You might wonder why we always ask you to specify what brew method you'd like your coffee grinding for so we thought we'd try to explain!
Getting the grind right really can make the difference between an okay coffee and an amazing tasting coffee! It can be absolutely vital when it comes to getting the best from your beans.
Let's start off by saying..
We would always recommend grinding your fresh coffee beans immediately before using to get the very best out of them. We do realise though that not everyone has a grinder at home and we are always happy to grind your coffee for you at the Roastery so that you can get the very best out of it.
Coffee beans are ground
so that the flavours of the beans can be extracted into hot water, resulting in you being able to enjoy a cup of the good stuff. As soon as the beans are ground and air comes into contact with them they will begin to deteriorate and will start to lose flavour - hence why we suggest grinding on demand. Storage of the ground coffee is also very important and we suggest keeping your coffee in an airtight container or in our bags which are resealable.
When grinding your coffee
The important thing is how long the coffee with be in contact with the water for, this is the extraction. If the coffee is over extracted, it can taste bitter or burnt. If it is under extracted, it can taste sour. When the coffee is extracted properly, different flavours will develop at different times in the extraction process, resulting in a perfect, sweet tasting coffee with the right balance of flavours and no nasty aftertastes.
In simple terms
The easiest way to look at the grind is; the longer the coffee is in contact with the water for, for example, in a cafetiere, the bigger the grind needs to be so that the flavours are extracted slowly while the coffee sits in the water. The shorter the time that the coffee will be in contact with the water for, like when using an espresso machine, the grind needs to be very fine so that the water can extract all of the flavours in a very short amount of time. So, if you're grinding your coffee at home and it's tasting a little too bitter, the grind might be a bit too fine so try making it a slightly coarser. Similarly, if you find that your coffee is tasting a little sour, the grind might be too coarse try making it a little finer.
Ultimately, as long as you enjoy your coffee experience that's all that matters! Bottoms up!!
