If you are a beginner in the field of coffee brewing, grasping the concept of grind size could prove to be quite complex. You may wonder about the optimal grind consistency for different brew methods such as cold brew, espresso, or French press.
Most beginners do not put a lot of effort into knowing the grind size. They usually prefer buying pre-ground beans instead of grinding beans at home.
So, if you also do not know about the coffee grind size and want to learn it, you are at the right place. Here, you will learn everything about coffee grind size and how it can help you make a delicious cup of coffee.
Why Does Grind Size Matter?
The grind size can greatly affect the texture and flavor of the coffee. The bland, tasteless or delicious taste of coffee is usually because of the grind size. The reason behind it is that the coffee machine extracts flavor from the coffee ground.
Other than flavor, they also extract the amount of caffeine from ground coffee. On grinding the coffee beans finer, you might end up expanding the ground surface area.
The increase in exposed surface area of will also impacts the extraction rate. The extraction usually gets faster once the ground surface area gets increased.
This is the reason that the coffee for the espresso machine is fine. Besides, if you look at the cold brew, you will find that it uses coarse-ground coffee. The cold extraction method used in cold brew makes both the water and coffee remain together for a longer period.
Texture
As previously mentioned, grind size plays an essential role in deciding the texture of the coffee. If you notice anything wrong in the taste of the coffee, it might be because you have used the wrong grind size.
Sometimes, coffee lovers complain about the bitter or silty cup of French press coffee due to the grind size.
On the other hand, if you use a metal filter such as a percolator, grinding too finely can make the coffee ground reach the filter perforations, which will result in a salty texture. Other than salty, you might observe a cloudy or overly texture because of it.
Flavor
Other than texture, the flavor of the coffee also gets affected because of the coffee grind size. If you want to get the best-tasting coffee, make sure to extract the beans well.
Extracting the beans well will help you attain high-quality tasting coffee. During the extraction process, the water will move through the coffee ground, which will extract flavor from it.
Further, it would help if you also were careful during the brewing process. Make sure not to under-extract or over-extract it if you want to get the best outcome.
What is Ideal French Press Grind Size?
There are two most suitable grind sizes for the French press: one is coarse, and the other is medium. You can use any of the grind sizes while using the French press method.
However, most experts suggest the use of coarse grind if you plan for a regular brewing method. Most coffee lovers usually go for a medium-fine grind which is not a good option.
However, if you want a bitter coffee and a salty taste, medium-fine will also work fine. Other than this, you should avoid the use of a medium-fine grind.
Once you use the right grind size, you will get the best taste, which will enhance your experience. With the French press, you will find it hard to attain the desired outcome if you use a too fine grind, while if the grind is too coarse, then plunging will occur fast.
What is the Ideal Espresso Grind Size?
When using the espresso machine for brewing, you should go for a fine grind. You will obtain much better results on using fine grind with the espresso machine.
If you have used the right grind size, your taste buds will surely tell you by making you realize the taste. If the taste is delicious, then you have used a good grind size.
On the other hand, if you struggle to attain quality taste, there is something wrong with the grind size. Try changing the grind size if you are not getting the desired outcome.
Using a different grind size and experimenting will surely work for you. However, you do not need to experiment with espresso as fine grind is suitable for it.
Types of Coffee Grind Sizes
If we look at coffee grinds, they have three prime sizes. Here is a comprehensive guide about all the seven coffee grind sizes.
By knowing about these coffee grind sizes, you can decide which one will be more suitable to add to your favorite drink. No matter what type of grind size you choose, make sure to go for freshly ground coffee.
Extra Coarse Grind
The extra coarse grind contains large particles like crushed peppercorns. If you compare the size of extra coarse grind with Kosher salt grains, it is a little bit bigger.
They are slightly ground and have a rough texture. To attain the extra coarse grind, you will need to set large settings on burr grinders or blade grinders.
This type of grind size is more suitable for cowboy-style coffee as well as a cold brew. Apart from these types of coffees, you can also use this grind size in various other coffees.
However, try not to use fine grind with the cold brew coffee as it might not give you the taste you want. To attain this grind size, you will need to use an appropriate grinder.
Other than the grinder, the proper working mode is also necessary to acquire the best outcome. Most experts recommend the use of an electric burr grinder as it works in a much better way.
Coarse Grind
Coarse bean seems like Kosher or sea salt. Because of the size, the coarse grind is considered a suitable option for the French press and percolators.
Other than a French press, some users also use coarse grind to make flat white, latte and cappuccino. On using the coarse grind, if you get a sour taste coffee, make sure to alter the size of the coffee grind.
The sour taste of coffee usually indicates that you should go for finer coffee grounds. Other than this, if the taste is too bitter, it indicates that you have over-extracted the coffee ground.
To fix the over-extracted coffee issue, you will require using a new coarse grind. Besides adding a new coarse grind, you can minimize the immersion time to deal with the over-extraction concern.
In the coarse grind, we need to perform the grinding a little; as a result, we attain large ground coffee beans chunks. Once you mix coarse grind with water, you will notice it absorbing it slowly. Besides, the extraction time of the coarse grind is also slow.
Medium-Coarse Grind
A medium-coarse grind is another type of coffee grind size with a rough sand texture. This type of coffee grind is in-between medium and coarse grind levels. It also works great with the Chemex brewer.
Most coffee lovers use the medium-coarse in drip coffee brewing. The reason behind it is that the medium-coarse gives much better results for the drip coffee brewing method than any other grind size.
Apart from drip brew, pour-over, Aeropress and siphon also work great with the medium-coarse grind. So, you can choose brewing methods according to the size of the grind available.
For example, the medium-fine coffee grind will be a more suitable option for a cone-shaped pour-over method. However, keep in mind that various pour-over brewers are present in the market, and each requires a different grind size. Therefore, make sure that the type of grind size you choose is also suitable for the brewer.
If you are confused about which grind size will be fine for which brewer, do not worry, as you can conduct various experiments to know which grind size fits well with the brewer you will prefer. Additionally, the medium-coarse coffee beans are slightly smoother and less chunky.
Medium Grind
When it comes to the pre-ground beans, the medium grind is quite popular. It has a smoother sand texture. If you want to go for a siphon brewer or drip coffee maker, then the medium grind will be ideal for you. Other than the siphon and drip-coffee machine, it also works fine with AeroPress.
However, while using it with Aeropress, make sure to brew it for over three minutes to get the best results. Further, the medium grind is in between the medium-coarse grind and the medium-fine grind.
Medium-Fine Grind
The medium-fine grind will be a suitable choice for pour-over coffee lovers. This type of grind gives optimal results if used with the pour-over coffee. The medium-fine grind is finer than sand.
Besides, it also fits various other brew methods such as Aeropress and cone-shaped brewers. Most beginners usually struggle to differentiate between the finer grinds and medium-fine because of the size.
Both the medium fine and finer grinder seem quite similar. The medium-fine grind seems like a talk salt and gives a feel similar to the medium grind.
Fine Grind
Fine grind is another popular grind size that is also known as espresso grind. Most of the pre-ground coffee appears in fine grind size. If we compare it with table salt, the fine grind is a little finer.
However, it is not powder, and you can still differentiate coffee particles from another in the fine grind. If you want to attain a bold and strong coffee, then a fine grind will be more suitable for you.
Besides, this kind of grind works well with the home espresso maker. However, make sure that the coffee is finer enough to sustain 20 to 30 seconds needed to prepare delicious espresso.
Other than this, it takes more time for brewing. The fine-grind coffee will help you attain a tasty espresso. You can also utilize fine grind if you are going for a Moka pot method.
Extra Fine Grind
The last type of grind size is the extra fine grind. Though the extra-fine grind is not very much popular, it is still worth experiencing. It is only suitable for Ibrik, which is a Turkish coffee.
To get the best result from the extra-fine grind, you may require a Turkish coffee grinder. A Turkish coffee grinder will help you attain a fine and consistent grind. Besides, its texture is similar to powder or flour. If we compare it with espresso, the extra fine is finer than it.
You will also need to use the finest grind setting while using this type of grind. Therefore, if you want to try Turkish coffee, then make sure to use an extra-fine grind to get the desired outcome.
Conclusion
Do you want to attain the best tasting coffee? If so, then you must prefer a suitable coffee grind size and brewing method. Using the accurate coffee grind and the brewing method will help you attain a perfect cup of coffee.
Further, some experts do not recommend using a blade grinder during the grinding of coffee beans. If possible, you should go for suitable burr grinders as they will give you the best result in terms of coffee grinding.
Other than this, try to attain precise grind size as required by the brewing method. For this, try to do the proper setting of your conical burr grinder to get the desired grind size.
Besides, if you know the grind size and the suitable brewing method, things will become easier. Extra coarse, coarse, medium-coarse, medium, medium-fine, fine, and extra-fine grind are the sizes you can try.
We have explained in detail all these grind sizes in this article. We have also described the brewing method that will be suitable for these grind sizes.
Other than this, you can also take help from a coffee grind size chart to know about the correct grind size. The coffee grind chart will make you know about all the grind sizes available.
