Coffee Over Coffee: Episode 2- Different Grinds

In this blog, I would like to talk to you about coffee grinding and how the coffee is ground will affect its flavor in the cup. When we are discussing coffee grounds, we are really talking about the size of ground coffee particles themselves.

Prior to making coffee, the whole bean coffee must be ground into small particles in order to be brewed. If you have the wrong particle size and distribution for the brewing system you employ, it will not taste right in the cup. 

Grind Size and Uniformity

I will speak primarily about the size of the coffee grounds in this post. The uniform distribution just refers to the consistent size of the ground coffee particles. No coffee grinder is perfect, there will always be slight variations, but a good grinder will net a more uniform ground bed of coffee particles. More about that in a future post.  I will now be getting into the common four examples of coffee particles used in brewing. 

The first one being “Espresso”. Now, if you're not familiar with Espresso, it is a very fine grind and is usually used in Espresso machines. It wouldn't do so well if you were brewing it in a regular coffee brewer, as it is very fine. 

It would be very difficult for the Espresso to brew into a nice flavorful cup of coffee with a regular brewing method. It would come out very bitter unless you are using an espresso machine. 

The next grind being a “Cone Grind.” This is our regular grind here at Mavericks. It’s a fine grind and is designed to work with what we call a “cone filter.” Which is shaped like a cone. 

Third, we have a “Flat Grind” which is slightly more coarse than the cone grind. This grind is used for brewing systems where the filter is flat on the bottom and kinda looks like a basket.

And last but not least we have the "French Press.” I am sure most of you have a French Press at home. Which is another great way to brew coffee. The French Press grind is very coarse. Some refer to it as chunky.

Each of these grinds is designed to work with a particular brewing method. And only gives the perfect flavor when used right. So when you use a machine, use the appropriate coffee to go with it. Here is a quick guide.

Grinding At A Glance:

• Cone Grind: Pour-Over, Kcup, and brewing systems with a cone shaped filter.

• Flat Grind: For use in brewing systems where the filter is flat on the bottom, resembling a basket.

• French Press: For use in your French Press system.

Brewing Different Grinds

This is a bit of an extreme example, I have here our “fine grind, and our French Press grind. French Press grinds are not meant for the brewing process you would use with our fine grind. I am going to brew them at the same time so you can see the difference.

See as I am doing the pre-infusion. The water went right through the French Press grounds but is still going through the “fine grind”, which is ground the correct way for the pour-ver and will produce a nice flavorful cup of coffee.

But this French Press grind is going to give you a watery cup as I am using it in the wrong machine. I am putting more water in the grounds to “percolate them”. (Go to Coffee Over Coffee: Episode 1 - Brewing Pour-over for more information about pre-infusion and percolation). 

I would not recommend using a French Press grind in a pour-over system or in your Mr. Coffee brewing machine at home. That grind will not work well. You only want to use the French Press grind for your French Press. 

Brewing Similar Grinds 

Now, in the case of the cone grind and the flat grind, they're very close in the ground particle size. The cone grind is slightly more fine and the flat grind is slightly more coarse. They can be used interchangeably, but you will maximize your flavor if you use the correct grind size for each machine. If your filter is a cone you would really want to utilize the find cone grind. If your filter is more of a basket style or flat on the bottom, then you would want to select the flat grind. Like I said, they would work interchangeably because the particle sizes are very close but you will just get a better flavor if you use them appropriately. 

Brewing With the Right Grind

Just keep in mind, the grind size you choose to use and how your brewing machine is designed to work, will dramatically affect how your coffee tastes. Watery, bitter, flat or muted flavors are all by products of the wrong grind.  Because the wrong grind will affect the extraction and the duration of the brew. It will even affect the aroma. I hope this helps you. Enjoy your coffee!

- Ryan