Coffee Bean Grind Size Comparison Within 9 Settings: Reference for Pour-Over Coffee Grind Adjustment

First, not just pour-over coffee, but all coffee brewing methods require grinding coffee beans into powder. However, different extraction methods require different grind consistencies. For example, French press uses coarse grounds that are visually distinguishable, while Turkish coffee pots require extremely fine grounds as fine as flour.

For the same weight, finer grinding means more cuts and increased surface area, allowing water to contact more of the coffee grounds.

The finer the grind, the smaller the coffee particles. The distance from the surface to the center of each particle becomes shorter, reducing the time needed for water to penetrate and extract flavor compounds from within the particles.

Many people like to use sugar as an analogy for coffee grind consistency. Of course, using general descriptions makes it difficult for people to clearly identify which grind consistency they're using. FrontStreet Coffee uses standard sieves to distinguish particle sizes.

Generally, pour-over coffee uses particles around 600-850 micrometers. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee uses a 0.85mm sieve (equivalent to a #20 standard sieve) for calibration. Typically, pour-over coffee (light roast) has an 80% pass-through rate with a 0.85mm sieve, while medium-dark roasts have a 65-70% pass-through rate.

Grind Consistency Standards

So what about grind consistencies for brewing methods other than pour-over? Using the same 0.85mm standard sieve as reference, FrontStreet Coffee's grind consistency sieve pass-through standards are:

Cold drip > Pour-over, Siphon 80% > Mocha, American drip 75-80% > Cupping 70-75% > French press 65-70%

For extremely fine grinds like Turkish coffee and espresso machines, a different sieve is applicable. Generally, espresso machines and Turkish coffee pots use ground particles around 250-350 micrometers. Therefore, we can use a 0.3mm sieve for screening.

Choosing a Coffee Grinder

The burr set is the most important part of a coffee grinder, and different burrs directly affect the distribution of coffee particle sizes. On the market, there are machines labeled as coffee grinders that actually only have two blades - commonly known as "chopper" grinders - which are not within the scope of this discussion. Currently, common burr types are divided into conical burrs, flat burrs, and ghost tooth burrs.

Conical Burrs

Conical burrs grind coffee beans into particles through a crushing motion, resulting in predominantly block-shaped particles. They are commonly used in manual grinders. Due to the "crushing" method, coffee beans produce a significant amount of dust-like fine particles when cracked during grinding. Normal coffee particles also have irregular block shapes but tend toward overall uniformity. The near-particle shape of conical burrs results in longer water absorption paths, taking more time to contact water. Therefore, they release fewer soluble substances initially, resulting in lower concentrations, but long extraction times mean the woody parts absorb less water, making it less likely to produce off-flavors and astringency, making them suitable for pour-over coffee grind consistency. Expensive conical burrs and cheap conical burrs also differ significantly in grinding quality.

Flat Burrs

Flat burrs grind coffee beans into particles through a shaving motion, resulting in predominantly flake (strip) shaped particles. The structure consists of upper and lower burrs placed parallel, with the bottom burr's rotational force pushing coffee beans in for grinding. Therefore, the weight of coffee beans above affects the uniformity of beans entering the burrs. The pushing action increases coffee bean collisions, raising the proportion of fine particles. However, flat burrs produce flake-shaped particles, increasing cell wall area, allowing for rapid increases in coffee concentration and extraction rate, with quick aroma enhancement. Due to the small volume of flat flakes, long extraction times prevent excessive woody matter from leaching into the water, reducing off-flavors and astringency. Suitable for espresso grinding and pour-over grinding.

Ghost Tooth Burrs

Ghost tooth burrs grind coffee beans into particles through a grinding motion, resulting in predominantly sphere-like shapes. However, because they can grind one coffee bean into several small spherical particles, the edge waste (fine particles) produced from grinding these spheres also increases. But the overall difference between large particles is minimal. Suitable for pour-over grinding.

Manual vs Electric Grinder Selection

Manual grinders are characterized by portability and ease of carrying. Electric grinders feature convenience and high precision. Theoretically, electric grinders have higher limits in efficiency, grinding quality, and stability compared to manual grinders, and naturally cost more than manual grinders. If choosing between manual and electric grinders at the same price point, prioritize manual grinders.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, ID: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473