CREEKS CUPPA STORIES

How to Grind Coffee Beans: A Beginner's Guide

Grinding coffee beans is the step that turns whole beans into the particles that water actually brews. The finer the grind, the more surface area is exposed to water, and the more extraction happens during brewing. The same coffee ground coarser yields less extraction, which is why grind size is one of the most important settings to get right at home.

The most useful way to think about it is that grind size and brew time work together. Methods with short brew times, such as espresso and AeroPress, need a finer grind. Slower, longer methods such as French press work best with a coarser grind. A simple rule of thumb is that shorter brew time equals finer grind, and longer brew time equals coarser grind. This is the same reason an independent cafe such as Creeks Cuppa in Exeter pays close attention to the grind step, because the grind sits at the start of the brewing process and affects everything that follows. The cafe can be found at Creeks Cuppa if you want to see how the process is handled away from home.

Roast level also changes the right setting. Darker roasts are less dense and more soluble, so they tend to sit toward the coarser end of the range, whereas lighter roasts generally need a finer grind. High-elevation coffees are denser and usually need a finer grind to reach the same extraction.

Troubleshooting by taste is the most practical approach. If coffee tastes harsh, bitter, dry or ashy, the grind is probably too fine, so make the grounds coarser. If it tastes weak, sour or papery, the grind is probably too coarse, so grind finer. Change only one brewing variable at a time so each adjustment can be tracked properly. Water temperature is the other common starting point, with a useful range of about 195-205F or 90-96C for hot brewing methods, though light roasts may respond differently from darker roasts.

One practical habit is to grind close to brewing. Once coffee is ground, its surface area increases dramatically and it changes much faster, so it is best to grind as close to brewing as practical rather than preparing it well in advance.