When you talk to people who really love coffee, they’ll tell you to grind your whole beans at home. Isn’t that a lot of work, especially when you can get it ground already? If you want fresher coffee, you need a grinder! Most pre-ground coffee is exposed to air to help keep the cans from buckling. While it does save the packaging, that air takes away flavor.
Grinding at home does take a bit of thought to get it right. Two things you need to know before grinding:
- Depending on your coffee making method, the grounds need to be a different size. The longer it takes to brew your coffee, the larger your grinds should be. If they get too small, the end product will be more bitter. Too big and your flavor could be weak.
- The darkness of roast also effects the grind. Darker roasts, like a French Roast, needs a larger ground.
Grind size
| Extra Course (Ground Peppercorns) | Cold Brew |
| Course (Sea Salt) | French Press |
| Medium (Regular Sand) | Drip Coffee Maker |
| Medium Fine (Table Salt) | Pour Over |
| Fine (Smaller than Table Salt) | Espresso |
What’s best at your house? With many auto drip coffee makers, you can time how long it takes to brew. If it takes less than 3 minutes to brew, make your grind a bit finer. If it’s taking more than 6 minutes, make your grind coarser. It only takes a few mornings of paying attention to how your coffee turns out to learn what works best for you. Those few minutes a day are worth it for a great cup of coffee.