The Perfect Grind

Staying home has become the new normal, and for good reason. However, with this “new normal,” there’s been a lot of changes and adjustments.

Most everyone has been stripped of their routines and been forced to find a new balance. Additionally, everyone has had to make sacrifices of some kind.

That being said, though, specialty coffee doesn’t have to be one of the things you give up!

Over the next couple of weeks, Haystack Coffee will be releasing a series of articles with tips and instructions to make specialty coffees from the comforts of your own home.

This article will serve as the foundation.

Quality coffee starts with the right grind. This is in reference to how coarse or fine the coffee is ground.

Depending on what drink you wish to make, there are different variations by which coffee should be ground. It is important to have the right grind, otherwise you run the risk of your coffee tasting bitter or acidic.

If the grind is too coarse, your coffee will probably taste a little bit acidic. This is because the water is running through too quickly, and it is not fully extracting the flavor from the coffee bean. The term used to describe this is “under-extracted.”

If your coffee tastes bitter, you likely have the opposite problem--the grind is too fine. The coffee is “over-extracted.”

So, how do you find the perfect balance?

Here is a chart to help you get started:

**For reference, coarse coffee should look similar to the size of sea salt. Medium coffee should look like sand. Medium fine coffee should look like table salt.

There are several other grinding guides that can be helpful tools. This coffee compass is useful for troubleshooting.

It is also important to note that sometimes you can have the right grind, but you may need to decrease/increase your brew time and/or alter the temperature of the water. All of these things play an essential role in brewing a great cup of coffee.

Let us know if you have any questions via the comment section or feel free to email us. We’d love to help.

Stay home and stay safe! Best of luck with all your coffee endeavors.

Check back next week for a guide on how to make cold brew and iced coffee.


©2019 by Wyatt Hebblethwaite