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.

Complete guide on how you should grind your coffee beans correctly.

 Complete guide on how you should grind your coffee beans correctly.

How much should I grind the coffee beans? Here we will answer that question. Surely if you find out more about this and the types of grind that there are, you will enjoy an excellent cup of coffee.

What is the proper grind.

Fine grinding or coarse grinding, coffee is based on an elemental principle: a liquid element (water) passes through a solid element (the ground coffee bean) and extracts its properties to transform into something else.

- Complete guide on how you should grind your coffee beans correctly and Burr Coffee Grinders Product

If the coffee bean is lightly ground and is too thick, the water will pass through it quickly, it will not be able to extract all its values ​​and the drink will be light and not very concentrated.

If the coffee bean is too ground and is too fine, the water will pass through it with great difficulty, it will dissolve the aromatic components and the drink will be bitter (overextracted).

The thickness of the grind will directly influence how fast the espresso or filtered coffee falls, and directly affects the quality and flavor of your coffee.

Fine grinding. It takes longer for the water to pass through the coffee and it brews more.
Coarse grinding. Water encounters less resistance and passes faster.
Note: Ground coffee easily absorbs the aromas from the environment.

Types of grind for your coffee beans.

Remember that the type of grind has a direct influence on your drink and depends a lot on the coffee maker you are going to use.

Here are some of them and in which infusion methods they are recommended.

• Very thick (Cold brew)
• Thick (French press, cupping)
• Medium thick (Chemex)
• Medium (V60, Italian)
• Medium fine (siphon)
• Fine (Espresso, Aeropress)
• Very fine (Turkish coffee)

The 3 most used grinds.

With most coffee brewing methods and especially those with pressure, the contact time depends mainly on the thickness of the grind.

Coarse Grinding

It is mainly used for brewing methods such as French press, metal filter, cold brew, cold drip and for filter systems with large capacities.

Recommended for preparing a large quantity of coffee.

To get the best out of the coffee we will need between 4 - 6 min of infusion time.

It is recognizable to the touch as if it were construction sand.

Medium Grinding

You can use it for manual drip infusion methods with a paper filter and for methods with smaller capacities.

This type of grinding allows to achieve infusion times of between 2 and 4 min.

To the touch it is similar as if it were brown sugar.

Fine Grinding

It is used for pressure brewing methods such as espresso, Italian mocha, and aeropress.

Depending on the pressure you apply, you will get contact times of between 20 and 30 seconds for espresso and 1 to 2 minutes for aeropress.

When you touch it, it looks like flour, and when you pick it up between your fingers, the finest part sticks to the skin.

Steps to regulate grinding

With this simple guide you can get the best out of your coffee. Always keep in mind that the optimal contact times to get the best out of each coffee will also depend on:

• Variety
• Processes
• Roast type

Do you want a very intense coffee, medium intensity or smooth?

• Very intense uses 10 ml of water x 1 gr of coffee
• Medium intensity use 15 ml x 1 gr
• Very soft 20 ml x 1gr

What will be the infusion system that you are going to use?

• Immersion: Recommend  coarse grinding , 4 min infusion.
• Drip:  Medium grinding , infusion 2-4 min in manual drip and 4-6 min in automatic drip.
• Pressure: Use  fine grind , infusion of 20-30s.
• Cold maceration: infusion from 10 to 20 hrs.

It is time for you to try and if:

• The taste is very acidic and salty with herbal flavors, you have to make the grind finer.
• If, on the other hand, the taste is very bitter, with ash flavors, you will have to grind it coarser.
• Reasons to grind coffee beans at home

Although you can buy coffee already ground, there are many technical reasons why you grind coffee beans at home:

Coffee beans keep better, longer. (As coffee is ground, it quickly becomes stale because in contact with the air it loses up to a third of its aromas and flavors in just two days).

But also the smell of coffee, that incomparable perfume, is released when the beans are ground and everything they hide inside is released into the open air.

They are two iron arguments so that you have your own grinder and can carry out the specific grinding.

Machines for grinding coffee beans

The metal blade mill works like a miniature propeller that slices the grains in half, but does not pulverize them: it only cuts them into tiny pieces.

Espressos or Turkish coffee require a very fine grind, almost like the consistency of flour.  

The ceramic grinding wheel mill is more expensive but very efficient: through the rotation of two grinding wheels it grinds the grains into a powder that easily releases its properties in a perfect and adjustable grinding.

The mills can be manual or electric and there are different models to buy.

Electric blades

This is probably the most widely used mill in houses. The blades rotate at high speed and cut the coffee into particles of different sizes.

For a finer grind you have to let it grind for a longer time, and vice versa.

Good coffees are made with the French Press and with the Clever method, with a paper filter.

Tapered Drill Manual

This grinder is ideal for traveling and grinding small amounts of coffee.

It has a fixed cutter and another connected to a lever that is used to turn with great force, but little speed.

To change the thickness of the grind, you can turn a screw underneath the grinding wheels.

Electric flat strawberries

This type of mill is undoubtedly the most suitable for grinding larger quantities.

It is a faster, more accurate grind and easier to repeat.

The strawberries are positioned horizontally and this allows to obtain a good homogeneity in the grinding.

This grinder can be used with all methods, including espresso, and grinds smoothly from a very fine point to a very coarse point.

Always keep in mind that ...
The size of the coffee bean determines the taste of the coffee: fine ground beans release many aromas and coarse ones provide more acidic flavors.

The shorter the exposure to hot water, the finer the grind must be to release the aromas quickly (espresso). And the longer the contact with the water, the coarser the grind must be so as not to produce a drink that is too impregnated, with a very bitter taste.

How you should preserve your coffee

Air, humidity, heat and light: these are the 4 environmental factors that coffee beans must be taken care of. How it is stored will have a decisive influence on the taste, aroma or persistence in the mouth.

The moment a packet of coffee is opened, its degradation accelerates: oxygen is the main enemy. Therefore, it is important to keep the package closed until it is to be consumed and, once it is opened, store the coffee in airtight jars, preferably in several of different sizes with small portions to only open the jar that is in use and keep the others without air.

Moisture is another enemy: It ruins grains and can lead to fungus. You must take care of the coffee from sudden changes in temperature that can generate condensation.

It should never be stored in the refrigerator or freezer: not only will it adopt the aroma of other foods (the grains are very permeable) but the very high humidity from the refrigerator will ruin the coffee. It is also very susceptible to heat and light.

The optimal storage temperature is 20ºC.

A collection of jars in a dark cupboard away from the oven or heat-raising appliances is the best way to preserve coffee.

How to grind coffee beans

 How to grind coffee beans

To grind coffee quickly and easily, we recommend using an automatic grinder. You have the possibility to adjust the grind size by choosing the exact granulometry for a certain coffee maker or type of coffee. On the other hand you can grind 1/4 of coffee in a few minutes. Having a home bean grinding machine is a good idea if you are a coffee lover. However, if a grinding machine is not within your reach. You can get good results manually or with alternative machines such as a blender or processor.

- How to grind coffee beans and Burr Coffee Grinders Product

Grind coffee with a blender

Easily and  in a few minutes we can grind coffee beans with a common blender. A 2.5 grain size (this indicates the grind size, we choose a generic size for an Italian coffee maker or for filter coffee) this measurement can be achieved in 2 min in a blender. Before you see the pictures. It is important to understand that a blender is intended for liquids and not for solids. Therefore we recommend that you use this method as an alternative. Don't use it as an everyday method. The blender raises more revolutions than normal. And prolonged use could damage the blender.

Demystifying ideas

The coffee DOES NOT burn and the grain size is homogeneous . What results and what quality of grinding can we achieve without a professional grinder.

Description of the grain

For this case we use a natural light toasted Brazilian Arabica bean. A good quality grain. We asked in the cafeteria to grind the beans with a professional grinder to a 2.5 measure . We brought the same coffee beans to test.

Grind grains with a Blender

Use a regular blender with 3 or 4 metal blades, with at least 2 speeds. It can be with a glass or plastic jug.

How to GRIND the grains

First we put a few grams in the blender. The minimum average is what we are going to do. Less than this amount can not. The grains should cover the metal blades at a minimum.


Process
With the jar covered and placed on the base of the motor.

1. Start at minimum speed
When we light the first time the grains jump intensely and bounce against the jug. As the seconds pass the noise begins to decrease slightly. After 30 seconds at minimum.

2. We shift to full speed
We now keep the blender at maximum speed for 30 seconds, the noise is still intense. After the 60 sec elapsed with both speeds. We turn off the jar and shake it a little, tapping gently with the hand so that the content is accommodated again. We also let the blender rest for a few moments.


3. Start at full speed
We hold for 30 seconds and then we go back to

4. Change the speed to minimum  
After doing this process you will have completed 2 minutes of grinding.


Value data
Variation of speed during processing is important. While the fast speed allows us to fine-tune the granulometry. Low speed is necessary to homogenize the cut. You can repeat this process a few more times and you will keep reducing the size. The really important thing is that you turn off after 30 seconds of low speed. This ensures that you get a homogeneous ground coffee.

At first glance, there is no difference between coffee ground by a blender or by a professional grinder.

We clear the grains and spread the coffee on the crockery to distinguish but still. The grind is homogeneous.


Difference between grain grinds

Ground coffee in two different ways

Clearly a blender is very similar to many metal screw grinders. That is why such good results. Conclusion the method achieves very good results. Therefore, if you are tempted to buy coffee beans and you don't have a grinder, you can use this method perfectly. We do not recommend it for regular use. First, because a grinder is more practical and allows to have a much superior grinding control. But if it can be for a first step before investing in a coffee grinder. And thus encourage you to buy coffee beans. Drinking coffee with freshly ground coffee makes a real difference in taste and aroma. When the seed breaks, it releases its instant freshness. Like any natural product, that is why it is important that you do the experience yourself.

Enter here if you want to see the characteristics and properties of coffee beans.