Nailing your coffee grind is the key to an amazing cup of coffee. Different brew methods require different sized grind to ensure you are getting enough contact between the brew water and coffee grounds. We are going to run through the most common brew methods people use to make coffee and the corresponding grind size that should be used. Keep in mind these grind sizes are meant as a starting out point, coffee brewing is supposed to be tweaked and modified to suit the brewers palette, we encourage you to try incremental changes in these recipes in order to get the brew that tastes best to you.
Espresso (Fine Grind)
The finest grind size in specialty coffee, this should have a consistency between table salt and flour. This is the most common grind you will come across and if you are buying pre ground coffee it will usually be espresso grind, unless labelled otherwise. If you are finding your shots dripping out of the portafilter in a thick black sludge your grind needs to be coarser, if your shots are gushing out and are watery and flavorless make your grind finer. Your espresso shots should generally take 25-30 seconds from start to finish.
Stove top Percolator (Medium Fine Grind)
Noticeably coarser than your espresso grind similar in appearance to fine sand. The coffee should slowly trickle through your percolator spout and give you a thick, rich coffee. If it gushes out and gives you a watery brew try making the grind finer. If the percolator takes a long time to brew and leaves you with a bitter burnt brew try making the grind coarser.
Delter press/ Aeropress (Medium Fine Grind)
Slightly coarser than percolator grind. When pressing your coffee the water should push through slowly. If you find your press offers no resistance when plunging make your grind finer, if it’s very hard to push through and leaves you needing to ice your shoulder after, try making the grind coarser.
Kalita Dripper (Medium Grind)
Similar coarseness to table salt. The flat bottom design of the Kaltia means that it requires grind similar to but slightly finer than a regular pour over method. If brew should take light, sweet and bright, if the brew is overly bitter and brew time runs over 3 minutes for a single cup (250ml) try making your grind courser if the brew time is under a minute make your grind finer.
V60 Dripper/ Moccamaster/ pour over (Medium Grind)
Slightly coarser than Kalita grind. This grind is ideal for drippers with a cone shape design and single dripper hole.Your brew should be full flavoured with little bitterness, if the brew is overly bitter and brew time runs over 3 minutes for a single cup (250ml) try making your grind courser if the brew time is under a minute make your grind finer.
Clever Dripper/ Chemex (Medium Coarse)
Your grind for this brew method should have the coarseness of sea salt or coarse sand. If you find your grind is clogging the bottom of the brewer and not filtering through your grind is too fine, if your brew runs freely through the grounds and is weak and watery try making your grind finer.
French Press/ Plunger (Coarse Grind)
Grind for this brew method should be coarser than sea salt. If you find your brew is watery try making grind finer if overly bitter make coarser. Due to the plunger method it is fairly forgiving with grind size, grind should ot be so fine that it passes through your mesh plunger filter.
Cold Brew (Extra Coarse)
Cold brew grind should have quite a large particle size, similar in appearance to cracked pepper. Due to the immersion method that cold brew uses and the 16-24hr infusion time grind size is quite forgiving. Grind size should be course kept coarse to ensure fewer coffee fines in the final brew and allow the brew drain freely. Too fine and your coffee will form a coffee sludge that will take forever to drain out.
If you need any other recommendations on what grind size you should be using for your brew method of choice, come in and visit us at our roastery/cafe in Myaree, or contact us via email or social media.
