Starting your Coffee Journey – Grind first!

If you’re looking to start your coffee journey into espressos and milk-based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos, I’m sure you will have been looking at several espresso machines already. Whether you are looking at something from a consumer electronics company like Philips, Kenwood, or Breville, or something from established coffee manufacturers like Gaggie, Rocket or Rancillio, it starts at the coffee machine. However, the grinder is far more important.

Besides great coffee beans (which I assume you have), the essential part of your espresso is getting the water through the ground coffee. What’s between a whole coffee bean and ground coffee? The grinder!

The foundation of an excellent espresso shot lies in the consistency and quality of the coffee grounds, which is why our stand has always been that a good coffee grinder is even more crucial than the espresso machine itself. Here are a couple of reasons:

Consistency: A quality grinder produces uniform coffee grounds, essential for even extraction. Inconsistent grounds (a mix of coarse and fine particles) result in uneven extraction, leading to off-flavors.

Extraction: Espresso brewing is a fast process, taking only about 25-35 seconds. The size of the coffee particles directly affects the extraction rate. Too coarse, and the espresso is under-extracted, resulting in a sour taste. Too fine, and it’s over-extracted, leading to bitterness.

Taste and Texture: The right grind size ensures that desirable flavors are extracted optimally, leading to a balanced espresso shot. It also affects the body and texture, making the difference between a rich, velvety shot and a thin, watery one.

Adaptability: Different beans and roasts may require slight adjustments in grind size. A good grinder allows for these nuances, providing flexibility.

As you can see, it’s quite clear that a quality grinder will definitely give you the ability to get the the best flavors out of each and every coffee.

Finally

A good coffee grinder is critical for espresso because it ensures the consistency of the ground coffee. The size of the coffee particles influences extraction, taste, and texture. In espresso preparation, precision is vital; a slight variation can drastically change the flavor. Even the best espresso machine can’t compensate for unevenly ground coffee, which could result in bitter or weak shots. Therefore, a quality grinder is fundamental to creating excellent espresso.

Of course, what’s a post without recommendations?

If you’re on a really tight budget, the Fellow Opus is a good bargain. Capable of espresso to pour-over, it is a great entry-level do-all grinder. While you do sacrifice some aesthetics and plastic build, the price is hard to beat. Fellow Opus Coffee Grinder | lamarsacoffee

A manual hand-grinder is not everyone’s cup of joe but it can work. Price-wise, a good Comandante can set you back the same as the Opus. But it works without electricity and really great for travel. https://shop.cloudcatcher.asia/products/comandante-coffee-grinder

If you have a bit more budget (MYR 2,600 to MYR 3,000) to stretch (I highly recommend you spend more on the grinder than the espresso machine!), then do consider something like the Eureka Mignon Specialita Eureka Mignon Specialita Coffee Grinder | lamarsacoffee which comes in a couple of cool colors and works really well for all types of coffee also. There is also the Baratza Sette 270Wi (Baratza Sette 270Wi – PPP Coffee) which you can buy from Pulp Coffee in KL which features grind by weight technology.

What’s next?

If you do not yet own a coffee scale, it’s time to get one. You’re not going to be able to calibrate anything without a scale!