Ever wondered why coffee grind size is so important for the resulting cup of brew? Read on!
The whir of the EK43 is a familiar sound at Unorthodox Roasters. Cutting through the coffees beans day in, day out and releasing that evocative smell of ground coffee throughout the cafe. You might sit and wonder why is grind size important?
Grinding the coffee beans is vital to ensuring the perfect brew for your desired method. The aim of grinding coffee beans is to expose more or less of the coffee solubles to alter the flavour and allow an efficient extraction. Extraction is how much of the dry coffee has been dissolved by the water and this changes depending on your brewing style and how long the water is in contact with the grounds.
We will use the two ends of the spectrum to demonstrate how grind size affects your resulting cup:
Espresso: If you're using an espresso machine, you will need the beans to be ground very fine. This is due to the extreme pressure that the water is applied through the grounds. The brewing time will be quick and the coffee will be small and strong.
French Press: Being an immersion technique, this uses a lot less pressure than espresso and therefore you need coarser coffee grounds. The ground coffee infuses in the water and the brewing time will be longer so the full flavours can be extracted from the coffee.
We think the best way to up your at-home coffee game would be investing in a coffee grinder. Whole beans retain a fuller flavour and tend to last longer in the cupboard due to the fact that as soon as you grind coffee it reacts with oxygen and alters the taste.
Hand grinders like the Hario Smart Coffee Mill are a great introduction to grinding coffee at home whilst electric grinders like the Wilfa Svart or the Eureka Mignon Silenzio will give you the ability to grind for a variety of brew methods. All of the grinders on our website have been tried and tested by us and we trust that they will enhance your at-home-barista set up.
If you want to make sure you get the correct brew, time and time again, we have guides on our website or you can get them online just here:
Happy brewing!