Every coffee lover has found themselves in a situation where they have attempted to make a delicious cup of coffee at home, but something just doesn’t taste right. Whether it comes out too bitter, too strong, or watery and filled with loose coffee grounds, there are so many things that can ruin a perfect cup of coffee.

In many cases, people struggle to fix these issues because they do not know a whole lot about how coffee is made in the first place. They simply go to the store and buy whatever coffee grounds they can find, or use their coffee grinder on whatever setting regardless of their brewing method.

The key to getting a perfect cup of coffee starts with the coffee beans. If you are having trouble getting your coffee to taste the way you like, it might be the brand of coffee you are using. Do a little research to determine which coffee beans come out tasting more or less bitter. This will go a long way if you choose to grind your own coffee at home.

The reason people choose to grind their own coffee beans at home is because this ensures the freshness of the coffee. Grinding the coffee beans just before the brewing process will help create a fresher tasting cup of coffee. However, there are many different grind settings on a good coffee grinder, and you might not know when to use each setting.

How big or small you grind your coffee beans can completely change the way your coffee tastes. To understand where you might be going wrong when making your own coffee, it is important to learn about different grind sizes and when each should be used and not used.

Why does size matter?

You may be wondering why the size of the coffee grounds matters in the first place. If the coffee beans are ground up and brewed in hot water shouldn’t all coffee taste the same?

The difference has to do with the extraction process. Extraction occurs when coffee grounds are dissolved into water to create the dark brown beverage that everyone knows and loves. If you are using the wrong size coffee grounds, your coffee can come out over or under extracted.

Under extracted coffee tends to taste more sour and acidic, while over extracted coffee will taste far too bitter and loses a lot of the great flavors coffee can have.

The size of the coffee grounds can make such a big difference in extraction because the grind size determines how fast the water will dissolve the particles that make the coffee. The water starts on the outside of the coffee ground and makes its way inward. So larger coffee grounds will extract slower than finer grounds.

Because of this, you risk under extraction if your grinds are too coarse, and over extraction if they are too fine.

If you are wondering how to tell the difference between all of the ground sizes, extra coarse coffee grounds will look a lot like kosher salt, medium coarse will look more like sand or table salt, and the fine grounds look more like a powder.

Types of coffee grinders

Generally, there are two types of coffee grinders on the market: blade grinders and burr grinders. Many people flock to the blade grinders, because they are small, affordable, and seem to get the job done. However, almost every coffee expert will agree that the burr grinder is the much superior option. Burr grinders will do a better job of producing a full flavored coffee regardless of what size coffee grounds you will need for your brewing method.

Mainly this preference is based on the fact that burr grinders keep all of the coffee grounds relatively consistent in size. For making a perfect cup of coffee, this is essential.

Burr grinders work to slowly crush the coffee beans at a low speed, creating a consistent grind size. These grinders might be slightly more expensive than the blade grinders, but they are well worth the investment.

Coffee grounds that are all similar in size will make a much better cup of coffee because when the grinds are different sizes, certain particles can become over or under extracted. This can potentially throw off the flavor of your coffee, even if you are using the correct grind setting.

There is also a question of whether or not to get a manual or electric coffee grinder. In reality, both of these options will get the job done. If you are someone who plans on grinding lots of coffee at once, it might be a better idea to get an automatic grinder. These electric grinders are especially good for finely grinding coffee beans. Espresso lovers will find that electric coffee grinders are more convenient.

What each grind size should be used for

Whether you are using extra fine coffee grounds or working with the most coarse ground possible, there are brewing methods that work best with each type.

Extra Fine

Coffee grounds that are extra fine will work best with a Turkish coffee recipe. Turkish coffee is made by combining finely ground coffee beans with water, lots of sugar, and bringing the liquid to a foaming stage. Turkish coffee works best with extra fine grinds because the coffee is only in contact with the hot water for a short amount of time.

Fine

Espresso is the best type of coffee to brew when using fine grinds. Once again the coffee grinds need to be fine due to the short brewing time that espresso calls for. Coffee grounds used for making espresso should only be slightly larger than extra fine grinds. Espresso can be poured over ice, in a foamy latte or plain in a small shot sized cup.

Medium and Medium Coarse

For medium to medium coarse coffee grounds work well with your typical drip coffee makers and pour over coffee. Drip coffee makers typically take three minutes or more to brew, and require slightly more substantial grounds to get the best flavor.

Pour over coffee is made by manually pouring hot water over the coffee grounds and letting the finished brew filter into a pot. Coffee grounds that are too fine will slow the flow of the water and grounds that are too coarse will let the water flow more quickly. This is why using a medium coarse grind works well to make pour over coffee.

Coarse

French press coffee makers require a coarse coffee grind. Because the coffee is submerged completely in the hot water during the extraction process, finer particles will become over extracted if used. The French press is also a manual coffee maker, and coarse coffee grinds can slip past the filter much easier, ending up in the brewed coffee.

Extra Coarse

Lastly, extra coarse coffee grounds work great for making cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee is made by submerging the coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for over 12 hours. To make cold brew coffee at home, it is essential to use very coarse coffee grounds to achieve the desired result.

At the end of the day, there is more than one factor that can affect how your coffee tastes. The temperature of the water and the quality of the coffee beans themselves all play a huge part. But knowing which coffee grind sizes to use for your specific taste in coffee is a great place to start.

Knowing the difference between coffee ground sizes will help you avoid making silly mistakes that can throw off your home brewed coffee. It might seem confusing at first, but every coffee grind size can easily be utilized to make a delicious cup of coffee.