Artistry of Coffee Grind Size Precision – Fineness OR Coarseness
What is superb, consistent coffee flavour and extraction? Coffee may taste delicious to one, but may not be preferred by another. This is because the taste buds of each individual differ very much from each other. So here, we define “consistently good” coffee as coffee with a pleasant and balanced sapor – not overpowering or overwhelming.
With all the known factors that affect the ultimate taste of coffee, one of the main parameters is grind size.
But before that, we always heard about coffee extraction. What is it exactly? It is the process of acquiring the flavour and fragrance of coffee bean compound into hot liquid form. And by controlling the degree of extraction, you will be able to obtain a better grip on the flavour of your coffee. During this extraction process, grind size plays an important role.
The purpose of grinding is to expose more extensive surface areas of coffee for extraction. This facilitates water to seep through – for derivation of more intrinsic compounds for an ultimate well-balanced shot.
One of the basic rules of thumb is, with a coarser grind, the resulting beverage will highly likely be diluted, with little crema, and feel light-weight on your tongue. This is because the essence of the coffee is not fully extracted.
On the other hand, if the grind is overly fine, this also means over-extraction, which will result in a cup of excessively concentrated, bitter taste coffee.
To put it simply, the coarser the grind, the resulting taste will have a more sour, acidic inclination. The finer the grind goes, the consequential extraction will be increased bitterness.
With the above being said, it does not mean that it is only the grind size that makes coffee beverage tastes sour or bitter. Grind size is not the only or main deciding factor to achieve a good, well-balanced coffee tang. Brew time, water temperature, dosage etcetera are the other parameters to be considered in order to achieve that eventual perfect extraction. We believe with some trial and error, you will get the perfect grind size for that desired taste you are waiting for eventually. Cheers!
