What Effect Does The Grind Have on Brewing Coffee

Why Can't I Just Grind All My Coffee At One Time?

Like many others, I used to think that I could just grind up all my coffee at the grocer's or have them grind it up at the coffee shop and I would be set for the next week. Then I found out that coffee loses a large portion of its flavor within a few hours of being ground. This loss of flavor in coffee that you have paid a good price for just doesn't make sense. If you haven't invested in a coffee grinder, I strongly suggest you do. For less than twenty dollars, you can get a small grinder that will do the job. If you want automation and better control over the grind, you can get a decent burr grinder for under thirty-five dollars - it is well worth the investment.

Why Is It Important To Control The Size of the Grind of Coffee?

The way we get the flavor out of the coffee bean and into our coffee is through extraction. Each type of coffee maker is different on how it extracts the coffee. The only common thread to this is the fact that all coffee makers use water as the solvent to get the flavor out of the ground coffee beans.

That being said, we need to look at why each grind should be a certain way to properly match the extraction method that we are using.

We will start with coarse ground coffee. The french press is commonly paired with coarse ground coffee for several reasons. The grind needs to be coarse to allow the metal screens to separate the grounds from the extracted coffee. In addition, coffee made in this device is made with water that is just below the boiling point. This means that a lot of extraction can occur in a very short time - usually three to four minutes. By using a coarse grind the coffee is not over-extracted. Too much extraction will result in you getting a pot of bitter coffee - not a good thing.

Next, let us look at medium grind. This is most suitable for extraction times that are still fairly short (3 to 5 minutes), but at lower temperatures, much like those produced by a drip coffee maker. The temperature here is usually around 165° Fahrenheit. The lower temperature means that you need smaller particles of coffee to extract adequate flavor from the coffee. If the grind is too coarse, it will take a LOT more coffee to get good flavor in the pot. If the grind is too fine, the coffee will be over-extracted and be bitter to the taste.

Finally, we look at fine grinds, including espresso grind. The contact time here is only a few seconds at high pressure and with pump machines, a temperature just below boiling. With this type of extraction, you must have very fine coffee or a very weak brew will result. The short contact time insures that you don't over-extract the coffee and get a bitter cup.

I hope this information helps to clarify WHY we use certain grinds of coffee for a brewing method, and why it is very important to grind the coffee just before you brew - it is all to get that perfect cup of Joe.

As always, may your next cup be the best!