It makes sense that to make a great cup of coffee, you should use high-quality beans, but if you don’t treat them right, you can end up with a cup of coffee that doesn’t taste as good as you were expecting. Grind size plays a huge part in how your coffee tastes. It changes the way water extracts flavour, and different grind sizes suit different brewing methods.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best grind size for your favourite brewing method so you can always get the best coffee from your beans.
Why Grind Size Matters
Whatever your chosen brewing method, grind size changes how fast water flows through the grounds, which impacts extraction time and flavour. A finer grind creates more surface area for water to come into contact with, which speeds up extraction, while a coarse grind reduces surface area and slows down extraction.
If your grind size is too fine for your chosen method, you can end up with over-extraction, which creates bitter and astringent flavours. On the other hand, if your grind size is too coarse, your coffee will be under-extracted and can taste weak or sour. The right grind size should create a balanced extraction, creating aromatic, rich flavours with no harsh notes.
Understanding Grind Sizes
There are six main grind sizes, sometimes measured in microns, though it’s usually more practical to identify them visually.
- Extra Coarse: Chunky, similar to rock salt or chilli flakes.
- Coarse: Looks like sea salt.
- Medium Coarse: Rough sand.
- Medium: Table salt.
- Fine: Caster Sugar.
- Extra Fine: Powdery, similar to flour.
The key to the perfect cup of coffee is to consider the extraction time, and matching it to the correct grind size.
The Best Grind for Each Brewing Method
Cold Brew
Use an extra coarse grind. These big particles and low surface area will allow for a very long steeping time (12-24 hours), where maximum flavour can be extracted without bitterness.
French Press
A coarse grind is best, allowing a usual 4 minute brewing time for a full-bodied coffee, without creating too many fine particles which could escape the mesh and create sediment in your cup.
Chemex Filter
Chemex filters are thicker and designed to flow slower than a regular filter, so a medium coarse grind works best, allowing good extraction time while still letting water flow freely without clogging the filter with too many fine particles.
Pour-Over or Filter Coffee
Compared to a Chemex, water will flow faster in a regular filter, so a medium grind helps ensure your coffee isn’t under-extracted. This is true whether you are using a pour-over filter or a drip coffee machine.
Espresso
This method has a very short brew time, so a fine grind is necessary to allow proper extraction. In an espresso machine, finely ground coffee will compact together tightly, slowing the water and creating pressure necessary for this extraction method. A fine grind is essential to create a rich, concentrated flavour and smooth crema, but too fine can clog espresso machines.
Turkish Coffee
An extra fine grind is used for Turkish coffee due to its short brewing time. Unlike espresso, which relies on pressure, Turkish coffee is fully immersed in water, so the finer grind ensures proper and even extraction.
Dialling in Your Grind Size
While each brewing method has a preferred grind size, coffee beans and equipment can vary, and sometimes your grind size may need some tweaking.
If you find your coffee weak, sour and under-extracted, you can grind your coffee finer. Or if your coffee is bitter and harsh, you can try grinding your coffee more coarsely.
If you’re working with new equipment and not sure what grind to use, you can also try experimenting by going to one extreme of coarseness and tweaking it from there.
Coffee is part science, part art, so have fun experimenting and finding your perfect cup with Inglewood Coffee Roasters.