How Fine Should Coffee Grounds Be for Pour-Over Coffee? What Type of Coffee is Specialty Coffee?

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Pour-Over Coffee Grind Size

Different coffee grinders produce different grinding results, even within the same brand and model. Different types of burrs create coffee particles with varying shapes, and these shape differences affect coffee extraction outcomes. (Some particles are flake-like, others are chunky, and some tend to be more rounded.)

Different coffee grinders also vary in the distribution of coffee particle sizes. This distribution difference also affects coffee extraction results. (Some grinders produce a higher ratio of fine particles, while others produce fewer.)

The principle behind coffee bean grinding is actually quite similar.

Using a coffee grinder to evenly grind coffee beans into suitable particles allows them to extract the desired flavors and aromas when properly combined with water.

(If you swallow a date whole, you won't taste its flavor. Similarly, if you brew coffee using whole beans, you won't taste the coffee's flavor either.)

The coarseness of coffee bean grinding determines how quickly substances from the coffee dissolve into water. This is because, with the same beans, finely ground coffee has a larger surface area in contact with water compared to coarsely ground coffee.

(For example: powdered sugar dissolves faster than granulated sugar, and finely ground coffee dissolves faster than coarsely ground coffee.)

Additionally, the size of coffee particles affects the speed at which water passes through them.

(For example: water passes through rocks faster than through fine sand.)

After coffee beans are ground, the thickness of the grounds in the container increases because gaps form between particles.

If your coffee grinder is not of sufficient quality, it might produce particles of inconsistent sizes. During coffee brewing, different coffee particles dissolve at different rates, which can easily lead to uneven extraction.

When the ground particles become smaller, the overall surface area in contact with water increases, the coffee bed becomes thicker, and the same water (with the same temperature, volume, and pour speed) passes through the particles more slowly. The contact time between water and coffee particles becomes longer, and the extraction rate becomes higher. When the ground particles become larger, the opposite occurs.

Key Knowledge Point

The coarseness of coffee grounds affects the amount and speed of coffee component release during brewing. Generally, coffee grind coarseness can be divided into five levels: extra-fine, fine, medium-fine, medium, and coarse.

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