tips
How to measure coffee grind size
There are a few ways of measuring coffee, but not all of them are precise. You can simply assess the grind by the eye, or if you want to be more precise, you can use a brewler or a sifter.
Coffee grind size measuring tools
Consistency of the grind size
Is consistency of the grind important?
Yes, it’s very important. Inconsistency in the grind size may be the reason why coffee doesn’t taste as good as it should or you may get some undesirable flavors in your cup. If the coffee grounds are different sizes, some bits will be under extracted, others over extracted. This may cause unexpected bitterness (over extraction) or the opposite – your coffee may be weak (under extraction).
How to achieve a consistent grind?
There is a simple answer to this: get a good coffee grinder. High quality grinder equals a consistent grind size. This is a piece of coffee equipment worth spending some money on and one of the first accessories you should get when building your home coffee bar.
Good coffee grinder = consistent grind
Now, let’s look into the right coarseness of the grind for each coffee maker.
How to grind coffee depending on the brewing method
Should you use different grind level for different brewing methods?
Yes, you need to change the grind size depending on the brewing method or coffee brewer you are using. How? Generally speaking, the longer the water is going to stay in contact with the coffee grounds, the coarser the grind should be.
The grind size will have an influence on the coffee and water contact time, which depends on the flow rate as well as the contact surface area. All these determine how much extraction will take place – the finer the grind, the more extraction. Also, the finer the grind, the more pressure you will need to use to extract the coffee. That’s why we use finer grind for pressure coffee makers and coarser grind for immersion brewing.
So what should my grind size be?
What grind size for what brew – explained
What coarseness of the grind is right for which coffee maker?
Here is a list of coffee brewers with grind sizes for each of them:
- Cold brew – extra coarse
- French Press – coarse
- Percolator – coarse
- Cupping – coarse
- Clever dripper – medium coarse
- The Chemex – medium coarse
- Filter coffee (pour over), flat bottom filters – medium coarse
- Sage precision brewer – medium
- Hario V60 – medium
- The vacuum pot (siphon) – medium
- Electric drip coffee maker – medium to medium fine
- Filter coffee (pour over), cone-shaped filters – medium to medium fine
- Espresso coffee machine – fine
- Moka Pot – fine
- Vietnamese coffee – fine
- AeroPress – extra fine
- Turkish coffee – extra fine
These are the most popular coffee makers and the recommended types of coffee grind. Here you will also find a handy easy to read coffee grind chart.
FAQs
Does the grind size change the flavor of coffee?
How does grind size affect flavor?
Yes, the grind size changes the extraction and flavors released into your coffee. Fine grind increases extraction and coarse grind slows it down. If the beans are too finely ground, coffee may be too weak. Under extracted coffee may be salty or sour and over extracted coffee will be bitter or can even taste burnt.
As the coffee comes into contact with water, different flavours are extracted at different stages of brewing. At the beginning, acidic flavors come out, sweetness and fruitiness in the middle, then sharp flavours, and bitterness at the end. A well extracted cup of coffee will be aromatic, well balanced and have some sweetness to it.
Does finer grind make stronger coffee?
Yes. Fine grind increases extraction, so the brew will be stronger.
What happens if you grind coffee beans too fine? Can you over grind coffee beans?
Yes, you can actually over ground coffee beans.
If your grind is too fine, your coffee may taste bitter and can be over-extracted.
When should I adjust my grind size?
You need to check if you are using the right grind size if:
- you can’t pick up the flavors in your cup which coffee packaging is mentioning
- your coffee tastes too sour
- your coffee is too bitter
- there are unwanted flavors in your coffee
Should I change the grind size depending on the roast level?
Yes, the grind size should be different depending on the roast level. For the light roast, finer grind will be usually better. The reason for this is that lighter roasted beans have more moisture in them, which makes them less soluble, meaning there will be less extraction. On the other hand, dark roast needs a coarser grind. Dark roasted coffee is less dense, more soluble and extracts more quickly.
When should I grind my beans?
You should grind your coffee beans just before brewing. Grinding beans too early will spoil the quality of your brew. While ground coffee is sitting there waiting for you to use it, it loses its flavour and releases gases which will spoil your cup.
Why do we grind coffee?
And finally, why do we actually have to grind coffee beans? We need to crush or chop the coffee beans into small pieces, so the water can extract flavors from coffee.