Is Pour-Over Coffee American or Italian? Standard Reference for Pour-Over Coffee Grind Size

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. This article is part of a series on pour-over brewing fundamentals.

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Pour-Over Coffee Grind Size

We all know that pour-over coffee is affected by many factors, and grind size is one of them. Grind size generally refers to the size of the coffee particles, or more directly, to how particle size affects the contact time between coffee and water.

With all other parameters equal, the finer the particles, the higher the extraction rate. The finer the coffee is ground, the larger the contact area with water, and the higher the concentration of dissolved coffee. Conversely, the coarser the coffee, the smaller the contact surface area with water, and the lower the concentration of extracted coffee.

Grind coarseness is one of the variables affecting pour-over coffee.

Grind size refers to the size of coffee particles. Put simply, particle size affects the contact time between coffee and water.

Grind coarseness leads to contact surface area and dissolution speed.

With a fine grind, hot water extracts more substances in the same amount of time. Grind too finely, however, and it may extract too much, producing over-extraction. With a coarse grind, hot water extracts fewer substances in the same amount of time; grind too coarsely and it may extract too little, producing under-extraction.

The finer the grind, the more readily the coffee bed packs down on the filter paper, creating greater extraction resistance, a slower flow rate, and a longer extraction time. The extraction rate of the substances in the coffee is higher, and the brewed coffee is more intense. The coarser the grind, the larger the gaps between the powder layers, with less coffee in contact with hot water and weaker extraction resistance: coffee drips faster, the extraction rate is lower, and the flavor is lighter.

Medium-Fine Grind (suitable for light roasted beans, Fuji "ghost tooth" 3.5)

A medium-fine grind is about the size of white sugar, the most common supermarket white sugar, slightly larger than the coarser crystals. Pour-over coffee generally settles on a medium-fine consistency. Because medium-fine is so widely used, coffee lovers should experiment with their grinders more to find the medium-fine setting that suits them best.

Knowledge point: the coarseness of coffee powder affects the amount and speed of the coffee compounds released during brewing. Generally speaking, coffee powder coarseness can be divided into five levels: very fine, fine, medium-fine, medium, and coarse.

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month there are three low-discount coffee activities, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest price. This has also been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Grind size matters most with light-roasted, floral and fruity coffees, and for pour-over those are the beans to reach for. The Hario V60, designed in 2004 and named for its distinctive 60 degree cone and V shape, is built for exactly this style: its single large hole lets water flow freely, and because flow rate depends largely on the brewer's control, the cup reflects every adjustment you make to grind and pour.

FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gedeb is a good starting point. As many drinkers' first step into specialty coffee, Yirgacheffe is consistently popular, showing vivid citrus, berry, and floral notes with a green-tea-like sweetness on the finish. Unlike the "sour coffee" many people imagine, a good Yirgacheffe's acidity is soft and bright, more like the natural sweet-sour of fruit than a sharp tang, which makes it very easy to accept for someone new to pour-over.

FrontStreet Huakui is one of the most successful star products on the specialty market in recent years. Its tropical fruit aroma is extremely prominent, with abundant aromas of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, and even lychee; the sweetness is clear, bitterness is very low, and the entry is smooth and full of juice. Many drinkers describe it as "the coffee that tastes least like coffee," and for anyone who does not care for the bitterness of traditional coffee, it can change their whole idea of what coffee is.