The
more coarse the grind, the more coffee you will need to use. However, the
grind must be appropriate for the type of brewer you use. Various brewing
methods require different grinds to get the best results.
Grinds:
Use medium to medium-coarse for electric drip and flip-drip pots; medium for manual
drip (paper filters); medium-fine for manual drip (metal filters), American drip,
and vacuum pots; and coarse for plunger pots.
It
is important to grind your coffee to the right specifications for your specific
brewing machine. Each type of grind is a specific mixture of particles of
various sizes. Your equipment regulates the flow rate of water through your
ground coffee. The absorption of water and the extraction of coffee occur
based upon the grind. Your grind must be the right one for your equipment.
When you purchase coffee from us, we mark the grind information on your bag.
If you like the cup of coffee you get from that grind, you can ask for it again.
Or, if you want to adjust it, you can tell us what you need, and we can adjust
the grind for you until you achieve the best possible cup of coffee for your equipment.
If
you grind your coffee beans at home with a propeller grinder, use short 8-10 second
bursts rather than one longer grind. This prevents the coffee from overheating
and losing aromatics to the air which are better left in your coffee. Also
it's better to grind a little more coarse than too fine. If the grind is
too fine, the small particles may clog your filter, slow your extraction time,
and adversely affect the flavor of the brew in your cup.
For
the best, most consistent results when you grind your coffee at home, use a burr
mill. These grinders work more slowly than propeller grinders. After
loading the beans in a hopper, the beans flow through whirling plates at a constant
rate. You can set your mill to the type of grind you want and get a more
consistent grind than with a propeller grinder. Some models will also shut
off automatically when the grind is complete.
If
you are grinding your own coffee in a propeller grinder, use no more than a 1/2
cup of beans. Grind in short bursts no more than a few seconds. To
get the grind you need, you might buy a small amount of coffee from your specialty
coffee shop and request the grind that would be right for your brewing equipment.
Then you can go home and grind beans in your propeller grinder to match that grind.
Time how long it takes so in the future you will know for how long you will need
to grind. Remember, grind times will vary based upon the amount of beans
you use at any given time so keep this amount constant.
Many
people use their propeller grinder for spices in addition to coffee. In
addition to cleaning your grinder with cloth and water (while unplugged only!),
add a scoop of sugar and grind it for awhile. This will help remove extract
residues from both spices or flavored coffees. However, it would be better
to have a different grinder for each. Residues from either can still remain
behind and affect the flavor of your drink.
The
fineness of the grind of your coffee increases the time of your brewing cycle.
The finer the grind, the more slowly water passes through the coffee. Your
grind must be matched to your brewing cycle for the best results. For a
stronger brew, it is better to use more coffee at the appropriate grind for your
coffee machine and maintain the optimum brewing cycle than to lengthen the brewing
cycle by using the same amount of a finer ground coffee. Lengthening the
brewing cycle can cause overextraction resulting in the more bitter taste elements
dominating. Preferences in strength vary widely with coffee drinkers.
You should prepare your coffee at the strength you prefer. To get the best
cup at any strength, however, it is best to maintain the appropriate brewing cycle.
If
you insist on buying coffee in a supermarket and grinding it yourself, be aware
that supermarket grinders are usually inaccurate because they are often heavily
and carelessly used and the grinding plates infrequently calibrated resulting
in improper alignment of the plates. You can almost bet that the machine
will grind more coarsely than the setting you select.
Do
you buy coffee from a shop or store where it is stored in bins from which you
fill your coffee bag with beans? Is there oil on the sides of the bin?
If so, do you know when the last time the bin was emptied of coffee and cleaned?
Oil build-up can turn rancid and affect the taste and quality of any coffee stored
in such a bin. Those shops or stores attentive to maintaining quality will
clean their bins at least every few days to prevent oil build-up and rancidity.
It
is difficult to get an even grind with a propeller grinder at home. Even
a grind that looks relatively coarse may have enough fine particles to clog your
filter.
A
medium coarse grind is best to use with an electric drip machine to avoid overflow.
Too fine of a grind can clog the filter or filter basket.
Grinding
your coffee beans fresh at home is truly the single most important action you
can take to improve the freshness of your coffee. Consider the purchase
of a burr mill for good price on equipment. It provides a consistent grind
important in your brewing process.
Some
coffee purists believe that no matter what type of electric home grinder (propeller,
burr mill, etc.) is used that the heat generated from them damages the coffee.
These folks continue to use a hand or Turkish grinder. Coffee ground this
way is delicious though it takes longer to prepare.
If
you use a propeller grinder at home to grind your coffee fresh daily, you might
want to try this trick to improve the grind you get for your machine. First,
purchase coffee at your favorite specialty coffee shop and request they grind
it for your type of home brewer in their commercial grinder. Feel the coarseness/fineness
of this ground coffee with your fingers and try to memorize it. Once you
are familiar with it and have the grind that makes the best coffee in your home
brewer, begin buying whole beans and grinding them at home. Grind for a
few seconds and then feel the grind and try to match what you have memorized being
the best grind for your machine. Continue grinding until you have matched
as closely as you can the grind you received when you began this process.