[FrontStreet Coffee Barista Notes] The Impact of FrontStreet Coffee's Espresso Grind Adjustment on Espresso Flavor

To extract a delicious espresso every day and present a good latte to our customers, we believe that many baristas, like our editor, persist in adjusting espresso parameters daily. Even with coffee beans from the same batch, different temperatures and humidity each day affect the quality of every cup of coffee we serve. Therefore, consistently adjusting espresso parameters daily is crucial work.

Previously, we discussed how increasing or decreasing the dose affects espresso. Today, let's talk about adjusting the grind. Typically, when adjusting the grind, we start by testing yesterday's parameters and making fine-tuned adjustments based on them. Within the same batch of coffee beans, their state will be relatively consistent. However, if new batch beans are introduced, adjusting the grind becomes more challenging because fresh beans have a shorter aging time, resulting in richer crema but less mellow and full-bodied flavor compared to properly aged beans.

Today, our editor will discuss how adjusting the grind size affects flavor when working with properly aged beans.

The experimental coffee beans feature rich crema and abundant fruit flavors—the FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend espresso beans, with a blend ratio of Brazil: Colombia (6:4). The grinder is a Feima 900N, where smaller numbers indicate finer grind size, while larger numbers indicate coarser grind.

Our editor used a double portafilter with a consistent 21-gram dose to extract 40 grams of coffee liquid.

For each grind setting, we prepared: one espresso, one americano, and one cappuccino.

Grind Size 1.8

Parameters: Grind size 1.8 / 21g coffee grounds / 41g coffee liquid / 16-second extraction time

Espresso: Citrus, lemon, and grapefruit fruit flavors, with caramel and nutty notes in the aftertaste, along with a subtle floral aroma. Overall body is relatively thin, with rather sharp acidity.

Americano: Smoky, raspberry, and berry acidity, with nutty and tea-like notes. The acidity remains quite noticeable after water dilution, with the originally sharp citrus fruit flavors transforming into softer berry acidity.

Cappuccino: Milky fragrance, cream, nougat, with a hint of tobacco-like flavor—possibly due to under-extraction of the espresso, resulting in a slight astringency in the cappuccino.

Grind Size 1.7

Parameters: Grind size 1.7 / 21g coffee grounds / 40g coffee liquid / 23-second extraction time

Espresso: Relatively strong acidity, with overall smooth texture and rich crema. Features caramel, toffee, and dark chocolate flavors, with a persistent aftertaste.

Americano: After water dilution, nutty flavors become more prominent, with genmaicha and smoky aromas. The aftertaste has caramel sweetness, with mellow acidity and balanced flavors.

Cappuccino: Milk chocolate flavors, with hazelnut and almond notes, and a charcoal coffee aroma in the aftertaste.

Grind Size 1.6

Parameters: Grind size 1.6 / 21g coffee grounds / 41g coffee liquid / 26-second extraction time

Espresso: Balanced and gentle entry, with noticeable sweetness in the aftertaste and balanced acidity and bitterness. Features hazelnut, roasted almond, cream, and caramel flavors, with berry-like acidity.

Americano: Nutty, genmaicha, and berry acidity, with caramel aftertaste. Overall bitterness and nutty flavors are more pronounced, with weaker acidity.

Cappuccino: Toffee aroma, with milk chocolate sweetness and nutty, hazelnut flavors. Overall, the coffee's bitterness is more intense than in the previous two cups.

Espresso Comparison

After comparing three espressos side by side, our editor found that the coarsest grind size [1.8] had the shortest extraction time, with flavors showing more fruit acidity and relatively weaker nutty notes. The [1.7] grind was more balanced, with fuller and mellow flavors and rich crema. The finest grind size [1.6] had the longest extraction time, with flavors leaning more toward nuts and caramel, and the mellowest acidity among the three cups.

Americano Comparison

After water dilution allowed the flavors of all three espressos to fully develop, our editor found that the [1.8] americano still had noticeable acidity, with some smoky defect notes—possibly due to the short extraction time and uneven extraction during the process. The [1.7] americano had balanced flavors, with nutty and genmaicha aromas; this cup also showed smoky notes, but these were more like sandalwood incense, creating a pleasant aromatic experience. The [1.6] was consistent with the espresso flavors, also leaning toward nutty aromas, with mellow acidity and overall rich flavors.

Cappuccino Comparison

The [1.8] grind cappuccino was more like a milk coffee, with noticeable sweetness. The [1.7] was balanced, with the coffee's bitterness complemented by sweet aftertaste. The [1.6] had rich nutty flavors, with chocolate-like bitterness.

Among the three grind sizes, our editor would lean toward the [1.7] grind as the production parameter because it performs well in espresso, americano, and cappuccino. Since this is for service production, our editor believes that overall flavor performance is more important than excellence in a single beverage type.

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