Coffee Grind Size Chart report
In addition to adding flavor and roasting, grinding is a crucial step in making a great cup of coffee. No matter what method of coffee making you prefer, familiarity with the grind size will make your coffee top-notch. How finely the coffee ground depends on your brewing method.
Your coffee maker will define the coffee grind size you want to achieve in most cases. The coffee ground can be made by drip or pressure, so the grind process and size need to match your coffee-making hardware. Coarse coffee grinds will flow like sea salt or dry sand; fine coffee grinds will clump like flour.
Coffee grind is the number one factor in adjusting the flavor of coffee, more critical than coffee machine performance. If the coffee tastes sour and salty, it is typical under extraction. At this time, the coffee grind must be fine. It is a typical over-extraction if the taste is bitter, and you will need a coarse coffee grind. This post explains more details about coffee grind sizes.
7 Types of Coffee Grinds
There are seven major sizes of coffee grinds. Please keep reading to find out what they are, what they look like, and the best brewer types. No matter your brew method, coffee-making involves extracting flavor from coffee grounds. The finer the coffee ground, the less time it takes for the water to penetrate the center. Therefore, the faster the water extracts acids, oils, solids, and other delicious substances from the surface of the coffee grinds. That is why coffee ground for espresso machines is fine since the water from an espresso maker passes very quickly at high pressure through the grounds.
You will need to adjust the brew time, water temperature, and grind size depending on how it tastes:
| Taste | Brew Time | Water Temperature | Coffee Grind size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sour | Increase | Cooler | Fine |
| Bitte | Decrease | Hotter | Coarse |
Extra Coarse Grind
Extra coarse beans are only slightly ground. They have a very rough texture, and you can still see the shape of the original coffee beans. This grind is best suited to cold brew and cowboy-style coffee (coffee boiled in a pan with grounds).
Coarse Grind
Coarse beans have a texture similar to sea salt, with large, even chunks. This grind is best for coffee cupping, French press, and percolators.
Medium-Coarse Grind
Medium-coarse beans have a texture like rough sand, between medium and coarse grind levels.
Medium Grind
Medium grind is the most common grind size for pre-ground beans, with a texture like smoother sand. This grind is great for drip coffee makers and siphon brewers.
Medium-Fine Grind
Medium-fine beans have a texture just a little smoother than sand. This grind is the best for cone-shaped pour-overs, vacuum brewers, and AeroPress brewers with two to three minutes of brewing time.
Fine Grind
Fine coffee grounds have a very smooth texture, approaching powder. This grind is also easy to find in pre-ground bags and is often labeled as espresso grind.
Extra-Fine Grind
The extra-fine grind size has a texture like powder or flour. Extra-fine grind is mostly used to make Turkish coffee.
Coffee Grind Size Chart
There is a list of the seven coffee grind sizes.
| Grind Size | Consistency similar to | Brewing Method |
|---|---|---|
| Extra coarse | rock salt | Cold Brew Coffee, Cowboy Coffee |
| Coarse | sea salt | French Press, Percolator, Coffee Cupping |
| Medium coarse | rough beach sand | Chemex coffee maker, Clever Dripper, Cafe Solo Brewer |
| Medium | smoother sand | Pour-over Brewers, Flat Bottom Drip Coffee Machines, Siphon Coffee, Aeropress (with 3+ minute brew time) |
| Medium fine | table salt | Cone-shaped Pour-over Brewers, Aeropress (with 2-3 minute brew time) |
| Fine | powder | Espresso, Moka Pot, Aeropress (with 1 minute brew time) |
| Extra Fine | flour | Turkish coffee |
Conclusion
A moderate change in the coffee grind size is an excellent way to maintain the perfect coffee flavor. Great brews are made with fresh beans, and the grind size differs per method. As a result, your coffee grounds might need to be coarse for one way or finer for another. After you have a solid understanding of the coffee grind size, your daily brew will taste more delicious, and you will feel more confident about your coffee-making skills.
