Whether you’re grinding for Espresso, Cafetiere, Aeropress, V60 or anything else, knowing HOW to grind correctly is super important.
Grinders are the absolute backbone of your coffee set up. A bad grinder = bad/uneven grinding = bad coffee.
Let’s keep the science simple
Coffee brewing science can be complicated and a bit of a rabbit hole, however there are a couple general rules of thumb to follow which will improve your coffee drinking experience massively.
The Bucket Analogy
If you have a bucket of rocks and you pour water over them, the water will flush straight through within a couple of seconds, right? In reference to coffee, this would mean your coffee is too coarse.
If you have a bucket full of sand and you pour water over the top, the water will struggle to make its way through. In reference to coffee, this would mean your coffee is too fine.
For the perfect brew we are looking for the sweet spot through the middle. I will drop a couple base recipes to follow at the bottom of this blog.
Back to the buckets.. If you have a bucket full of rocks (coarse coffee grind) your water will not dissolve the required amount of coffee into your cup, this will leave your coffee weak and flat with no body (watery).
Alternatively, if you have a bucket full of sand (fine coffee grind) your water will dissolve too much coffee. This can create bitterness, with a dry and ‘claggy’ feel to the back of your throat.
Don't be afraid to experiment
This next part is down to you, as each grinder will be different. You need to be experimental, play with different grinds until you find a taste which suits your palette (there is no right or wrong in the coffee world, it's purely preference).
Weak, flat and no body? Make your grind finer
Bitter, dry and muddy? Make your grind coarser
- Aeropress - 18g coffee, 240ml water, 3 minute brew time
- V60 - 15g coffee, 240ml water, 3:30 minute brew time
- Cafetiere - 30g coffee, 500ml water, 3-5 minute brew time
If your coffee is brewing too quickly, make your grind finer
If your coffee is brewing too slow, make your coffee coarser
Please bare in mind - these are base recipes and may need some adaptation for your personal taste.
You can reduce or up the dose if you feel you would like more or less coffee.
You can follow our Instagram for recipes, tips & tricks.
@yorkemporium
@barista.alexander
Coffee, grinders and brewing methods are all available on the York Emporium website HERE
