How to Pave Your Way to the Best Cup of Coffee
Every cup of coffee, good or bad, begins with the grinding of the beans. And whether it was done on an industrial machine before packing and shipping to the store, or you did it yourself with a manual coffee grinder before making a batch of French press, grinding is an important step towards a satisfying mouthful.
Like everything else in coffee, grinding is an art, not a food science, but you don’t have to be an expert to start experimenting on your own. Here’s a breakdown of the basics in the form of four tips to keep in mind.
Grind size really matters
When you’re making coffee, it’s important to match the grind size to your chosen brewing method. Generally speaking, the grind size for a home espresso machine will be quite fine, almost like a powder, so that the coffee tastes adequate when the machine runs water through it quickly. If you are doing a French press, the grind size will be quite coarse because you will be soaking the coffee in water for several minutes. (The video above will help you determine the correct grind size for your coffee brewing method.)
If you buy ground coffee, pay attention to the grind size. Pre-ground coffee sold in U.S. grocery stores is usually ground to a consistency suitable for a drip filter coffee maker. If you are using one of these machines, you are fine. If you’re making a French press using a Moka pot, or if you have a small home espresso machine, this versatile grind will be far from ideal. Instead, if your store offers this, you’re better off grinding the beans to your desired consistency there.
Keep your beans fresh longer
Once you’ve decided on your grind size, the next step is to store your coffee so it stays fresh for as long as possible, as your bag of beans (whether ground or not) will likely sit on the shelf for ages. a few weeks before you use it all.
Being in your kitchen, coffee beans interact with the environment, there is a process of oxidation (interaction with atmospheric oxygen). Over time, this makes the coffee stale or even rancid. Coffee left too long loses its fresh aroma and acquires a tannic aftertaste that black coffee lovers will not particularly appreciate.
One option is to buy freshly roasted ground coffee and use it within two weeks, but this isn’t always possible. You can extend its lifespan by storing it in airtight containers. By transferring coffee from a bag to an airtight plastic or glass container and keeping it out of direct sunlight, you will extend the life of your coffee (especially ground coffee) by days or weeks.
Coffee beans release carbon dioxide just by being there. This process is called “degassing”. Most of this gas is released a couple of hours after roasting, so if you open an airtight jar every day (or once every couple of days), you don’t have to worry about CO2 buildup ruining the flavor of your coffee. .
Go with a blade grinder
Grinding coffee at home is a quality of life boost that will immediately impact the taste of your coffee. Think of it like the difference between canned beans and fresh vegetables from a farmer’s market.
Generally, there are two types of household coffee grinders: blade grinders and burr grinders. Blade grinders work like a regular kitchen blender and have rotating blades that grind the coffee into fine particles. Blade grinders are cheap, readily available, and get the job done quickly. Cons: Uneven grind (although this is not a big deal when you make smoothies in a blender, coffee is much more picky). You will have to run the grinder longer to make sure all the beans are ground, but the longer you run it, the finer (some) the coffee. This makes it nearly impossible to get the same grind size every time you brew coffee.
On the other hand, burr grinders use a rotating set of burrs instead of a blade, gently grinding the coffee instead of cutting it. They are made of metal and are incredibly strong and stable. Burr grinders include dozens of different settings to precisely control the grind size with a consistent consistency, meaning your French press won’t taste much different from day to day.
An entry-level hand sander is an inexpensive way to get started.
Want to start making fresh coffee every day? A budget hand sander will go a long way. You can get a cheap ceramic chute grinder for as little as $13, or around $50 for a more professional model like Timemore’s C2 manual coffee grinder. It has a steel millstone and looks and works like coffee grinders that cost four times as much.
The manual grind will ensure you grind evenly whether you’re brewing espresso or pour over and still be able to work quickly; The C2 can grind 20 grams of coffee in less than 45 seconds.
If the idea of hand-grinding coffee doesn’t inspire you, there is a wide variety of electric coffee grinders with burrs. Our favorite is the Baratza Encore ($169), but cheaper options are available. Either one will make the cup better than if you stick with pre-ground beans.