In our last post, we stressed the importance of fresh coffee, purchased whole and ground just before brewing. Today we're going to share tips on grinding your coffee for that perfect cup. Each type of coffee brewer requires a different type of grind. But one thing they all share in common is for the freshest cup, you should grind the coffee right before brewing - don't let it sit around. And while this can be inconvenient, it will give you the best chance at the best cup of coffee.
There are basically 7 levels of grind to consider. However, some grinders provide many more granular (sorry :) settings, so you'll need to play around with those to find the best setting. Your ultimate goal is to grind the coffee such that you yield the fullest amount of flavor out of the bean without leaving residue in the button of your cup. If you have grinds in the bottom of your cup, increase the course setting. If the coffee doesn't seem full enough (that will take time to figure out), then decrease the course setting for smaller grinds. The smaller the grind the more surface area of the grind the hot water can reach to bring out the flavors.
Back to the 7 basic levels. Here they are listed with the type of brewer they are used with - also you may reference the image here to view what each should look like:
- Extra Coarse - primarily for cold brewing (a subject for another time)
- Coarse - French Press
- Medium Coarse - Chemex Brewer
- Medium - most drip coffee makers
- Medium Fine - pourover cones
- Fine - espresso makers, moka pots
- Extra Fine - turkish coffee makers
Most of you will be looking to achieve the medium grind as most probably have a drip coffee maker. But if you like pour overs, french presses or one of my favorites, the Aeropress, then you'll need to adjust your grind setting accordingly.
Keep reading for our next blog posts with tips on how much coffee to how much water to make a better cup of coffee. If you haven't already, sign up for our email list on our home page and make sure you like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!