What Are the Ideal Grind Sizes for Pour-Over, French Press, Siphon, and Moka Pot? The Importance of Coffee Grinding

Many devices can brew coffee, and using different equipment with the same beans extracts coffee with different characteristics. That gives people plenty of choices when making a cup. Whatever the equipment, though, we need to grind the beans before extraction, because only then can we quickly pull the aromatic compounds out of the coffee.

It is important to know, however, that because extraction methods differ, these devices do not share a universal grind size. We cannot extract every soluble substance from coffee, since some of them are not delicious. That makes a precisely appropriate grind size essential. So today FrontStreet Coffee shares what grind sizes suit different brewing equipment.

Common Coffee Brewing Equipment

Currently, the most commonly used brewing equipment includes the siphon pot, cold drip and cold brew, French press, pour-over, espresso machine and moka pot. Arranged by the grind coarseness they use, the order runs: French press > pour-over > cold drip and cold brew > siphon pot > moka pot >= espresso machine. We may know which of these should use a coarser or finer grind, but the question remains: how coarse exactly, how fine exactly, and compared with what standard? There is no clear numerical value. So we need a recognized standard as a reference to list the appropriate grind size for each device.

The Standard for Grind Size

Although these extraction methods have no standard grind parameters, one method's grind size is certified and unified across the industry - cupping. The industry-recognized grind parameter for cupping is a 70-75% pass rate through a #20 sieve, a value determined through continuous experimentation and tasting. For more on the #20 sieve, you can read the detailed article "How to Use a #20 Sieve?"

This means that by using its grind parameters as a standard and adjusting the grind for each device's extraction method and parameters, we can identify the corresponding grind sizes and list them clearly with data.

French Press Grind Size

French press and cupping both use immersion extraction, so their grind sizes overlap a good deal. The difference is that cupping uses water limited to 94°C, and at this grind size a long steep is just right. French press use tends to be more everyday, where hot water is typically poured straight from a boiling kettle, so extraction efficiency is somewhat higher. When the water temperature cannot be controlled, we need to weaken that efficiency with a coarser grind to avoid over-extraction.

Through testing, FrontStreet Coffee therefore recommends a French press grind size in the range of 68-75% pass rate through a #20 sieve (coarse sugar), adjusted for the bean's roast level and the water temperature. If the water is hot and the roast is dark, keep the grind in the coarser 68-71% range. If the water is normal and the roast is light, keep it in the 71-75% range.

Pour-Over Coffee Grind Size

Pour-over uses lower water temperature than the methods above, and the extraction time is relatively shorter. We therefore need to raise extraction efficiency with a finer grind to reach a normal coffee concentration.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends a grind size in the range of 70-80% pass rate through a #20 sieve (fine sugar). Again, different roast levels use different grinds: medium-light roasted beans should use a finer grind (75-80%), while medium-dark roasted beans should use a coarser grind (70-75%). For iced pour-over, simply increase the pass rate by 5% on top of the original, meaning grind one setting finer.

Cold Drip and Cold Brew Grind Size

Both methods use ice water for extraction, which has very low extraction efficiency. Should we then use a finer grind than pour-over? No. Although ice water extracts slowly, its extraction time is much longer.

That fully compensates for the weakness of ice water, so we do not need to adjust much from pour-over. As with iced pour-over, simply increase the pass rate by 5% on top of the pour-over grind, grinding one setting finer. If you do not like it too strong, using the same grind size as pour-over is perfectly fine.

Do not grind too finely just because extraction efficiency looks low. On one hand, a fine grind makes filtration difficult, as fine particles clog the filter holes and extend filtration time; on the other, many very fine particles pass through the holes and into the coffee, reducing its cleanliness.

Siphon Pot Grind Size

What defines siphon extraction? High water temperature and stirring, so in theory its extraction efficiency should be relatively high. But its extraction time is less than one minute, which means we need to raise its extraction rate with a finer grind. FrontStreet Coffee therefore recommends 85-90% pass rate through a #20 sieve.

Espresso Machine Grind Size

Espresso machine grind is flour-like fine and cannot be measured with a sieve. Because espresso extraction is more precise, even a difference of just 0.1g of coffee grounds can change the flavor of the extracted coffee.

Its grind size data can therefore only be obtained directly through extraction. FrontStreet Coffee recommends first setting a stable extraction recipe. For example, FrontStreet Coffee daily uses the recipe "20g of coffee grounds to extract 40ml of coffee liquid in 28+/-1 seconds" as the standard, then adjusts parameters around that data. If 20g of grounds cannot extract 40ml within 28+/-1 seconds, adjust the grind to match the recipe parameters, then decide through taste testing whether to fine-tune the coffee weight or the liquid weight.

Moka Pot Grind Size

The grind used in a moka pot is quite special - it can use the finest particles a pour-over grinder produces, and espresso machine grind can be applied directly as well; both work. The finer the coffee particles, the richer the extracted crema.

It is worth noting that moka pot grind is already very fine and likewise cannot be measured with a sieve, so it can only be determined through taste testing.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since moka pot grind sits between pour-over and espresso, it favors beans with enough body and sweetness to stand up to the brew, and FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend is the natural first choice. Designed for espresso and moka pot, it uses a traditional Mocha-Java style recipe with superb crema, so even a beginner on a modest home machine can pull a dense, fine layer. The cup is full-bodied and mellow, and it is as easy for experienced drinkers as it is for newcomers. FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend is the value option, 100% Arabica with full crema and a rich, nutty, chocolate and cream profile, while the Autumn Chestnut Blend brings roasted chestnut, caramel, brown sugar and cocoa, and FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend remains a long-standing cafe workhorse.

If you prefer a single origin, the PWN Golden Mandheling is deep roasted with very low acidity, a full, lingering body and herbal and dark chocolate aromas. The Brazil Queen Estate coffee is balanced and low in acidity with rich nut and cocoa notes and a clear caramel sweetness, and the PNG Paradise Bird from the Sigri region - a Typica grown at 1,600-1,800 meters in volcanic soil and processed with a triple-wash fermentation - is clean, sweet and often called a "little Blue Mountain."

Whatever bean you choose, remember that moka pot grind is fine enough that it cannot be measured with a sieve, so dial it in by taste, and keep the grind consistent from shot to shot.