If you’ve ever come into the store, and bought a bag of coffee, I can almost guarantee whoever was behind the counter would have asked you if you need the beans ground. No matter how it is you make your coffee, the beans of course need to be ground. But, it can be confusing to learn that the particular coarseness, fineness and uniformity of the grind plays a role in the process of making the cup of coffee you drink every day. The best way to think about it is: grind controls extraction, and extraction controls the flavour of your cup. If you are looking to get an at-home grinder, learning how to use one you already have or just want to know more about coffee, here are some important things you should know about how grind impacts brewing your coffee. 

Burr Grinders vs Blade Grinders

If you don’t have an at-home grinder, you likely have it ground in a roastery like ours, or you are buying preground from the store. Either way, you should know that not all coffee grinders are created equal. There are two different kinds of coffee grinders; burr grinders, and blade grinders. While blade grinders tend to be more inexpensive and quicker to use, burr grinders lend to a higher quality grind. It is important for good flavour that your coffee grounds are all uniform. You don’t want to have some fine and some coarse grinds, as that isn’t likely to lead to uniformity of taste. You want your grinds to be uniform, and you also want to know how coarse or fine your grind should be for your brewing method. 

Understanding Grind Size

Coffee grinds can range from fine to coarse, with anything from the texture of baking flour to sea salt. Moreover, different levels of grind size work best for different brewing methods. Generally, the longer the brew time, the coarser the grind should be. If you use an at-home espresso machine, your grind size would need to be quite fine, closer to a sand-like grind, as it only takes about thirty seconds to make an espresso. Cold Brew, on the other hand, takes a very coarse grind, closer to sea salt in size, as its processing takes hours of full immersion. 

Pre-Ground Coffee & At-Home Grinding

If you buy your coffee preground, or have us grind it for you in the shop, this likely hasn’t ever seemed like a concern. But, if you are buying preground coffee that wasn’t ground with your brew method in mind, it's possible you aren’t getting the best grind for your brewing method. Also, if you’ve gotten yourself an at-home grinder, or a machine with its own grinder, it can be hard to figure out how to refine your grind size to being just right for your brewing method. But, there are some ways to tell if your grind size is too coarse or too fine. The grind size in tandem with the brewing method can impact both the taste and the aroma of the coffee, which will help you to know if you need to make a change.

How Grind Size Affects Taste

If you are using something like a French Press, that requires a coarser grind, a fine grind will make for an over extracted cup of coffee. This can make for a cup of coffee that is ashy, bitter, and more harsh in flavour than many would prefer in their cup of coffee in the morning. On the other hand, say you are making espresso with a grind that is too coarse, this will lead to underextraction. Underextraction often tastes sour, sharp, and salty, with a weak body that lacks a complexity of flavour your coffee may otherwise have. 

There Are No Strict Rules (Just Preferences)

Now, I should say that some people may enjoy a more non-traditional grind for their particular method of brewing. Some people like a bit more of a bitter taste in their cup, so may go for a finer grind than recommended. While different grind sizes will have different impacts on the overall taste of your coffee, that doesn’t mean that there are truly hard and fast rules to this. It is entirely your right to enjoy coffee however speaks to your palate. No two palates are the same, and there is nothing wrong with that! As a general rule of thumb, if you’re finding your coffee too sour or that it brews too quickly, grind it finer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you find it’s too bitter, and brews too slowly, grind coarser. 

Final Thoughts: Finding Your Perfect Grind

The best part of grinding and making your coffee at home is the process of experimenting and playing around until you find what you like best. There are so many different brewing methods out there, too many to name. But, doing your own research and experimentation, or coming into the shop to speak to one of us is a step in the right direction when it comes to perfecting the best grind size for your ideal cup – we love nothing more than talking coffee. 

Not sure how fine to grind your beans? Here’s your quick guide:

• AeroPress: Medium-fine (like table salt)
• Chemex: Medium-coarse (like kosher salt)
• French Press: Coarse (like sea salt or cracked pepper)
• Hario V60: Medium (like granulated sugar)
• Clever Dripper: Medium (like granulated sugar)
• Automatic Drip Machine: Medium (like granulated sugar)
• Moka Pot: Fine (slightly coarser than espresso, like fine sand)
• Espresso Machine: Fine (like powdered sugar, but slightly gritty)
• Cold Brew: Extra coarse (like whole peppercorns)
• Percolator: Coarse (like sea salt)
• Siphon (Vac Pot): Medium (like granulated sugar)