We are roasting next on Monday, September 8, and any orders received through noon that day will be shipped or delivered on Tuesday the 9th. If you are local, email me, and away orders are easier if they go through the website (www.freeportcoffee.com
We have a tasty new organic Costa Rica, Lomas Al Rio, and if you’d like a small sample thrown in with your order next time, let me know.
This week’s sermon is about the proper grinding of coffee. I spend a lot of time talking to people about how they prepare coffee at home, and this subject comes up more than any other, even those about brewing methods.
I’d like to try and simplify the role of grinding for you, and then offer some suggestions of how to get the most out of the method you use, when to change your grind settings and then (if you are so inclined) how to take the next step and buy an upgraded grinder.
Why Does Proper Grinding Matter?
In every coffee brewing method, the ground coffee is exposed to hot water – and the amount of time it is exposed to water is different, depending on the method you use. At one end of the spectrum is the French Press, where the ground coffee steeps for about four minutes, and at the other is a shot of espresso, where the pressurized water goes through the coffee in around 25 seconds.
All those settings on grinders result in different particle sizes – coarsely ground coffee has large particles, and fine ground coffee has very small particles.
Now, take a single coffee bean and measure the surface area. Write it down (not really, but bear with me). Take an identical coffee bean and grind it coarse. Measure the surface area of all the particles. Write that down. And last, take another identical coffee bean, grind it very fine and then somehow measure the surface area of all THOSE little particles – write that number down.
What you’ll see on your list is a small amount of surface area for the whole bean, a much larger number for the coarse ground coffee, and a really large number for the fine grind.
When you expose ground coffee to water, this surface area is what is exposed. Meaning that, if you dunk a bunch of whole coffee beans in hot water, you’ll be lucky if it turns a little murky in color. There is very little exposed surface area (and the pores aren’t open as they are through grinding). Grind those same beans coarse and expose those to the same amount of hot water and you’ll get something more like coffee. Grind them fine, and you will also get coffee, but since there is WAY more surface area, much more flavor will be extracted from the same amount of coffee.
Still with me?
Matching Degree of Grind to Brewing Method
So, what we are trying to do with grinding is to match the grind setting with the brewing method. The French Press needs a coarse ground coffee for best results. Here, if you grind too fine, you are exposing TOO MUCH surface area, and you’ll end up with a bitter brew.
If you took that same coarse ground coffee and used it for drip (with exposure to the water for 30-60 seconds), you’ll get very weak coffee, and using those grounds in an espresso machine will result in a tea-like shot that pulls very quickly.
Use an espresso grind in a French Press, and you have SO MUCH surface area that the coffee is horribly over-extracted (and it will also clog the screen).
“Dialing In” Your Grind Setting
If you go over to my buddy Jim’s wonderful Royal Bean café (in Yarmouth – the BEST place to hang out and enjoy great coffee) before they open in the morning, you’ll see the staff at their three grinders working hard to adjust their grind settings for the day. They grind, brew a cup, taste, adjust the grind, taste again and do this over and over until each machine has a grind setting that results in the very best taste.
You can do this too. If your coffee is too bitter (and you know you have good, freshly-roasted beans), grind a little coarser and try it again; maybe you were over-extracting the coffee. Too weak? You might not have enough surface area exposed for your brewing method – grind finer.
The Problem with Blade Grinders
The most affordable and therefore most common household grinder is the blade grinder. I spent 25 years using these so I know them well.
Most people use these by adding the coffee beans, holding down the trigger and then keeping it there for an amount of time that varies by day (and by member of the household). This results usually in a lot of powder and some chunks of different sizes. As we’ve learned above, the powder will cause over-extraction of the coffee and the chunks will be under-extracted. In your cup will then be a bad-tasting stew of bitter coffee and weak coffee. Not good.
Burr Grinders
Ideally, what you want in a grinder is a way of adjusting the grind setting so that your particle sizes are consistent. This is best achieved with burr grinders, where two sets of “burrs,” or grinding disks are adjusted at a distance that allows consistent results for each setting. The big grinders at the supermarket, espresso grinders, and good quality home grinders are all based on this technology. Buyer beware – there are “burr grinders” on the market for as little as $25, but these have stamped or molded burrs rather than those machined of steel. They aren’t worth it, as the burrs will go dull very quickly. You’ll need to spend about $100 to get a good one.
Getting Good Results
With a blade grinder (I know some of you well enough to know you’ll never upgrade), PULSE the button rather than hold it down – and be consistent in how the number of pulses every time. Open the chamber and see what the coffee looks like after every few pulses, and work toward particles that are the right size for the brewing method you use.
With burr grinders and grinding at the store, don’t get stuck on one grind setting. Experiment a little, and see how it affects the taste of your coffee. Grind finer, and see if you enjoy the increased strength. Grind a little coarser and see what happens.
Upgrading Your Grinder
As I mentioned above, to get a good grinder with commercial-grade burrs and the range of settings you’ll need, you will need to spend at least $100 – and if you are a gearhead, consider taking the leap to the next step above that (starting at $200-$300), as you’ll probably end up there sooner than later.
I’d recommend starting with the CoffeeGeek consumer reviews (http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews). Here, you can explore recent, very in-depth commentary from people like you using different equipment. They have a whole section devoted to grinders, and there is a huge amount of very easy to access information there.
Then, find a grinder you like, and alongside the review will be a list of good online discount sources for it. Look at a few sources to make sure you are getting the right price.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I know this was a long one.
Next week, I’ll change gears and talk about a coffee-growing country. Is there one you’d like to hear about?
Thanks again for your support – enjoy the weekend.
Kent
