How to Grind Coffee

Coffee Grinder

Freshly ground coffee is the key to a delicious brew; as in food, the fresher the ingredients, the better the flavor. Once ground, coffee quickly loses it flavor, which is why coffee houses only use freshly ground beans in order to deliver the best tasting coffee. If you want to experience that fresh coffee taste in your own home in each cup of joe, you need to learn how to grind coffee.

It’s a relatively simple affair, no need for heavy machinery or elbow grease since modern grinders do most of the work. But first, you need to have a good grinder. There are two kinds of grinders, the blade grinder and the burr grinder. Blade grinders are the least expensive kinds. They can grind coarse and medium sizes very well but they can produce inconsistent results. They can also generate heat that can burn the grounds; a nice technique of grinding in small bursts is required in order not to burn the grounds. If you need finer grounds, you would need to get a burr grinder, a grinder that uses wheels. These are more expensive and have more settings to learn but they always yield consistent results and have adjustments to fit any brewing method, even if it requires fine or super fine grounds. Check our reviews to find the best grinder to fit your needs and budget.

If you are using a blade grinder, use short bursts for a few seconds so as not to generate enough heat to burn the coffee. Shake the grinder in between bursts to mix the grinds well while grinding; in this way you will get more consistent results. For a coarse grind, 8-10 seconds of bursts will do, for medium grinds try short bursts of 10-15 seconds. For fine grinds, bursts should be longer. Just experiment and do a trial and error until you get it perfect. Knowing how to grind coffee requires some practice.

For burr grinders, you can learn how to grind coffee just the way you like it simply by learning the settings. No need for you to keep a watchful eye on it and time it like you do for blade grinders. Of course, this type of grinder requires an investment because they are more expensive.

It is of the utmost importance that you grind your coffee immediately before brewing. Immediately is the key word; not the night before, not even a few hours before. Coffee grounds quickly lose its flavor as oxidation begins right away and flavors are lost only after a few hours so it is important that you only grind what you need or one pot at a time. The perfect cup can only come from the freshest ground.

There are many ways of grinding coffee. As previously mentioned, there are coarse, grounds which resemble potting soil; medium grind most resemble rough sand; fine grind is of the texture of salt (not rock salt) or sugar; super fine grind are like gritty flour or powdered sugar and there is the Turkish grind very powdery and smooth like flour or powdered sugar. The size of the grind depends on the brewing method and your own personal taste on how you like your coffee.

It is important that you use the correct grind because if it is too coarse or too fine, you will not get that perfect cup. If the grinds are too fine, they may clog the filter and burn the coffee. If the coffee grinds are too coarse, this can result to a watery cup hence a weaker flavor. Know what your machine requires and experiment. Experience is the best teacher so you will know how to grind coffee to make that perfect cup.

If you have a French press style coffee maker, they usually require coarse grinds as they let the water and coffee steep together for several minutes. Coffee makers that also require a coarse grind are Toddy Makers (cold brew method), Vacuum Coffee Maker and percolators. For drip coffee machines that have a flat bottom filter, medium sizes are best. For drip makers that have a cone shaped filter, it usually requires medium or fine grinds. Fine and super fine grinds are usually what espresso machines require since water is pushed through the grinds quickly. But again, you need to be familiar with your machine, how it works and what it requires for you to know exactly how to grind coffee.

To find out how you can get the most from your cup of coffee visit our Jura Capresso review page.