Why Grind Coffee? 🫘 Types of Coffee Grinding? ☕ What are the Best Coffee Grinders? We solve all this in this post.
- Grinding coffee facilitates the release of its properties in the water.
- The degree of grinding of the coffee will depend on the extraction method.
- There are four types of coffee grinding.
While having a good coffee maker and high-quality coffee beans is essential to brewing the perfect cup, there is one factor that can contribute to enhancing or ruining the flavors and aromas of coffee, and that is the degree of grinding.
Erika Chagoya, director of Gradios Deli-Café, explains that the roasted coffee bean, by itself, is not capable of releasing all its properties when it comes into contact with water. It is necessary to reduce the coffee beans to powder or small particles, through a grinding process, since this will facilitate the preparation of the extraction.
The degree of grinding refers to the texture that the coffee will have once ground, which can range from coarse to extra-fine. However, to select the ideal degree of grinding, it is necessary to take into account the following factors: the extraction method to be used, water temperature, infusion time and preparation technique.
“The longer the contact time of the coffee with the water, the coarser the grind should be, this applies to a French press that takes between four and five minutes to contact with the water. And vice versa, the less contact time the coffee has with the water, the finer the grinding must be, for example, this is used in pressurized extractions in which the contact time is between twenty and thirty seconds”, explained the expert.
Types of Coffee Grinding
According to Erika Chagoya, there are different types of coffee grinds, but we will only mention the 4 most common
Coarse Grind
Its texture resembles grain salt and is used in extraction methods where the coffee has prolonged contact with water, for example using a French press.
Medium grinding
This type of grind is the most commonly offered to the general public because it is ideal for drip coffee makers with flat bottom filters. Its texture is similar to that of sand.
Fine grinding
The texture of this grind is smooth and resembles refined sugar, so it is recommended for use in pressurized extraction coffee machines, such as espresso machines.
Extra fine grinding
The coffee beans are completely pulverized, so the texture resembles that of flour. This grinding is used in extraction methods such as Italian coffee pots or the ibrik method.
The Best Coffee Grinders
Here we present our favorite coffee grinders and those that we believe are the best you can buy to enjoy your coffee.