A fresh cup of coffee in the morning is a demand of every coffee lover’s soul and body. Imagining a day without coffee is like imagining an ocean without water. One of my coffee-lover friends used to say, “Humanity runs on coffee.” So, are you that guy?
Well, I assume you are, and that’s why you are here. I am a great lover of coffee. So, I know we are always looking for different ways of increasing the taste of our coffee. And when it comes to doing that, the most important factor is coffee ground.
In this article, we will talk about different types of coffee grounds and how they affect the taste of your beloved coffee.
Why Is Coffee Grind Important?
Coffee beans require grinding to let the original flavor extract from the beans into the water in your cup. However, the quality, freshness, and size of the beans have a major impact on the taste of your coffee.
The moment you grind the coffee beans, their flavor will start to get dull as the oxygen will come in direct contact with the beans. Also, the smell of freshly ground coffee is alluring. What matters most is selecting the correct ground size.
For a beginner, it could be quite challenging to select the correct ground size. But if you can manage to do it, it will elevate the freshness and taste of your coffee to a new level. Here’s how it works, when your coffee comes in direct contact with the water, different types of flavor in it emerge at different times.
At first, you receive that acidic flavor then, the sharp flavor kicks in, and at the end, you receive the elevating bitter flavors. And there’s this juicy, sweet, joyous flavor lurking somewhere in the middle that fills your mouth with a sprightly delight.
Whether you will be able to extract the coffee correctly or not depends on the duration of coffee and water contact. The size of the ground particles also plays a big role here. If you can do it correctly, then your coffee will taste sweet and delicious.
On the other hand, if you over-extract the coffee, it will taste bitter and burnt, and, if you under-extract it, you will get the salty and sour flavor out of your coffee. I hope you wouldn’t like to try out that and, the worst-case scenario would be offering your guest a taste of that. I can assure you he isn’t coming back to your place that soon.
Whole Bean or Pre-Ground?
Processing the coffee beans from seed to fresh coffee beans requires a long procedure. Once the process is done, it will start to age quickly. The principal difference between a whole bean and pre-ground is flavor, scent, and freshness.
When you have pre-ground coffee, you won’t have to bother grinding it. Almost nothing can go wrong there. But remember, you will miss the freshness of your homebrew. On the other hand, the whole bean will offer you great freshness. But there’s one condition, you need to store them properly.
Well, if you have never tasted a fresh whole bean coffee, it would be quite hard to tell the difference between these two. The flavor and aroma of the fresh brew are beyond compliment.
Here, one of the best examples could be a freshly baked brownie. When you first get them out of the oven and cool them down to a friendly temperature, you will receive the best taste ever.
But if you leave them out for too long, their natural aroma and flavor will dull down soon. The grounded coffee works in the same way. The faster you taste it the, better taste you get.
Types of Coffee Grinders
There are different types of coffee grinders to offer you a variety of flavors and tastes. In this section, we will talk about two types. One is a blade grinder and another burr grinder. Let’s have a look at Blade vs Burr Grinders.
Burr Grinder
Burr grinder comes with two serrated plates that help to crush up all the beans. They spit out the coffee beans once you have crushed them into the ideal size. And because of that, they will offer much more ground production than a blade grinder. They are usually constructed from steel or ceramic.
But a steel burr would deliver you a great performance and also, they come under a budget price. But ceramic burr grinder will last for a long. People generally use it when it comes to grinding manually.
Blade Grinder
If you are a beginner and don’t want to deal with the hassle of manual grinding, then a blade grinder would be your ideal choice. A blade grinder is also known as a propeller grinder because its blades spin like an airplane’s propeller.
It’s not that good at delivering even grounds, and those uneven grounds will affect the taste of the brew. But don’t worry; it won’t spoil the whole taste of your coffee.
Popular Coffee Grind Sizes
You know, you can also grind coffee without a grinder. Here you may know How to Grind Coffee without a Grinder. But having a grinder just makes the process a lot easier and faster.
Now, in this section, we will talk about the most popular coffee grinding sizes. The different grinding methods need different sizes of coffee beans. Let’s get into the details.
Coarse Grind Best for French Press
When it comes to brewing your coffee using a French Press, you need to do a coarse grind. It looks like something chunky. As your coffee is marinated in boiling water, the contact duration between coffee and water is a lot longer, and this is where you need a coarser grind.
But if you grind the coffee too coarse, it might make your coffee weak. On the other hand, grinding it too fine will turn it murky and make it taste bitter.
Medium Coarse Grind Best for Pour Over
If you want to have a great pour-over coffee, the best option you have is a medium-coarse grind. The grind size is quite similar to the French Press grind. But it’s not that chunky and feels a bit smoother.
You will find different types of pour-over brewers out there and, for each of them; you will require a bit different grind. To find the best taste for you, do some experiments. Remember, the more time your coffee stays in contact with water, the faster it will lose its original flavor and taste.
Extra Coarse Grind Best for Cold Brew
Extra coarse grind looks somewhat like kosher sea salt. It is mostly used when it comes to cold brewing. They are slightly ground, and most often apply the largest setting on your burr grinder. You can easily identify them by their rough texture but, still, you will be able to see the shape of the real beans.
Medium Grind Best for Siphon Coffee Maker
When it comes to making siphon coffee, you will need a medium-sized grind between espresso and filter but keep it close to your filter size. This process uses a metal filter and cloth to create and full body and clean up.
If you grind it too fine, you know, it will clog your filter and, I’m sure you don’t expect them to be too big. If the grinds get too big, then it will decrease the flavor as the brewing process will be faster.
Fine Grind Best for Stovetop Espresso Maker
A fine grind will suit the best for a stovetop espresso maker. You will get a bit coarser result compared to a regular espresso maker. In a fine grind, the water comes in contact with the coffee grind in a very short time.
Pressure starts to rise in your espresso maker and, that pushes water through the fine grinds. You know espresso is one of the most sensitive coffee types out there. So if the beans get a bit coarser or less fine, it can highly affect the taste of your espresso.
Medium Fine Grind Best for Cone Shaped Pour Over
Medium fine grind appears to be as smoother as sand. When it comes to cone-shaped pour-overs, AeroPress brewer and vacuum brewer medium-fine grind is the best choice you have. It just requires two to three minutes of brewing time.
Extra Fine Grind Best for Turkish Coffee Maker
Turkish coffee comes with a strong flavor with fine grinds. So, you know, it will surely require an extra fine grind.
The coffee grinds look somewhat like powdered sugar making it one of the finest out there. Because of such a fine appearance, some grinders won’t be able to process Turkish coffee.
The Coffee Grind Chart: Comparing Each Grind’s Size
Trust m; your eyes aren’t that good at judging a medium coffee grind from a medium-fine coffee grind. This is why we have made this simple chart for you to understand it better. Hope you will find it helpful.
|
Coffee Maker |
Grind Size |
Characteristics |
|
French Press |
Coarse |
Flaky and chunky |
|
Turkish Coffee |
Extra Fine |
Powdery & light |
|
Espresso Machine |
Fine |
Soft & bit finer |
|
Drip |
Medium-coarse |
Similar to rough |
|
Customized Brew |
Medium-coarse |
Similar to rough |
|
Stovetop Espresso |
Coarse |
Flaky and chunky |
|
Percolator |
Coarse |
Looks like peppercorns |
Final Words
Brewing coffee is an art. To get used to the proper method, you will need good practice, basic knowledge, and the proper materials. Most of the people out there lack at least one of these and, that’s why maybe you still haven’t got to taste the true flavor of a coffee.
People think that coffee ground is not a big deal. All they need is coffee beans, hot water, and a grinder. They don’t realize how different types of coffee grounds affect the coffee taste. I hope after reading this article, now, you are clear about the process. That’s all for today.