Alright, so maybe you have stepped on board with many of the other coffee lovers out there that have begun to grind their own coffee beans because they have the understanding that what you purchase pre-ground at the store truly lacks the robustness of a freshly ground and brewed cup of java. What you need to look for in brewing and creating the most optimal cup of coffee is that you are using the freshest roast of coffee beans, and that you are also grinding your coffee correctly. The good news for you is that there are many high quality espresso machines out there that even have a grinder included which means less muss and less fuss for you in the way of cleaning up spilled coffee grinds and the like.

So where do you even begin in knowing what the right grind is for you? The reason that coffee is even ground at all is that you want more of the components of the bean to be exposed to the hot water that you brew with so that the essential oils that make coffee what it is will be extracted maximally to provide you with the best taste. In general, you will want to grind your coffee as finely as possible so that more of the bean is accessed in generating the flavorful oils during the brewing process. The only downside to the finer grind is that it may create sediment in your final product or could also clog your filter or press so that the liquid flow stops because the fineness of the ground would not allow the water to flow through properly. The good news is that most coffee grinders will come with grinding setting that allow you to select the fine, medium, or coarse grind type for you.

If you have a cone shaped filter in your drip brewer, then you are definitely going to want to go for the finer grind. You should opt for an extra fine grind if you are brewing any espresso at all, but just check the water flow so that you can know if your grind fineness needs to be tweaked in any way. After that, you will be using your medium grind for all regular drip coffee makers so that the water can move through all of the fresh grounds easily. If your grind happens to be too coarse for this brewing method, then you will know it by the bitter tasting coffee product since all of the oils were not extracting for flavor from the fresh grounds. Lastly, look to your coarse grind for a french press so that there will be no sediment floating in your brewed cup of java. The reason that the coarse grind is the best for this method is that the coffee grinds will be steeping for up to four minutes in the brewing process, so there is ample time for all of the essential oils in the grinds to make their way into the flavor profile of your final coffee drink.

Overall, look for a burr grinder versus a blade grinder because the blade has been noted to provide the less accurate grind product because it will leave some beans in pieces, while crushing others into a powder. What you are looking for in finding the best grind type for your brewing method is the integrity in your grinding process. When you are using a quality grinder, then you can know that your freshly ground beans will be doing all they can in giving you the rich flavors and robust aromas in the amazing cup of coffee you are looking for.