How to Determine if Your Coffee Grind Size is Appropriate? How to Adjust Pour-Over Coffee Grind Size

"I feel something is not quite right with this coffee I brewed?"

"What grind size are you using?"

"Like fine granulated sugar."

Do You Truly Understand Grind Size?

Everyone's grasp of coffee grind size varies considerably. After all, we're dealing with a microscopic world measured in millimeters, making it challenging to accurately determine the appropriate coffee particle size. Therefore, some people have begun using analogies to describe coffee particle size, with the most common being comparisons to coarse granulated sugar or fine granulated sugar. Indeed, as a daily necessity, sugar is known to all, but how many people actually know the particle size of sugar!

According to the GB 317-2006 technical requirements for white granulated sugar, it is classified into four levels: refined, premium, first grade, and second grade. Different grades of sugar vary in purity and particle size precision. Sugar particle sizes are categorized as coarse grains (0.800-2.50mm), large grains (0.630-1.60mm), medium grains (0.450-1.25mm), and fine grains (0.280-0.800mm), with at least 80% of crystals being uniform and within the specified ranges.

We typically compare through visual observation combined with tactile sensation. However, this method works relatively accurately for experienced individuals, but is less friendly for beginners. Ground coffee particles are irregular cubes, which, compared to the relatively regular sugar crystals, provide different feedback both visually and tactilely. For beginners, this makes precise judgment difficult. When the standard range is larger, the resulting coffee particle size analogies will also be larger.

How to Choose the Right Coffee Grind Size?

To address this question, we must first understand why coffee needs to be ground. Given the same amount of coffee bean material, a larger surface area means more coffee substances will be extracted within the same time frame. However, not all substances and flavors extracted from coffee are desirable. Therefore, we need to find an appropriate grind size that extracts the positive flavor compounds from the coffee.

Different coffee brewing methods require different grind particle sizes. For example, espresso and Turkish coffee have particle sizes around 0.2-0.3mm. The ideal particle size for pour-over coffee is between 0.6-0.8mm. Although these values are clear, we can't exactly measure them with a ruler! FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a 0.85mm (national standard No. 20) sieve for confirmation. Because regardless of the grinder's price point, the resulting coffee grounds will always have a mix of coarse and fine particles, so we want the vast majority of coffee grounds to fall within the 0.6-0.8mm range. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee uses an 80% pass rate through a 0.85mm standard sieve as the grind fineness standard for light to medium roast coffee beans.

Of course, besides using data to preliminarily judge coffee grind fineness, we can also determine whether the coffee's grind level is appropriate based on the brewing process. First, brewing time can provide a reference for grind fineness. According to FrontStreet Coffee's standard brewing parameters, the extraction time for a normal cup of coffee is around 1 minute 50 seconds to 2 minutes 10 seconds. If the grind is too fine, the extraction time will be prolonged; if too coarse, the extraction time will be shortened. This allows us to initially determine whether the coffee grind size is appropriate based on extraction duration.

You can also observe the settling speed of the coffee grounds during brewing. Under normal circumstances, the coffee grounds should settle slowly and uniformly. If you notice a rapid settling speed, it might indicate the grind is too coarse. If the settling speed becomes progressively slower or even causes blockage, it could mean the grind is too fine or there are too many fine particles, creating a muddy appearance at the bottom of the grounds layer.

Of course, there is no absolute value for grind fineness. Grind size is just one factor affecting the flavor of a cup of coffee (different brewing methods also have adjustment ranges for grind size), and it works in conjunction with numerous other factors to present the final cup of coffee.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473