The Ultimate Coffee Grind Guide

Getting the grind size right is just as important as choosing the right roast. Think of the coffee bed as a filter: if the grind is too coarse, water rushes straight through without picking up flavor; if it is too fine, water gets trapped, over-extracting bitter compounds.

Use this quick reference guide to match your brewing method to the perfect grind size.

1. Extra Coarse

Texture: Like sea salt chunks or cracked peppercorns.

Why it works: This size presents the least surface area to the water, requiring a very slow extraction time so the flavors can gently steep without getting bitter.

Best for: Cold Brew (steeped for 12 to 24 hours).

2. Coarse

Texture: Like chunky potting soil or kosher salt.

Why it works: Perfect for immersion brewing. The large particle size allows for a clean, sediment-free extraction over several minutes of brewing.

Best for: Cafetiere (French Press).

3. Medium-Coarse

Texture: Like rough sand or sea salt.

Why it works: Gives just enough resistance to water passing through without clogging specialized metal filters.

Best for: Chemex, Clever Dripper.

4. Medium

Texture: Like regular table salt or dry sand.

Why it works: The ultimate starting point for most home brewing. It provides the perfect balance of resistance and surface area for standard drip methods.

Best for: Standard Drip Coffee Machines, Aeropress (with a 2 to 3-minute steep time).

5. Medium-Fine

Texture: Like fine sand or table salt.

Why it works: Specifically engineered for conical paper filters where water needs to extract flavors efficiently in a single, continuous pour.

Best for: V60 Pour-Over, Kalita Wave.

6. Fine

Texture: Like ground cinnamon or table salt.

Why it works: Extremely high surface area. Because an espresso machine forces water through the coffee under high pressure in just 25 to 30 seconds, the grind must be fine and tightly packed to create the necessary resistance.

Best for: Espresso, Stovetop Moka Pot.

7. Extra Fine

Texture: Like flour or powdered sugar.

Why it works: The coffee is boiled directly with water and left un-filtered in the cup. It needs to dissolve and settle completely.

Best for: Turkish Coffee.

The Golden Rules of Grinding

Grind Fresh: Coffee begins to lose its vibrant aromas within 15 minutes of grinding. For the absolute best experience with our roast-to-order beans, buy whole beans and grind them right before you brew.

Use a Burr Grinder: Blade grinders chop coffee into highly uneven pieces (some dust, some chunks), leading to a sour and bitter cup at the same time. Burr grinders crush the beans uniformly to the exact size you select.

Need a Grinder? Check out our Sundries section for precision manual and electric burr grinders designed to unlock the true potential of your fresh roast.