What you need and how you should grind the coffee to get it the way you want

 What you need and how you should grind the coffee to get it the way you want

Over time, the culture that surrounds coffee has been generating more and more fans and, with them, a huge range of accessories, coffee makers and techniques to obtain it in the best conditions. Although this boom could be due to the arrival of capsules , initiated by Nespresso more than a decade ago, in recent years it has turned towards how to get a more pure coffee , returning to classic coffee machines such as the Italian one or betting on manual models that give the user all the power when deciding the characteristics of the grain , grinding or pressing.

- What you need and how you should grind the coffee to get it the way you want and Burr Coffee Grinders Product

Under this premise, we see what is the best way to grind coffee , according to consumer tastes, and what accessories are essential if the goal is to become an expert home barista .

To consider
Typically, those who decide to brew their  coffee at home have a hard time finding a way to get it the way they want. In general, the results tend to have a medium taste and they do not know why. However, it is important to know that  with just a small adjustment you can fix it completely or, at least, significantly improve the results . The backbone of all great coffee is a perfect grind. Sometimes many beginners underestimate the importance of grinding, not knowing that it is crucial. The grinder  is an essential link in the chain that stretches from bean to the most exquisite espresso, even though it has been an accessory many times overlooked.

Manual coffee maker

What do we need?

Of course, the coffee machine , which can be drip, automatic, manual or Italian, since in capsules the user does not have the power to configure any aspect of the production process. The grinder is also very important , which can be with blades or pinions and, in some cases, an efficient presser . If you want to grind coffee for several days, it is also advisable to have hermetic containers so that it does not lose its qualities or be affected by humidity.

Grinder

Knife or grinding mills are often used. Knife grains , although more popular, tend to provide a less efficient result, as consistency is the key to a good cup and  if the ground grains are not the same size , some will be over-extracted and others to a lesser extent. In addition to the lack of consistency, blade grinders have another drawback: they only work by turning the mechanism extremely fast, which causes heat and friction . Both of these characteristics imply that the coffee is already heating up, so it will not taste as fresh and the end result will be a slightly charred taste.

Ground

First you need to take a quick look at the different grind sizes, when each should be used, and what kinds of coffees can be achieved. The relationship between the grounds and the extracted coffee is absolute, as it is also necessary to understand the extraction process because, by doing so, insufficient or excessive extraction can be avoided.

Both are bad for product quality and preventing them is actually the reason why different grind sizes are used for different brewers. The goal when choosing a specific grind size is to extract the perfect amount of flavor . If it is not over-ground, few flavors will be extracted, giving a rather watery result. On the other hand, if it is ground too much, the excess flavor is extracted, resulting in a very strong drink for some palates.

Therefore, it is important to be clear that if the grind is very coarse we will have a low extraction . This occurs when not enough flavor has been extracted from the grind and results in a sour, acidic and salty beverage. If it is too fine, the phenomenon known as overextraction occurs , which is when too much flavor has been extracted and it becomes overwhelming and unpleasant, offering a bitter coffee with hollow flavors.

The 9 mistakes we make when making coffee

1. Grind sizes and what they are used for
2. Grind sizes are all there is to know to make a great cup of coffee through different brewing methods. You can't just pick a grind size and use it for just about anything, as some are best suited for certain coffee makers.
3. Very thick . It is ground to a very large size and adapts to methods such as cold brewing.
4. Thick . In appearance it is very similar to sea salt and is used for French pressing and tasting.
5. Medium thick . In this case, it looks more like coarse and rough sand, it works for Chemex and for smart drip.
6. Medium . An excellent starting point to taste the grains. Similar to the consistency of conventional sand, it is perfect for flat-bottom drip, cone-shaped, and Aeropress brewers.
7. Medium-fine grind . Finer than sand, it fits cone-shaped coffee makers and the Aeropress.
8. Fine . The most common size when purchased ground. In terms of consistency, it is slightly finer than table salt and works well for espresso, Aeropress and espresso.
9. Extra fine . It is rarely used and requires a Turkish grinder to achieve this consistency. It is similar to flour or powder in texture and perfect for preparing Ibrik, also known as Turkish coffee.