As you know, we love exploring the various flavor profiles of coffee around the world. Beans from various countries along with different roasters are able to provide us with varied notes from just a humble bean.
At Kopi Social, we know that before you even start your coffee machine, the most important part is your grinder. In fact, we recommend you spend MORE on your grinder than your coffee machine. We see plenty of folks buying expensive (RM8,000/$1999 and up) coffee machines but yet, spend only a small fraction of that price on a grinder. And they wonder why their fancy new machine didn’t taste better than the old, entry-level machine they sold off.
The grind size, which is how coarse or fine the coffee beans are ground, plays a crucial role in determining the flavor profile and quality of your cup. Here’s a quick guide to adjusting your coffee grinder for a perfect brew.
Understanding Grind Size
Grind size is the linchpin that connects your coffee’s flavor to your brewing method. A finer grind means a larger surface area of the coffee is exposed to water, resulting in a stronger, more robust flavor. Conversely, a coarser grind exposes less surface area, creating a milder flavor.
Match Grind Size to Brew Method
Matching the grind size to your brewing method is vital. Espresso requires a fine grind, as water passes through it quickly under pressure. A coarse grind is better suited for French Press, which involves steeping the coffee for several minutes.
Adjusting Your Grinder
Start by understanding the settings on your grinder. Most have a dial that adjusts from fine to coarse. For a starting point, set your grinder to medium (for drip coffee makers) or fine (for espresso machines).
Tasting and Tweaking
Next, brew and taste. If your coffee tastes sour and weak, it’s under-extracted, meaning the water hasn’t pulled enough flavor from the beans. Adjust your grinder to a finer setting and try again. If it tastes bitter and overly strong, it’s over-extracted. Switch to a coarser setting.
This is where we always recommend a coffee scale. You are not going to get better coffee without a basic measurement tool. Some scales come with timers, flow rate measurement and other features but a basic coffee scale will do. You need something sensitive enough to react to 0.1g.
As a rule of thumb, we try to aim for a 30-35 second extraction of around twice your dose. This means that if you dose 16g (amount of ground coffee), you should expect 32g in that time.
Consistency is Key
Try not to change too many things when adjust. I always recommend folks adjust the granularity first (fine to coarse) before changing other things. Remember, perfecting your grind takes time, patience, and plenty of tasting. But once you’ve mastered the art of the grind, the rewards will be worth it – a sublime cup of coffee or espresso, brewed to perfection every time. So go ahead, adjust your grinder, and unlock the true potential of your beans.
Also note that different beans and roast levels (blond, medium, dark, etc) will also require you to adjust your grinder.
Some Recommendations
As of this time (June 2023), some have asked in light of a decent budget (RM3000/$700), what is a good grinder. We have a few picks we’ve tried. There’s the Eureka Mignon SpecialIta or the Baratza Sette 270 or 270W that can manage very well the entire range. You also have the DF64 which may require some more dedication but is a very affordable 64mm burr grinder.
