How to find your best coffee grind size for your best coffee yet.

 Find the best coffee grind size for your brewing method

Greetings!

Ever wonder how to find the best coffee grind size for your freshly roasted, whole bean coffee? What is the best coffee grind size? Or wonder if grind size even really matters? We’re here to tell you, it does! Grind size and consistency matter. Properly grinding your coffee will enhance your entire coffee experience. The trick of determining your go-to coffee grind depends on your brewing method.

In general, if you grind your coffee too coarsely, you will have a weak pot of coffee and no one has time for that. If you grind your coffee too finely, you will over-extract the coffee and it will taste bitter. Let’s get into the nitty gritty and help you find the absolute ideal coffee grind size for your brewing method so that you can enjoy the Kebon coffee of your dreams!

Wondering what is the perfect coffee grind for you and your particular brew method? There are general guidelines that I have summarized below, but do not be afraid to test a bit to get your coffee just the way YOU like it. Coffee is an incredibly complex substance with tastes of sweetness, sourness, bitterness and acidity. Finding the right coffee grind size can help you balance your coffee. Coffee tasting notes are released at different rates, so your coffee grind size choice is integral for your most desirable result.

So, let’s get to it. We have summarized the most utilized brewing processes and identified the best coffee grind size for each. Remember, your coffee dreams are individual, so test a few coffee grind sizes and experience the variation!

The best coffee grind size for your coffee brew method

Espresso

• Making espresso? Whether you are using an espresso machine or a Moka pot, (we like the OG Moka Pot) think fine grind. A fine grind is similar in look and texture to finely milled salt and sticks together when pressed. Espresso is brewed quickly, so it only comes into contact with very hot water for a short amount of time. Fine particles are ideal to get the most flavor out of every morsel. A fine coffee grind size is very important for providing resistance to the water because espresso is brewed under high pressure, which means it has a high extraction speed. If espresso beans are ground too coarsely, the highly pressurized water flows through the coffee too quickly, and you end up with a lackluster coffee experience. So keep that coffee grind fine for espresso!

Aeropress

• The best coffee grind size for Aeropress is medium fine, akin to espresso, think the consistency of table salt. This grind feels gritty and looks a bit like silica beach sand. Aeropresses also brew quickly, so you want to make sure that you get the most out of each tiny ground.

Pour over and Automatic Drip

• For your best pour over, think Chemex or a Hario, and automatic drip brewing experience, we recommend grinding your coffee beans in the medium range. For smaller, single-serve pour overs, we prefer the finer side of medium this will feel crumbly and look like peat moss. Pour overs use less water than an automatic drip machine, so exact brew times vary. A slightly finer grind will extract the most flavor. The resistance from the finer coffee grounds helps the water drip more slowly. For larger machines, or if you are ever making coffee for a crowd, we recommend grinding solidly at medium to ensure not too much of the acidity or bitterness is extracted. Medium grind looks and feels like rocky sand. 

French press

• A French press is best utilized with a coarse coffee grind. The coarse grind for French press looks much like flaky sea salt. This helps with extraction and since the water is present throughout, we don’t need to concern ourselves with water resistance. If you grind your coffee beans too finely for your french press, particles can make it through the filter. In this case, you may find yourself with a chewy cup of coffee, or the dreaded heap of grounds at the bottom of your cup. No fun. 

Cold Brew

• Cold brew coffee beans are best ground coarsely due to the long brew time (sometimes overnight or longer) and the filtration, which is generally not as fine as drip machine paper filters. The coarseness of the grind perfect for cold brew looks like ground peppercorns.

For all brew methods, we highly recommend grinding your coffee before each use. The reason we only sell whole bean coffee is that ground coffee begins to degrade in flavor and freshness almost instantly. We want you to be able to enjoy our high quality, women-grown coffee at the peak of freshness. 

Have other coffee grind size questions? Let us know! 

Happy Brewing

~Winter