Coffee Grind Size Guide: Why Grind Size Matters!

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. 

You can buy wonderful coffee, use good water and have a great coffee maker, and still end up with a disappointing cup.

Quite often, the grind is the culprit.

Grind size controls how quickly water can extract flavour from coffee, which makes it one of the most useful things to understand if you want to improve the coffee you make at home.

Fortunately, it doesn't need to be complicated.

Why does coffee grind size matter?

When water comes into contact with ground coffee, it begins extracting flavour.

A finer grind gives the water more surface area to work with and generally increases extraction.

A coarser grind exposes less surface area and generally slows extraction.

The aim is to find the sweet spot where you've extracted enough of the lovely flavours without pushing things too far.

What grind size do I need?

As a general starting point:

These aren't absolute rules. Different coffees, grinders, recipes and personal preferences can all change things slightly.

Think of the table as somewhere sensible to start, rather than a commandment carved into stone.

My coffee tastes sour. What should I change?

A noticeably sour, sharp or thin coffee can be a sign of under-extraction.

Try grinding a little finer and see what happens.

Don't make an enormous adjustment. Small changes are much easier to understand, and considerably less likely to result in you angrily blaming the coffee machine 😂.

My coffee tastes bitter. What should I change?

If your coffee tastes unpleasantly bitter, harsh or dry, you may be extracting too much.

Try moving the grind slightly coarser.

Again, change one thing at a time.

What about espresso?

Espresso is particularly sensitive to grind size.

Small adjustments can noticeably change how quickly the espresso flows and how it tastes.

If your espresso races through far too quickly, a finer grind may help.

If it struggles through very slowly, a coarser grind may be needed.

Dose, yield, temperature and the coffee itself also matter, so grind isn't the only variable. but it's one of the most useful places to start.

Is freshly ground coffee better?

If you have a good burr grinder, we'd recommend grinding your beans just before brewing.

Whole beans retain their freshness better than pre-ground coffee, and having your own grinder also lets you make those small adjustments to suit your equipment and taste.

But you absolutely do not need a grinder to enjoy specialty coffee.

At Flat Cap Coffee, we can grind your coffee to suit different brewing methods before we send it to you.

Don't be afraid to experiment

There's no prize for using exactly the grind setting somebody on the internet told you to use.

Coffee should taste good to you.

Start with an appropriate grind for your brewing method, taste the coffee, make one small adjustment and try again.

That's essentially how we approach coffee in the roastery too: taste, adjust, repeat.