How to Grind Coffee (and Get the Perfect Cup)
A great cup of coffee can make (or break) your morning. But to get that perfect cup, one needs to know the perfect grind size. And that’s why one of our most commonly asked questions is ‘how to grind coffee’. Which is followed closely by, ‘what's the perfect grind size for the perfect cup?’ Unfortunately, there’s no one set answer to either question. But we can share our views on how to grind coffee to suit your unique taste right from the comfort of your own kitchen.
How to Grind Coffee
This is one of our most frequently asked questions for a good reason–it’s easy to get wrong. You might be following all the instructions perfectly. You may have the most amazing beans (that you got right here!). And you could have highly tested and consistent brewing methods. But if you haven't got your grinding method right, the end result can let you down.
What is Coffee Grinding?
Firstly, if you're reading this, it’s fairly likely that you love a cup of freshly ground coffee. It tastes much more delicious than pre-ground coffee, and whole beans have a longer shelf life than ground coffee. Ultimately, coffee grinding is how you extract the flavour from expertly roasted coffee beans. The fresher the beans, the fresher the coffee and the fresher the flavour!
There are various methods for grinding coffee beans. But we recommend using the burr grinder. Basically, the burr grinder crushes the coffee beans between two serrated discs called burrs which gives a more consistently uniform ground. This means that each ground can be extracted to the same degree— resulting in a better tasting coffee.
Understanding Under Extraction and Over Extraction
When learning how to grind coffee, you need to understand how coarse, medium and fine grinds affect the brewing process, in particular, under and over extraction.
Too Coarse = Under Extraction
In general, too coarse a grind means that you won’t get enough flavour out of the coffee. This is known as under extraction. You’ll know you’ve under extracted your coffee when it tastes too weak, watery or acidic. To find out if your grind size is too coarse, try to grind your coffee slightly finer next time, brew using your normal method and allow your taste buds to gauge if you've achieved enough flavour.
Too Fine = Over Extraction
Too fine grinds can result in bitter tasting coffee and an astringent feeling in the mouth. This is known as over extraction. Over extracted coffee does not make for a pleasant experience (we can tell you that for sure!). If you find your coffee is over extracted, our first recommendation would be to coarsen up your grind and try again, keeping the brew method and temperature consistent.
Finding the grinding sweet spot for your chosen bean, roast, and brewing method is the key to how to grind coffee.
Tips on How to Grind Coffee to Match Your Brewing Method
A finer ground (which may look something like a fine granulated sugar particle) means there is more surface area of the grounds, making for a faster extraction. This means a finer ground is best suited to quicker brewing methods, such as French press brewing, espresso, Moka Pot, AeroPress or for your electric filter coffee maker.
On the other hand, coarser grounds that range from the size of a grain of sea salt to rock salt, are more suited to a longer brewing process such as cold brew. The cold-extraction method means the coffee is immersed in the water for a much longer period of time, often anything from eight to 24 hours. It's easy to make the grind too fine for this method. But a slightly coarser grind is uniquely suited to give you the best results.
Even with these tips, there’s variation between what grind size is best suited to which brew method you use to make your coffee. With experimentation and practice, you will discover how to set your grind for your coffee for your unique tastes and brewing method. And check out our Brew Guide: Choosing the Right Coffee Grind Size. It’ll give you a great place to start!
How to Grind Coffee for the Perfect Cup–It’s Up to You!
At the end of the day, what makes a perfect cup of coffee is completely up to you. There’s no one size fits all option. And that’s why there’s no definitive answer to the question of how to grind coffee for the perfect cup. Instead, making the perfect cup of coffee at home is a process of experimentation. But trust us, you’ll have lots of fun getting it right!
The best coffee starts with great beans. You can shop all of our coffees here and get started finding your perfect grind.