Step 1: Choose your brewing method
Once you determine which brewing method you'll be using—cold brew, espresso, auto drip, etc—you'll be able to determine which coffee grind size to use. In general, slower, hotter immersion brewing methods require coarser grinds, while quicker extraction methods use finer grinds.
Step 2: Determine the size and grind you need
Understanding how coffee grind size and texture impact different brewing methods is key to creating a robust cup. How long your grounds are in contact with water during the extraction process will help determine how weak or strong your drink is. If your grounds are too fine for your brewing method, your drink could be over extracted, resulting in an overly bitter taste. If your grounds are too coarse, the water will move through them quickly and you'll get acidic, under extracted results.
Matching Coffee Grind Types and Sizes to Brewing Method:
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Extra Coarse/Coarse (ground peppercorns/sea salt): Best for cold brew coffee or other long, slow immersion processes.
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Medium Coarse (rough sand): Best for French Press and other hot immersion methods
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Medium (sand): Best for auto drip and pour overs. Learn about the differences between drip and pour over coffee.
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Fine (table salt/sugar): Best for pressurised brewing methods with shorter brew times like espresso, Cuban coffee or Moka Pot
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Extra Fine (powder/flour): Best for Turkish coffee
Step 3: Choose your grinding method
If you're looking for the best way to achieve a precise grind size, a burr grinder is the way to go. This will give you the control you need to produce the consistency that's especially important for grinding coffee for espresso machines, or other pressure and quick extraction methods of brewing. The KitchenAid® Cordless Go Coffee Grinder offers one-touch control for easy grinding.
A blade grinder can be used for cold brew or other longer immersion processes, but tends to have limited settings and offers less consistency. This goes for manual grinders, as well. If you're really in a pinch a mortar and pestle will work for brew methods requiring coarser grounds, but again, consistency can be an issue with this type of method.
Step 4: Measure beans/determine dosing
There are several methods for measuring beans, but the most accurate is measuring by weight. For the most exact results, weigh beans before you grind them on a kitchen scale. As a rule of thumb, you'll need two tablespoons of ground beans for every 180 ml of coffee. This is approximately 10.8 g of whole coffee beans. If you don't have a scale, 4 tablespoons of coffee beans will produce about three and a half teaspoons of grinds.
If you're making espresso, you'll need about 1.5-2 teaspoons of ground beans for 30-45 ml of espresso.
Step 5: Determine grinding time
The longer the grind time, the finer the coffee grounds. Conversely, a coarse grind will require a shorter grind time. Electric coffee grinders make relatively quick work of grinding for both fine and coarse grounds. Keep in mind that a blade grinder, although very fast, may need to be stopped a couple of times in the grinding process to check progress and shake loose any stray beans that may have gotten caught in the blades. Timing isn't an issue with burr grinders because the grind size is determined by the adjustment of the burrs.
How do you grind coffee beans without a grinder?
It is possible to grind coffee beans without a grinder by using a mortar and pestle, rolling pins or a meat mallet. Unfortunately these methods just won't do if your goal is to achieve consistent coffee grind size, which is particularly important for brewing certain coffee and espresso drinks.
Can you grind coffee beans in a blender?
Blenders are designed to work with some amount of liquid, so grinding coffee beans in a blender isn't an ideal option. Some high-powered blenders have the ability to grind coffee beans but they're likely unable to produce consistent grind sizes and textures.
Can you grind coffee beans in a food processor?
Food processors aren't a great choice for grinding coffee beans because their motors aren't designed to take on hard ingredients and their blades aren't suited to creating consistently sized grounds.
Can you grind coffee beans with a mortar and pestle?
It's possible to grind coffee beans with a mortar and pestle, but there are potential pitfalls, including consistency of grind size and over grinding portions of beans. If beans are overground they can over extract flavour, creating a bitter brew.
How long do you grind coffee beans?
It usually takes less than 30 seconds to grind coffee beans in an electric grinder. However, the secret to perfectly ground coffee isn't time but a combination of grind size and uniform grounds. Different grinding methods will require different lengths of time to achieve the right size and consistency. The finer the grinds and the larger the quantities, the longer the grinding time.
Blade grinders can work very quickly. You can achieve a medium coarse/medium grind for an automatic drip coffee maker, or a French press, in as few as 14-21 seconds in a KitchenAid® Cordless Go Coffee Grinder. It's important to note that longer grinding times can quickly overheat the coffee beans and valuable flavour can be lost.
