Coffee Bean Grind Size 1-10: Which is Finest & How to Adjust Pour-Over Coffee Grinding Standards

Which coffee grind size from 1 to 10 is the finest?

In most cases, the smaller the number, the finer the grind. Coffee bean grind size plays a crucial role in extracting a cup of coffee. For example, if the coffee grounds are too fine, using them for pour-over coffee will result in over-extraction, while if they're too coarse, you'll experience under-extraction. Additionally, different coffee bean origins have unique characteristics that require different grind size standards. So how can you correctly adjust the grind size? Most coffee grinders on the market today have grind settings from 1-10, and understanding how to adjust them can be challenging. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will share insights about coffee grind size standards!

What is coffee bean grind size?

As FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above, grinding is crucial for coffee because the size of coffee particles directly affects the efficiency of hot water extraction. Theoretically, the more uniform the coffee particles, the more consistent the overall extraction efficiency, resulting in better coffee flavor. Concentration and extraction rate decrease as the grind becomes coarser and increase as it becomes finer. The degree of grinding not only determines the size and shape of coffee after grinding but also affects the surface area. The finer the coffee grounds, the larger the surface area, increasing the contact area between water flow and coffee, allowing more substances to be extracted. Increased surface area (coarser grind) also provides more opportunities for carbon dioxide to escape from inside the coffee beans.

The degree of grinding is often described as the coarseness of coffee grounds. When coffee grounds are coarser, the particles are larger, and water flow takes more time to penetrate the coffee particles and extract coffee substances. Similarly, when coffee grounds are finer, the particles are smaller, and water flow requires less time to extract coffee substances from within the particles.

Therefore, for the same coffee bean under the same time conditions, finer coffee grinding can extract more coffee substances, resulting in a stronger coffee taste. Conversely, coarser coffee grinding can only extract limited coffee substances, leading to potentially bland flavors. This demonstrates how crucial coffee grind size is for extracting the full flavor potential of a cup of coffee.

What are the common grind sizes?

Generally, coffee grinders on the market can be categorized into three types based on grinding ranges: one type for espresso grinding range, another type that covers most grinding ranges but not espresso, and finally, a type with a wide grinding range suitable for all coffee brewing methods.

According to the recommended grind sizes for different coffee brewing methods, we can identify several common grind sizes. The finest grind is used for Turkish coffee preparation, followed by espresso, then medium-coarse for pour-over/drip coffee, slightly coarser for siphon brewing, and finally, the coarsest grind is used for French press preparation.

Espresso grind is relatively fine, stemming from the espresso preparation process and its purpose. Espresso extraction requires a very short time, typically between 20-30 seconds. Additionally, espresso is primarily used as the base for most Italian-style coffee drinks, requiring extraction of sufficient coffee substances to support dilution with water or milk. Therefore, compared to other brewing methods, espresso requires a much finer grind.

Pour-over coffee brewing has a moderate extraction time among various brewing methods, averaging around 2 minutes, though 1-3 minutes is also acceptable. However, most single-serve pour-over brewing recipes average around 2 minutes. Compared to espresso, pour-over doesn't require as fine a grind to avoid over-extraction, so it falls into the medium-coarse category.

French press coffee extraction takes 4 minutes or longer, exceeding pour-over coffee extraction time, so French press typically uses the coarsest grind to avoid over-extraction during prolonged brewing.

How to adjust coffee bean grind size from 1 to 10?

As FrontStreet Coffee has explained, different coffee extraction methods require different coffee grind sizes. Since everyone has different coffee grinder models, the parameters for adjustment vary. Some grinders might reach extremely fine grinding at setting 3, while others might need to be set to 1 for the same fineness. In such situations, you can only confirm the grind size through sieving. Here, FrontStreet Coffee will explain grind size using pour-over coffee as an example.

What grind size should be used for pour-over coffee?

Let's use FrontStreet Coffee's fresh roasted coffee beans as an example. Pour-over single-origin coffee beans are divided into medium-light roast and medium-dark roast categories.

FrontStreet Coffee's medium-light roast coffee beans: Medium-light roasted coffee beans typically exhibit acidity, while caramelized substances are not easily extracted. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a medium-fine grind (80% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve with 0.85mm mesh, similar to fine sugar size). Medium-fine grinding can slow down water flow through the coffee bed, better extracting acidic substances, sweet substances, and caramelized compounds to achieve balanced coffee flavor expression. Medium-fine ground coffee is recommended to be brewed at 90-91°C. Too high water temperature will over-extract caramelized compounds, producing bitterness, while too low water temperature will result in under-extraction, only extracting partial acidic and sweet substances, making the coffee taste bland and uninteresting.

FrontStreet Coffee's medium-dark roast coffee beans: Medium-dark roasted coffee beans generally have lower acidity and noticeable body, meaning caramelized substances are more abundant. FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a medium-coarse grind (70% pass-through rate on a #20 sieve with 0.85mm mesh, similar to raw sugar size). Medium-coarse grinding can speed up water flow through the coffee bed, preventing over-extraction of caramelized compounds, allowing the coffee's flavor and mouthfeel to present sweet and rich characteristics without producing unpleasant bitterness. Medium-coarse ground coffee is recommended to be brewed at 88-89°C. Too high water temperature will make the coffee taste bitter and difficult to drink, while too low water temperature will result in bland and uninteresting flavors.

How to use a 0.85mm #20 sieve?

Regarding grind size, FrontStreet Coffee determines it through sieving methods, following SCAA's grinding recommendations for pour-over coffee combined with practical verification. If you don't have a sieve at home, FrontStreet Coffee suggests observing water flow speed - if water flows too quickly, the grind is too coarse; if it flows too slowly, the grind is too fine.

First, prepare 10g of coffee beans for grinding. Initially, determine a grind size based on fine sugar and raw sugar sizes, then pour into the sieve. Cover with the lid and shake left and right to allow coffee grounds to pass through the sieve into the collection tray below. Continue until no more coffee grounds pass through the sieve. Then prepare an electronic scale and container, tare to zero, pour the sieved coffee grounds into the container and weigh. If you get 8g of sieved coffee grounds, it's medium-fine grind; if you get 7g, it's medium-coarse grind. If the pass-through rate is too high, adjust the grind coarser; if it's too low, adjust the grind finer.

Below are the sieve data for different extraction methods that FrontStreet Coffee has compiled through extensive brewing practice, for your reference:

Fine → Coarse
Pour-over Siphon 80% pass-through rate → American Drip 75-80% pass-through rate → Cupping 70-75% pass-through rate → French Press 65-70% pass-through rate

The importance of grind uniformity

Ground particles should be uniform. After coffee beans are ground, they become powder, and the distribution of particle sizes greatly affects the quality of the coffee beverage. The more concentrated the particle sizes within the target range, indicating uniform grinding, the better the flavor. If there are too many coarse particles, the deep flavors hidden within the coffee won't be extracted; if there are too many fine particles, it will produce coffee with overly complex and bitter flavors. If severe grinding unevenness occurs, FrontStreet Coffee recommends replacing your grinding equipment.

The above is FrontStreet Coffee's comprehensive explanation about coffee bean grind degrees, hoping to help coffee enthusiasts who want to understand related knowledge, so they can correctly adjust coffee grind coarseness during their future coffee extraction processes.

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