Grinding Gourmet Coffee
The type of coffee grind that you use is important in order to properly match the type
of brewing method you will be using. The objective is to get the most flavor out of
your ground gourmet coffee beans when infused with hot water. The fast rule of
thumb is the faster the infusion the finer the grind.
The various grind categories are "fine," "medium" and "coarse." The finer grinds don't
need to be in contact with water for as long as the coarser grinds. The coarsest grind is
used in the classic pot method, the plunger and drip coffee filter methods require coarser
grinds. The espresso brewing method needs the least amount of time and requires the
grind to be very fine.
If you tried using an espresso grind in your drip filter machine, the water will take much
longer to filter through and the flavor will not improve. If you would like to make a stronger
or weaker brew it is easier to just add or reduce the amount of ground coffee than to vary
the grind.
In old days, coffee was ground in wooden mortars with a pestle. Later on the scene were
different kinds of coffee grinders, and at last the modern electric ones.
Blade grinders – Blade grinders are the most in-expensive grinders available usually
found for between $12 and $15. The concept of these electric blade grinders is very
simple – two small blades utilize velocity and an angled edge to grind the coffee. These
grinders can often produce a perfectly good cup of coffee but are fairly inconsistent. The
level of grind is subject to human error because the duration of the grind is determined by
the amount of time the “on” tab is pressed.
Burr grinders – These grinders are a bit more expensive and range on the average
from $40 and up. The concept of Burr grinders utilizes two grooved metal plates. The
grind is adjusted by lessening or increasing the distance that the two plates rub together.
The beans fall between the two Burrs and are crushed. These grinders do not work well
with flavored coffees due to the flavor oils. Dark roasted coffees can also result in a
challenging effort to clean the burrs. Often times the coffee oil that is so prevalent in dark
roasted coffees creates a sticky “go” that can only be removed from the burr by being
scraped out with a tool.
The type of coffee grind that you use is important in order to properly match the type
of brewing method you will be using. The objective is to get the most flavor out of
your ground gourmet coffee beans when infused with hot water. The fast rule of
thumb is the faster the infusion the finer the grind.
The various grind categories are "fine," "medium" and "coarse." The finer grinds don't
need to be in contact with water for as long as the coarser grinds. The coarsest grind is
used in the classic pot method, the plunger and drip coffee filter methods require coarser
grinds. The espresso brewing method needs the least amount of time and requires the
grind to be very fine.
If you tried using an espresso grind in your drip filter machine, the water will take much
longer to filter through and the flavor will not improve. If you would like to make a stronger
or weaker brew it is easier to just add or reduce the amount of ground coffee than to vary
the grind.
In old days, coffee was ground in wooden mortars with a pestle. Later on the scene were
different kinds of coffee grinders, and at last the modern electric ones.
Blade grinders – Blade grinders are the most in-expensive grinders available usually
found for between $12 and $15. The concept of these electric blade grinders is very
simple – two small blades utilize velocity and an angled edge to grind the coffee. These
grinders can often produce a perfectly good cup of coffee but are fairly inconsistent. The
level of grind is subject to human error because the duration of the grind is determined by
the amount of time the “on” tab is pressed.
Burr grinders – These grinders are a bit more expensive and range on the average
from $40 and up. The concept of Burr grinders utilizes two grooved metal plates. The
grind is adjusted by lessening or increasing the distance that the two plates rub together.
The beans fall between the two Burrs and are crushed. These grinders do not work well
with flavored coffees due to the flavor oils. Dark roasted coffees can also result in a
challenging effort to clean the burrs. Often times the coffee oil that is so prevalent in dark
roasted coffees creates a sticky “go” that can only be removed from the burr by being
scraped out with a tool.
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