To make great coffee at home, you need perfectly sized grounds. Because when it comes to coffee grounds, SIZE MATTERS!
I have seen most people doing it wrong. And you can’t enjoy the real flavors of coffee if you choose the wrong grind size.
Depending on the type of brewing method you use, there is different preferred grind size, and if you are like me, who switch types of coffee drinks regularly depending on the mood, you might end up mixing the grind sizes.
But Don’t Worry! You don’t have to remember them all. In this article, I will discuss seven different types of coffee grounds thoroughly, and provide you with a complete coffee grind size chart that you can download.
Coffee Grind Size Chart for all different coffee brewing methods
Hmm! You are not good at remembering things? Simply download this Coffee Grind Chart and keep it with you!
Just give it a look whenever you want to find the best grind size for any coffee drink.
There is a simple rule when deciding on a grind size for any type of coffee drink.
Coffee drinks like Cold Brew and French Press are immersion-type brewing methods in which grounds and water stay in contact for a long time. To prevent over-extraction we use a coarse grind size.
Espresso and Moka pot use pressurized water or steam during the process which contacts with water for only a few seconds. To prevent under-extraction we use fine grounds for Espresso.
In the middle, there are drip and pour-over brewing methods in which hot water extracts flavors from the coffee grounds for a few minutes. So for normal drip coffee, medium ground settings are the best.
Now let’s dive into why grind size matters and how it can affect your coffee taste.
Why does grind size matter, and how does it affect the taste of your coffee drink?
Even if you buy the freshest and best coffee beans, you will still get a bad cup of coffee if you use the wrong grind size.
While, as mentioned earlier, grind size is subjective to the type of coffee drink. Nevertheless, you will generally get under-extracted flavors if you use too coarse grounds and over-extracted flavors if you use too fine grounds.
While extraction of coffee flavors also depends on many other factors like the steeping time, coffee to water ratio, and water temperature. But the size of coffee grounds is the most prominent factor because the exposed surface area increases as the size of the grounds decreases. And as the surface area increases, the flavors get extracted readily (also the bitter flavors)
Under extracted coffee
Using too coarse grounds will result in an under-extracted coffee, leading to a brew that tastes overly acidic, sour, and diluted.
Note: This can also happen if you use too low a water temperature or give too little steeping time.
Over Extracted coffee
When the coffee grounds are too fine it will result in an over-extracted coffee, with an excessively bitter taste.
Note: This can also happen if you use too hot water or steep for too long a time.
It’s important to aim for a balanced coffee extraction, so all of the tasting notes can come out, producing a sweet, well-rounded, and mildly acidic coffee drink.
7 common types of coffee grind sizes
There are seven different common grind sizes ranging from Extremely fine to Extremely coarse, and I must say if you master them, you can brew every type of coffee drink at your home with the perfect taste.
Now let’s dive into the details of 7 popular grind sizes, what they look like, and what grind size is best for what brewing method.
Extreme fine
Extreme fine grounds look like flour or powder. These grounds are exclusively used for Turkish coffee; if you haven’t heard of Turkish coffee before, you probably not have also seen these grounds.
There are no filters involved in the Turkish brewing method, and all the grounds either dissolve entirely into the drink or settle at the bottom. That’s why extremely fine grounds are used so they can easily settle at the bottom and do not make your drink muddy.
If you are a fan of Extra strong coffee drinks, then you must try Turkish coffee.
Fine
Fine grind is the most popular grind size since it is utilized in the most popular brewing methods, i.e. Espresso. For that reason, it is also known as Espresso grinds.
The texture of fine grounds is like powdered sugar or a little finer than table salt.
Fine grounds are suitable for brewing processes that use pressurized water and short brewing time i-e, Espresso, Moka Pot, and Aero press (limit the brew time to 60-90 seconds)
Medium fine
A medium-fine grind is most suitable for brewing pour-over-style coffee drinks.
The texture of medium-fine grounds is compared to table salt and is a little finer than the sand.
Medium Fine grounds are for pour-over coffee lovers who want their coffee to be a little bitter and richer than normal. This grind size is perfect for cone-shaped brewers like Hario V60 and Kalita Wave and also for Aeropress coffee makers.
Medium
Medium grind size look like fine sand and lie exactly between Extreme coarse and Extreme Fine.
Like Medium Fine grounds, Medium grounds are also perfect for Pour-over coffee and cone-shaped brewers like Hario V60, Kalita Wave, and AeroPress (increase the brew time up to 3 to 4 minutes). It is also the most suitable grind size for Drip coffee machines.
For pour-over, you can use all three Medium Fine, Medium, and Medium-coarse grinds. It solely depends on your test. As you make the grind finer, your pour-over coffee will become more bitter and stronger. As you move towards the coarse settings, your drink will become smoother and more acidic.
Medium Coarse
Medium coarse grounds have an appearance similar to rough or coarse sand.
Medium Coarse can be used for French Press coffee if you want it stronger, but it can make your drink a little muddy.
This grind size is perfect for Chemex, Clever dripper coffee maker, and café solo brewer. The brewing style of these methods is similar to French Press but with the addition of a filter.
Coarse
Coarse Grind is also known as French Press Grind, with an appearance similar to sea salt.
Coarse Grind is well suited for French Press as it can easily be filtered out with the Metal strainer of the French Press coffee maker.
Coarse grounds are also used for Coffee cupping by Baristas. Cupping is the act of tasting, evaluating, and comparing coffees based on their flavor, quality, and potential.
Extreme coarse
The texture of extreme coarse grounds is similar to peppercorns, and you can easily get them by adjusting the grind settings of your burr grinder to the maximum.
Extreme coarse grind size is perfect for brewing Cold brew coffee because of the long immersion time. Otherwise, it will become too bitter if we use a fine grind size.
Cowboy coffee brewing style also uses Extreme coarse grounds.
Why you should grind your own coffee beans?
You might be thinking, why invest so much time and money in buying a grinder when you can easily purchase pre-ground coffee from a local store?
Well! The simple answer is “Maximum Freshness”. If you want quality coffee with full flavors, then you should grind your beans right before brewing.
According to coffee experts, freshly roasted beans maximize in flavor within two weeks of roasting, and after that, the flavors start degrading.
Since pre-ground coffee has a larger exposed area, it degrades more quickly than whole beans. Even when stored properly in an airtight container, pre-ground coffee loses flavor.
And the best thing is if you own a grinder, you can grind beans to any setting according to your taste. And you can also enjoy different brewing styles according to your mood.
In the end, it all comes down to Freshness. If you can not compromise on the taste and Freshness of your coffee, then it will not be fair to compromise on using pre-ground coffee beans.
There is a simple rule of thumb for coffee aficionados, grind within fifteen days of roasting and brew within fifteen minutes of grinding.
What type of coffee grinder is better?
Until now, we have discussed everything you want to know about coffee grind types. So, let’s now discuss what type of coffee grinder will be best to get those grind settings.
Blade vs burr Coffee grinder
There are two types of coffee grinders Blade and Burr. Blade grinders are present in almost every kitchen, and they work well for other purposes such as crushing spices, but when it comes to grinding coffee beans, they are total crap.
In blade coffee grinders, there are two blades at the bottom of the chamber that spins rapidly and grinds anything that comes in contact with them.
In this grinding process, heat is produced, which speeds up the oxidation rate of coffee grounds, resulting in a loss of flavor.
The beans at the bottom of the blade grinder get hit by the blade continuously, becoming finer and finer, and those at the top get hit occasionally and remain coarse.
We know that consistency is the key when it comes to coffee grounds, but with a blade grinder, we get grounds of all sizes, from extra fine to extra coarse, and sometimes there is also a whole bean present among the grounds. You can’t control the grind size while using blade grinders.
As discussed above, different grind sizes extract flavors and oils at different rates. So, we get an unbalanced coffee drink with inconsistent flavors, whatever brewing method you use.
A burr grinder, on the other hand, utilizes two burrs to crush the beans. Burr grinders are ideal for grinding coffee beans.
Burrs are made of stainless steel material which precisely crushes the coffee beans. Due to the slow process, very little heat is produced, which is also a plus point.
Another advantage of burr grinders is that you can adjust the space between the burrs so that you can get coffee grounds of the desired size.
In the end, if you want balanced and flavorful coffee, you must invest in a quality burr grinder; it will cost a little more but is worth it.
Manual vs electric coffee grinder
Now that I’ve convinced you to buy a burr grinder, the next question is whether to get an electric or manual model.
Well! Both the manual and electric burr grinders work fine. It is just a matter of preference or convenience, how much budget you want to spend on a grinder, and whether or not you are willing to spend time and energy grinding coffee beans.
The design of manual burr grinders is very simple, and I must say they are more long-lasting than electric ones.
If you are a travel enthusiast and coffee is an essential part of your travel gear, then a manual device will be the best option for you.
Also, manual grinders cost way less than electric ones. You can easily get a good manual model in a price range of 15 to 30 dollars. On the other hand, electric models are expensive, and you can get a good one in the range of 70 to 100 dollars.
The downside of manual grinders is that you don’t have many options for the grind settings. Indeed, the grind settings of the seven famous grind sizes I mentioned above are available, but it’s fewer than electric models, which offer 30 to 40 grind settings.
When it comes to convenience, then undoubtedly electric ones win the race. Electric Burr grinders are highly convenient and offer up to 40 grind settings. You just have to put the coffee beans in the hopper and adjust the grind settings, and your grounds will be ready in a few minutes.
Grind Settings for popular coffee grinders
For making your life easier, we have added the grind settings of the seven most popular grinders.
The grind settings for every grinder are different, that’s because every brand manufacture grinders according to their design.
If you have one of the following models, just copy the grind settings from this table and grind your beans to prepare a delicious and perfect cup of coffee.
| Coffee Drinks | Bratza Encore | OXO Brew Conical Burr | Eureka Mignon | Cuisinart Professional Mill | Krups Burr Grinder | Capresso infinity | Hario Skerton Pro Manual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | 1 – 3 | 1 | fine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 clicks |
| Espresso Shots | 4 – 9 | 1 – 3 | fine | 2 – 4 | 2 – 4 | 2 – 4 | 4 clicks |
| Aeropress | 4 – 23 | 1 – 8 | fine – medium | 2 – 10 | 2 – 10 | 2 – 9 | 4 – 9 clicks |
| Hario v60 | 11 – 16 | 4 – 6 | medium | 5 – 7 | 5 – 7 | 4 – 6 | 4 – 6 clicks |
| Moka pot | 4 – 16 | 1 – 6 | fine – medium | 2 – 7 | 2 – 7 | 2 – 6 | 4 – 6 clicks |
| Drip machine | 17 – 23 | 6 – 8 | medium | 8 – 10 | 7 – 10 | 7 – 9 | 7 – 9 clicks |
| Pour-over | 11 – 29 | 4 – 11 | medium | 5 – 13 | 5 – 12 | 4 – 12 | 4 – 12 clicks |
| Chemex | 24 – 29 | 9 – 11 | medium | 11 – 13 | 10 – 12 | 10 – 12 | 10 – 12 clicks |
| French press | 31 – 36 | 11 – 13 | coarse | 14 – 16 | 13 – 15 | 12 – 14 | 12 – 14 clicks |
| Cold-brew | 31 – 40 | 11 – 15 | coarse | 14 – 18 | 13 – 17 | 12 – 16 | 12 – 16 clicks |
| Cowboy Coffee | 37 – 40 | 14 – 15 | coarse | 17 – 18 | 16 – 17 | 15 – 16 | 15 – 16 clicks |
Yeah, I know; various grind settings for each type of coffee drink are listed on the table. That’s because they lie in the same range, and there will be only a little difference in the size of the grounds.
Here’s your task! Test each setting over the next couple of weeks and select the one that suits your taste the best. Remember! The finer grind size will make an over-extracted, bitter, and robust coffee drink, and the coarser grind size will make an under-extracted, acidic, and lighter coffee drink.
Faqs
How long can you store ground coffee?
It’s always a best practice to grind beans just before brewing coffee. The oxidation process starts as soon as you grind the beans. If you want the full flavors in your coffee drink, try to brew in ten to twenty minutes of grinding.
It’s not like your coffee grounds will become completely useless after twenty minutes. In fact, if you are not very taste-conscious, you will not notice any difference even after a day or two. But if you are too serious about the freshness of a cup of joe, then try to consume grounds as early as you grind them.
Can I ask my roasters to grind the coffee beans?
Yeah, you can ask your roaster to grind coffee beans for you. But the grounds will surely degrade in flavor as you have to store them for a while because you can’t go to the roaster whenever you want to brew coffee.
But you can take other measures which can help preserve the flavors to some extent, like storing grounds in an airtight container, storing them in a dark and dry place, and trying to finish them as soon as possible.
Can you grind your coffee beans in a blender?
Yeah, you can grind the beans in a blender. I mean, you can do everything you want. But if you are a serious coffee drinker, you should never do that.
Blender works just like blade grinders; they come in various sizes and shapes, but the working principle is the same, and as discussed above, blade grinders are the worst for grinding coffee.
I think buying pre-ground coffee is better than grinding coffee beans in a blender or blade grinder.
You will get inconsistent grounds if you use a blender and inconsistent grounds result in an unbalanced and flavorless coffee drink.
Is the finer grind make stronger coffee?
Yeah, using finer grounds will make coffee stronger, but bitter flavors also dominate while using finer grounds. And an overly bitter coffee drink is certainly not desirable.
The grind size is not the only factor that makes the coffee stronger; many other factors affect the intensity of flavors, like the type of roast, region of beans, brewing style, and steeping time.
Stick to our coffee grind size guide, and you will never face a problem with the size of grounds.
Do you Need to Grind coffee Beans Fresh Every Time?
Ideally yes! You have to grind beans every time just before brewing a cup of coffee.
But if you are not too serious about the freshness, you can store the grounds in an airtight container and place them in a dry and dark place.
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