Getting Your Grind Right: The Most Common Grind Types for Your Coffee Equipment
Coffee preparation, like most relationship status in Facebook, is quite complicated especially to newbie homebrewers who just got their new equipment because of the continuous lockdown restrictions in various areas. Coffee is both an Art and a Science. The experience will come from the selection of coffee beans, their roast type, their roast date, their grind type, and many other factors so every cup is different from the rest.
At this point, you may have or may be planning to invest in brewing equipment and may have known where to buy coffee beans in Manila. But the question is, what type of grind fits your equipment to level up your coffee experience? Today, we will discuss the most common types of grind for brewed coffee and which gadgets or equipment they are most suitable with.
1. Coarse Grind
The first type of grind is coarse. The coffee beans are ground a little such that the product is granules which becomes similar to broken grains of rice. This grind type is most suitable for French Press because the equipment uses a mesh attached to the rod on top that you need to push down in order to separate the coffee pulps from the liquid. If a finer grind type is used for this kind of equipment, then it will pass through the holes of the mesh, giving you a cloudy cup of coffee. You would not want a rough liquid sliding down your throat each time you sip, wouldn’t you?
A coarse grind is also commonly used when cupping coffee for easier scooping of coffee pulps prior to tasting.
2. Medium Grind
Number two on our list is Medium Grind. The coffee beans are ground slightly finer than coarse. The most common equipment for medium grind type is the coffee maker or any equipment that relies on “drip” to brew coffee, where cloth, paper, or mesh can be used as filters. The texture of the grounds is similar to sea salt – neither coarse nor fine.
3. Medium-Fine Grind
Number three is Medium-Fine Grind. This grind is neither fine nor medium, but somewhere in their midst. It is suitable for pour-over equipment like the Chemex or Siphon Brewers in order to deliver a smooth and aromatic coffee where single origins are king!
4. Fine Grind
Number four on our list is the Fine Grind. This is where the beans are carefully ground to a consistency that is similar to sand. This is most suitable for espresso machines, Moka Pot, Aero Press – just do not forget the paper filters – or the Vietnamese Phin. The coffee extraction from this ground type is faster because of the greater surface area that comes in contact with water as it passes through the coffee.
5. Extra Fine Grind / Ultra Fine Grind
Last on our list for today is Extra Fine Grind. This is the signature grind type for Turkish Coffee preparation because of its texture that almost feels like flour when examined. This brewing method is one of the oldest ways of coffee preparation because of its simplicity. The usual ratio of water to coffee is less than the standard ratio to deliver a strong kick.
Conclusion
The types of grind we have listed are some of the common grinds used against the equipment that is familiar to all of us. Surely, there are grind types in the middle of some grinds that are intended for specific equipment or to deliver a different way of coffee extraction. Experimentation is key!
The preference of grind types relies on the brewer. However, the types are presented as it is with consideration of mechanical suitability and maximizing extraction. As you get to know coffee more deeply, you will understand that a slight change even to the grind size can affect the liquid we love to sip. That is where Science meets Art in coffee brewing. And like our usual mantra, let us keep on grinding for better days!
