Specific research and statistics revealed that there are more than 100 ways of brewing coffee in the world. Each brewing process requires coffee beans, coffee beans for espresso, coffee beans for a cold brew… In addition, each also has requirements for the fineness of the coffee powder, the darkness of the coffee bean, and the ratio of mixing the beans.
One of the most critical aspects of coffee beans to achieve what you’re looking for is the grind size. It can directly affect the texture and flavor of brewed coffee. It will also determine the difference between overly textured, bland, and flavorful, delicious coffee.
When it comes to the texture, it can also affect the taste of your coffee. For example, you might have had a bitter French press coffee in the past, and the problem could be the grind size.
Also, if you would brew using a percolator or French press, too much grinding or finely ground beans would result in it moving through the perforations of the filter. When this happens, your coffee will be overly textured and cloudy.
That’s just one aspect of how the coffee ground size is affecting the overall results that you will get from brewing.
For this same reason, you also need to know the proper brew size of the coffee beans if you’re trying to achieve the proper coffee taste, flavor, and texture.
Today, we’re going to talk about the different coffee fineness and an idea on the type of drinks that they fit.
I. The seven levels of coffee ground size
1. Extra Coarse Grind
It is the super coarse coffee bean grind that you can process using a coffee grinder. It is the roughest texture of the coffee powder. You can use it to brew coffee types like cowboy coffee and cold brew coffee. This type resembles peppercorns, so you can imagine how course they are.
If you love cold brewing, you can use the size that will give you the desired effect regarding the flavor and taste of what you’re brewing.
In a burr grinder, it is the largest setting to find. It can create extra-coarse of coffee beans that have a very rough texture. With it, you might even notice that the beans still got their original shape.
The coffee best produced by this grind size is the cowboy-style coffees, often boiled in a pan.
2. Coarse Grind
You can find it at the level 2 setting of a grinder. It can help you make coffee cupping, French press, and percolator. This grind size is notable for its sea salt-like appearance. Coffee beans will have significant and even chunks at this level.
3. Medium-Coarse Grind
You can use this medium-coarse grind in coffees that you can make in the following coffee makers.
- Cafe solo brewer made of a glass jug and a filter along with a woven neoprene cover is usually designed for keeping your coffee hot.
- Chemex brewer is another type of coffee maker that is a pour-over style glass type of coffee maker in which you can use the medium-coarse grind of coffee.
- Clever dripper functions as a manual drip brewer as well as an immersion brewer. This dripper is famous for serving tasty and flavorful coffee out of medium-coarse grind size. It has a valve at its bottom, which makes the design clever and made with BPA-free plastic for the safety of users.
The Medium Coarse Grind resembles rough sand. It has the appearance that can be noted, like between coarse and medium grind sizes.
4. Medium Grind
It has the appearance and texture of smooth sand and is common among pre-ground bean sizes. This grind size is perfect for siphon brewers and drip coffee makers.
Drip pot: You can also use it for drip pot, a kind of pour-over coffee maker combined with a carafe. At its bottom is a large opening, allowing it to make a coffee brew similar to what the Hario V60 can make.
Aeropress (with 3+ minutes brew time): You can use this machine to brew medium grind coffee beans that you should brew for over three minutes. With it, you can steep the coffee for up to 50 seconds before it is forced to pass through a filter using a plunger through its tube.
5. Medium-Fine Grind
Its texture is a bit smoother than sand is and is ideal for cone-shaped pour-over cones, AeroPress brewers, and vacuum brewers.
Pourover Cones: This is one of the best methods of brewing medium-fine coffee grind. It is also a favorite among coffee lovers because it can make them a clean and aromatic cup of coffee.
Vacuum Pots: This coffee maker is simple and effective in making coffee brews with two different chambers where the gravity and vapor pressure can make the coffee. It is also called the VAC pot, or siphon coffee maker invented in the 1830s by Loeff.
Siphon Brewers: This coffee maker is also suitable for using the medium-fine grind of coffee beans to make tasty and aromatic coffee in your cup.
Aeropress (with 2-3 minutes brew time): You can also use this machine with up to three minutes of brew time to make delicious coffee.
6. Fine Grind
These coffee beans have a super smooth texture and almost resemble powder. You can find this size in pre-ground coffee bean bags. Sometimes, they are also called espresso grind.
If you love espresso, you should be familiar with the fine grind size needed for espresso makers. You can also use it in an AeroPress with one minute of brewing time.
On the other hand, you can also use the fine-grind size of coffee beans using a Moka pot or a Stovetop Espresso.
For example, the Moka pot, invented in Italy by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933, effectively brews this grind size. The electric or stovetop coffee maker can brew the coffee bypassing the boiling water pressurized by steam through the fine ground beans.
7. Extra Fine Grind
Also called the Turkish grind, the extra-fine grind of coffee beans is best suited for Turkish coffee. It is a size like flour or powder.
Knowing these things about the seven levels of coffee ground size, you will better understand how you can use them and what coffee makers are best suited for each size. You will also learn about the right size for the type of coffee drink you want with such information. For example, you need finely ground coffee beans for espresso and an extra coarse grind for cowboy coffee or cold brew coffee.
And as said, the grind size directly affects the texture, flavor, and taste of your coffee. Therefore, you will achieve your desired results with such information on the correct coffee bean size. Also, you will be able to know the type of coffee bean grinder to buy.
By now, you can make sure that you will achieve desired results in your coffee. Finally, you will get satisfaction in every cup by brewing the right coffee size for your selected type of drink and the coffee maker or machine you have.
II. Conclusion
Now that you have learned about the types of coffee ground sizes, you should also know that you could use either of the two types of coffee grinders that will help you achieve your desired coffee bean powder consistency. They are the blade coffee grinder and the burr coffee grinder.
However, the blade grinder can generate much heat while processing the beans, which can also affect the taste and flavor of the coffee.
But now, there are many modern grinders to choose from and use so that you can grind your coffee beans at home based on your desired settings and results.
On the other hand, there are also espresso machines that have a built-in grinder. In many cases, this espresso machine with a grinder can give you more than ten options regarding how you want the size of your beans.
More options are better so that you will also become familiar with the one that matches your needs. In this way, you will also be able to increase your knowledge of the coffee ground sizes and the kind of drink suitable for each one of them.
Our team at Foodieandtours.com hopes that we can provide you with the helpful information you need. Enjoy your coffee!
