Thinking of grinding your coffee but you’re clueless where to start? It’s such an important part of coffee making you simply can’t ignore it. But creating the perfect cup of coffee doesn’t have to be a daunting task.

What you need is these top tips:

What Grain Size Do You Want?

The first step is to determine your need: Do you want coarse, fine or medium sized grains?

Are you aware the size of the coffee grain ultimately influences the final taste of your coffee. Let’s have a look at each of them:

      • Coarse Grinds: These are generally larger, chunky particles and usually for cold brewing methods such as in the French Press Pot. In some cases, coarse grains can make your coffee under extracted resulting in a weak and less flavourful cup of coffee.
      • Medium Grinds: These can also be further classified into medium fine grind. They are slightly smaller than the coarse grains and are used in drip brewing methods.
      • Fine Grinds: As the name depicts, these grains are generally smoother than the rest. They’re usually for making espressos. If your coffee grains are too fine, your coffee can be over extracted and consequently bitter.

Your final decision will be based on personal preference and the methods you use. But how will you grind them?

  • Which Machine to Use?

The machine you select depends on how much money you’re willing to spend and the brewing method you pick.

The coffee machine for drip brewed coffee is relatively inexpensive because making drip coffee isn’t too demanding. If you want French press coffee it requires a consistently coarse grind.

For the espresso lovers it becomes more pricey as the process requires extra caution to turn your coffee into fine particles.

You can also pick between:

      • Blade grinders: They’re generally versatile and can be used on most type of coffees. The only problem is you must be prepared to wake up to a bit of noise in the kitchen because the machine is rather noisy.
      • Burr grinders: Perfect if you want finer coffee.
  • Thinking of Pre-grinding Your Coffee? Think again

We all dream about waking up and getting a quick cup of coffee. This makes the idea of pre-grinding your coffee sound appealing right? Rather not. Why? Because pre-ground coffee gets stale much quicker than whole beans. So try grinding your coffee just before brewing for the ultimate taste.

Hence, whole bean coffee you can grind yourself is advisable and be sure to keep it in an airtight container to preserve the flavour.

  • Importance of Measuring

Thinking of just tossing a couple of teaspoons of beans into the grinder? With coffee, grinding randomness is not advisable.

Measuring your beans will help you grind the perfect cup of coffee consistently. Accurate measurement will also save you from brewing more coffee than you actually need. So train your mind to measure every morning to avoid any wastage and you’ll enjoy optimal brews each and every time.

The recommended water to coffee ratio for the perfect cup is 16: 1.

  • Automatic or Manual Grinder?

Your final decision lies with deciding between an automatic or manual grinder. Don’t get too caught up in this part because both work pretty well. The facts that can help you pick the ideal one for you include:

      • Manual grinders are generally cheaper than their auto counterparts.
      • Manual grinders are slightly more time consuming than the auto grinders.
      • Manual grinders are much more portable.

Your lifestyle and budget will help you pick so also take these into consideration during the decision making process.

So now that you have all the facts, confidently step into the kitchen and brew away!