Coffee Grind Size - what grind do I use and why?
TLDR; The grind size of your coffee significantly impacts the overall flavour and you should change grind size based on your brew method. Coarser grinds for slower brew methods, like french-press, medium for pour overs (chemex & V60) and fine grinds for fast methods like espresso. If you’re spending big bucks on specialty coffee, it’s imperative you invest in a good quality grinder.
Welcome to the world of specialty coffee, where attention to detail is just as important as the end result. While the intricate details of crafting the ideal cup can be intimidating, Acreage Coffee aims to simplify them so they make sense first thing in the morning! In this article, we'll go in-depth on grind size and its impact on extraction and the flavour that ends up in your morning cup. The grind size used by baristas, coffee shop owners, and homebrewers has a big impact on the taste, aroma, and overall enjoyment of your cup of coffee. So let's get started and see why grinding and more specifically, grind size, is so important in the specialty coffee world.
So first things first - Why does grind size matter and what impact does it have on my coffee?
Simply put, grind size describes the size of the coffee grounds produced after the beans are ground. Coarser grinds produce larger coffee particles, finder grinds produce smaller particles. The coffee's extraction time and therefore its flavour and aroma will vary depending on the grind size. If there’s one question I get asked most about when people are ordering coffee, it’s ‘what grind size is right for a particular brew method’? It can be intimidating, however, if you’re asking about grind size you’re already a coffee aficionado!
So then, what exactly is the difference between a coarse, medium and finely ground coffee?
The good news is that baristas, specialty coffee roasters and the best cafes near you will know how their coffee performs in different brew methods and at what grind. However, when buying coffee, the team at Acreage Coffee always recommends you purchase whole beans when you can. Coffee that is pre-ground goes stale significantly faster than whole beans. That means you are probably grinding your own coffee at home. It’s impossible for me to tell you what ‘setting’ you should have your grinder on.
As James Hoffman (find out more about James here or look him up on YouTube) points out in his brilliant book ‘The World Atlas of Coffee’ there is no standard between manufacturers. Therefore a setting of ‘8’ on a Breville coffee grinder may not be anything close to an ‘8’ on a Eureka Mignon, in fact they may have a completely different scale altogether. This makes it really hard to recommend a particular grind setting and so instead, it’s much easier to use a recipe and to time and taste your extraction based on your individual set up. Having said that, I’ll try and explain how acreage categorises different grind sizes:
Coarse - This should be the consistency of table salt, the coarser you grind, generally speaking, the more uneven or inconsistent your grinds will be. A coarse grind is ideal because it enables the coffee to steep for a longer period of time without over-extracting. This longer brew method allows more of the soluble parts of the coffee to be extracted into the cup. Due to the relatively long brew time the particles of coffee don’t have to be as small to achieve extraction. As a result, the coffee has a rich texture and is strong and full-bodied.
Medium - The consistency of sand. Medium is probably the most ambiguous descriptor as it’s literally somewhere in the middle. You should achieve a great balance between extracting enough flavour without it taking too long and muting the ‘bright’ flavour notes. Medium grind is excellent for pour overs such as a chemex or V60. As a result of the water passing through the grounds more quickly due to the medium grind size, the flavours extracted are very well-balanced and a ‘clean’ cup is produced.
Fine - The consistency of caster sugar. A fine grind is best for espresso, mainly due to the speed at which the shot is extracted. In a pour over or french press the water is in contact with the grounds for multiple minutes. Part of the attraction of espresso is how fast it is, the water is only in contact with the coffee for around 10 seconds. It’s because of this speed that a fine grind is so important. Increasing the surface area of the coffee as much as possible forces more water to be in contact with more of the coffee resulting in more of the delicious flavours ending up in your cup!
Grind size and quality have a massive impact on the overall flavour, aroma, and therefore, enjoyment of your cup of specialty coffee. You can take charge of your brewing process and produce the ideal cup every time by learning the various grind sizes, what they're best used for, and how they affect extraction. Whether you're a barista, owner of a coffee shop, or just brewing at home, upgrading your coffee equipment and taking the time to select the proper grind size will improve your game and move you closer to making a genuinely unforgettable cup of coffee. So go ahead and grind your way to the ideal cup while taking pleasure in the straightforward, down to earth pleasures of a cup of coffee.
Need some good coffee to practice with? Buy some here!