What Is the Difference Between the Coffee Grind Types?

Well, do you? Grinding coffee has so much to do with influencing the final brewing process, and if you do not grind properly, then you could be in a world of trouble. Some machines will brew a better cup of Joe if you grind your coffee beans at the proper consistency before brewing.

Cheaper coffee grinders do not give coarseness settings, so you may need to experiment with how long to grind to achieve the right consistency. Why not just purchase a professional coffee grinder at an affordable price to give you a better taste? This is something that coffee lovers swear by, and once you begin using a commercial and professional coffee grinder, you will not go back.

To start with, coarse coffee grounds are used to brew with a French Press. The reason that this is a necessary is because when you use a French Press, you have to manually press down the plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the brew. If the grounds are not coarse enough, then they will slip through the mesh filter and plunger to create sediment in your coffee product. This is something that you want to avoid at all costs because it will muddy the flavor of your coffee and potentially ruin your drink. Coarse coffee grounds are defined as distinct particles, and they will look like heavy kosher salt to the point of being chunky. If you are using a French press to brew, continue to change your grind consistency until you get the right flavor. Practice makes perfect!

Medium coffee grounds are ideally used for a traditional coffee maker. If you are purchasing pre-ground coffee from the supermarket, then this is the grind that it will be. Still, it is important to remember that pre-ground coffee from the supermarket is actually stale and not fresh. Even if you're using an automatic home coffee maker, grinding fresh is the only way to go! The medium grind consistency will look coarse and gritty, similar to sand. Of course, it will be much less coarse than a French Press grind consistency.

Fine coffee grounds are perfect to brew espresso, and they should be smooth to the touch with a finer consistency than granulated sugar. This is something that may take practice if you are using an espresso machine at home. A shot of espresso should ideally brew within 25 seconds, so if it is faster or slower, you will need to check your grind consistency.

Last of all, extra fine coffee grounds can be used for brewing Turkish coffee, which leaves the fine coffee grounds as sediment in the bottom of a cup. These coffee grounds should be powdered and look almost like flour, and you will definitely need a commercial burr coffee grinder with precision to achieve this type of consistency in your cup of Joe.

What are you waiting for? Get brewing!

About The Author Mark Ramos is a coffee geek. For a great selection in all things coffee, espresso machines and BUNN coffee makers, check out The Coffee Bump.