Know your Coffee Grind Size

We enjoy our coffee in a lot of ways: espresso, black, latte, cappuccino and more. To achieve the perfect cup, there are factors to consider like type of bean, roast, freshness, brewing equipment, grind size, water, milk. Let's discuss more about the grind size.

Grind size refers to how big or small the individual coffee grounds are. It's one of the main variables that determines how fast the water will dissolve those particles that turn your water to taste like coffee. The usual terms used to describe the size of grind particles are "coarse" for big and "fine" for small.

Grind size greatly affects the coffee you brew. It is important to depend on the brewing equipment used to have the ideal grind size. The grind sizes that are usually used are French press (coarse), filter/pour over (medium) and Espresso (fine).

Here's a quick guide of the grind size for every coffee brewing process:

• Turkish coffee - fine as possible. The tiny particles of coffee grounds are needed for extraction speed.
• Espresso - slightly coarser, but still very finely. Espresso is brewed under high pressure, which increases extraction speed. The fine grind is pushed super-close together for an even espresso shot.
• Pour over and automatic drip machine - medium range. For smaller, single-serve pour overs can go a little finer. Since less water is used, it's going to be harder to extend the brew time, so the finer grind will help extract quickly.

• French press - coarse. This grind is larger because the filter of the French press would let too many small particles through if ground finer.

Shop your French press here.

• Cold brew - pretty coarsely. Need to have a coarse grind because of the extended brew time and its filtration.
  
  

You can grind your whole coffee beans at home with your chosen coffee grinders (hand or electric). It usually has a number of adjustments to fit with your brewing machine.

 

The lower a percentage of the brown stuff in your coffee grounds extracted into your cup, the more acidic your coffee will be. The higher a percentage, the more bitter. If your French press tastes too sour and is missing a bunch of sweetness, grind a little bit finer and it should taste more balanced.

Remember that every coffee is different, so you're not going to get a dark-roasted coffee to taste bright just by grinding coarse, and you're not going to get a light roasted coffee to taste like dark chocolate by grinding fine. With the right tools and method used, you will get the right brew. Our barista shared a brewing method that we include in the description list of each product in store. We recommend you to try to best enjoy your coffee!