The taste of coffee depends on the correct grinding
When coffee drinks are brewed, the ground beans undergo extraction. That is, all the substances found in coffee:
- essential oil;
- caffeine, etc., which saturate drinks with taste and aroma, are converted in boiling water.
They dissolve. Finely ground coffee beans are released faster from the substances they contain. Therefore, this grinding of coffee should be valued. But in fact, different substances dissolve each at their own speed.
Pay attention to the three-stage coffee extraction:
- First, substances with characteristic sourness are released, which are found in Arabica.
- Then compounds with sweet, chocolate and fruity notes dissolve.
- The bitterness of coffee is caused by the saturation of tannin, caffeine and breakdown substances from chlorogenic acid.
All stages have their own duration. And it will depend on how you decide to prepare your coffee.
- If you brew espresso drinks, each step will take 8 to 10 seconds.
- If you use a French press, each stage should take more than a minute, and cooking will take from 4 to 5 minutes. Fine grinding for espresso will make it possible to quickly overcome the first 2 stages and begin the last.
Important! If extraction is not interrupted in a timely manner, coffee drinks will turn out strong and bitter.
Basic rules for choosing grinding
If you look at it, you can understand that the less time it takes to prepare coffee, the smaller the grind should be. Speaking of large granules, we can say that they will provide the most delicious and vibrant aroma of the drink. However, it is worth considering that it will take at least 10 minutes to cook.
Speaking of large granules, we can say that they will provide the most delicious and vibrant aroma of the drink.
The choice of grinding often depends on the workload. It is unlikely that anyone will want to get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning to prepare themselves the perfect drink that will not only invigorate, but also lift their spirits. Therefore, most often, citizens use less complex machines that can provide a boost of energy within 2-3 minutes.
The choice of grinding often depends on the workload.
If grain grinding is done at home in the most ordinary machine. 1. 6-7 seconds will provide a coarse grind that is ideal for a French press or Chemex. 2. 10 seconds for medium grind. 3. 15 – small. 4. 20 – “dust”.
If grain grinding is done at home in the most ordinary machine
You should not focus on the composition of ready-made coffee in packages. Each country has completely different ideas about the level of grinding, since the cooking traditions are also different. The only option is to grind your own coffee.
The only option is to grind your own coffee.
Here we can highlight several advantages: 1. The raw materials do not erode. The aroma of the finished drink will be no worse than what an experienced barista prepares. 2. Independent selection of the ideal grind for different cooking techniques.
Important! It is almost impossible to achieve “dust” at home. To prepare coffee for brewing in a cup, it is advisable to purchase ready-made powder. If you hold the grains for a long time in the hope of grinding them, there is a chance of burning the grains.
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What is the grind of coffee?
There are 5 degrees of coffee grinding:
- superfine, when the ground coffee is similar to ground cinnamon;
- fine espresso grinds, reminiscent of iodized salt crystals;
- thin, similar to powdered sugar;
- medium, similar to granulated sugar;
- large, similar to crystals of sea salt.
What grind of coffee to brew in a cup
If you don’t have a coffee maker, you can use the “Warsaw style” methods. Place the coffee powder into cups and pour boiling water. Cover with saucers and let it brew. The best, in this case, will be a fine, ordinary grind.
This is how Starbucks coffee shops brew their coffee. And they also took care of producing ultra-finely ground coffee using vacuum packaging. This marketing ploy is aimed at replacing instant coffee with ground coffee.
Ground coffee beans for espresso
Espresso grinding in coffee machines is fine. It differs from the usual thin one, but is larger when compared to the ultra-thin one. This is a special grind.
Therefore, very fine grinding of coffee to brew a drink is not suitable.
Important! It will turn out bitter and burnt, and the filter will also be damaged by the car.
The barista's recommendations are:
- To coarse grinding of coffee beans, when the thermometer shows low temperature, high humidity, along with atmospheric pressure.
- If everything is the other way around, then you need to pay attention to the finest crushing.
Because with a situation of high humidity, it will cause swelling and sticking of particles. Tannin is released ahead of schedule, and pre-wetting is reduced. And it all comes down to getting a bitter drink. When it is hot, the grains cannot retain natural moisture, and pre-wetting increases. And if the grains are coarsely ground, the drinks will be slightly sour.
There are no standard fine grinds. Everything is selected by trial and error. The only thing is that it will take about 25 seconds to get 25 ml of espresso with an error of 3 seconds. Place an electronic scale and a stopwatch in the kitchen and take action. Place the cup where you will pour the coffee on the scale.
- If the coffee flows out slowly (28 seconds have passed, but 25 ml of coffee has not been collected, and it comes out in a thin or intermittent stream), then you have made a mistake with the grinding. It turned out to be very small.
- Receiving your drink faster than 22 seconds will result in weak coffee. It's the coarse grind you're dealing with. In such cases, adjust the grinder to make the coffee particles smaller.
How to adjust the grind level in different types of coffee machines?
As practice has shown, adjusting the grinding degree is quite difficult. Especially when it comes to professional and expensive machines. Separately, you can consider the current models that are most often found.
As practice has shown, adjusting the grinding degree is quite difficult.
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Automatic coffee machine Delonghi
There are several pressing problems that owners often face. Among them are the following.
1. There is no foam; the resulting drink is too liquid and tasteless. To correct, you need to turn the grinding knob a few notches counterclockwise. Next, several cups of coffee are brewed; if the result has not changed, you need to turn it another notch. 2. Coffee does not pour or barely drips. There are several possible solutions. First, you need to turn the grinding lever 3 notches to the right, make a few drinks. If nothing changes, you need to set it to the finest grind. Be sure to check if the filter is clogged.
If none of the above helps, you need to examine the “cake” of the used tablet. You can even determine the degree of grinding by using it. If after changing the mode it does not change, then we are talking about a breakdown. You need to take it to a service center or call a technician.
You can determine the degree of grinding in this machine by the tablet used
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Carob coffee maker
When working with this type, you need to take into account not only the degree of grinding, but its moisture content, as well as the grain used. To make the drink tasty, it is recommended to grind the grain yourself before preparing. To do this, you need to get a good coffee grinder; in the end, it will fully justify itself.
To make the drink tasty, it is recommended to grind the grain yourself before preparing.
For the carob type, the grind used is fine espresso. If you grind it into powder, the drink will turn out to be too bitter and tart. You can determine the ideality of the raw material using the stream that flows from the spout. If it is straight and resembles a mouse tail, then everything is fine with grinding.
For the carob type, the grind used is fine espresso.
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Pod espresso maker
Unlike the carob type, this coffee machine independently forms coffee tablets for preparing drinks. There are several advantages here. 1. Manufacturers have already provided ready-made tablets that are loaded into the coffee machine. The taste will always be stable. 2. There is no need to wash and constantly clean equipment. Used pods can be easily removed and disposed of.
Despite this, it is easy to confuse tablets for preparation with other types. Moreover, each manufacturer pours its own coffee into pods. This can be expressed in different proportions of varieties, and maybe in the grinding itself. For this type, it is recommended to choose a fine espresso. The characteristics are usually indicated on the packaging itself. If the coffee turns out unsuccessful, you should open the package and familiarize yourself with the contents.
If the coffee turns out unsuccessful, you should open the package and familiarize yourself with the contents.
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Pourovers and Chemex
In pour overs, prepare coffee with a medium grind. It should look larger than for Aeropresses.
- If you use disposable paper filters, grind your coffee to make it as fine as possible. It is necessary that water flows through the grounds easily.
- If you have metal or fabric filters, then you should not use fine grinding. Ground grains will not stay on the surface.
For Chemex, large ground beans are used. They should be similar in their fraction to large sugar crystals.
Grinding Tips for Different Brewing Types
As a rule, most of us do not have enough coffee makers to choose between - which one will suit a particular granule size. Therefore, we will start from the cooking method. Start, and then make adjustments if the taste is not to your liking.
French press
The mesh filter requires coarse pieces. Small or medium ones will get stuck in the mesh and create excess pressure when you try to push the plunger. The fine particles will pass right through the filter and make the Americano look cloudy and dirty. In addition, the grounds are not useful - its microparticles, entering the stomach, can cause heartburn. Some manufacturers directly indicate on their packs which grind is best for a French press, but if you buy grain, grind it carefully, not too much.
Carob coffee makers
Classic espresso cannot be prepared properly if you use a medium or coarse grind. To make a concentrated and balanced drink in just half a minute, you need good extraction, so only finely ground coffee for a carob coffee maker will do. If the espresso is watery and sour, you need to reduce the particles; if it is cloudy, grind it more coarsely.
A not entirely obvious truth about which coffee grind is best for a coffee machine: “fine” from one manufacturer may not be exactly the same as another, the same goes for coffee grinders, so you need to experiment and try different options
Geyser, Moka Pot
It is difficult to recommend grinding coffee for a geyser coffee maker: each model is different, and there is no single standard. Moreover, you can cook longer or faster, cook one serving or three at once, there are many factors. We recommend starting with a small size, and if it is noticeably bitter, try a slightly larger granule size. You definitely don’t need a large one, but you need to try options with small and medium ones.
Turka, Ibrik, Cezva, Oriental coffee
The answer to the question of which coffee is best for Turkish coffee is obvious - the kind they make in the east, ultra-fine, dusty. Many people bring their signature Turkish ground coffee from Turkey for themselves or as a gift, but it is not suitable for coffee machines. Either for a cup or for a Turk. The consistency should be similar to flour, individual particles should not be felt on your fingers. If you grind yourself, do it for a long time, or set the minimum grain size.
Hario V60
Pour over, which is best suited for fine and medium granule sizes. The filter is thin and the opening is large, so water can pass through the coffee layer too quickly, resulting in insufficient extraction. But grinding “to dust” can retain liquid, and the taste will be bitter. Try different variations with the same amount of water to see what you like.
Aeropress
A device that allows you to use different grains, and in any case give a good result, a tasty Americano. But the smaller the particles, the less time it takes to brew. Do not overexpose, the extraction goes quickly. Usually three minutes is enough for medium pellets. For thin ones that go into an espresso coffee machine - about a minute.
Grind in French press
For such equipment, coarse grinding is necessary. It should resemble the consistency of sea salt or pearl barley. But remember, these drinks will be sour.
If there are nylon filters in French presses, moderate grinding is used. For American equipment of this type, grinding can be done fine. Because everything is done in special chambers. Filter elements for Aeropresses are placed there, which prevent particles from passing into drinks.
What are rotary devices?
They contain knives for crushing grains. But the coffee does not grind evenly. And therefore, even the most expensive coffee will not provide its subtle flavor nuances.
The grains also overheat in them. To obtain uniformity of the powder, the coffee grinder works for a long time, with periodic shaking, which then affects the taste. Drinks will have a burnt smell.
To ensure uniformity of the powder structure, it can be sifted.
Especially if you use a mixture of Arabica and Robusta. Because in robusta the grains are hard, and you will not achieve uniformity without sifting.
To prevent the particles from overheating, make several passes. Grind a little, turn off the coffee grinder, let it cool, then again, etc.:
- Fine grinding requires turning on the device for 4 to 5 seconds and repeating the procedure 15 to 20 times.
- Moderate grinding - 2 to 3 seconds and 10 to 12 times.
- Rough - from 3 seconds and from 6 to 8 times.
Be sure to stir the contents with a spoon after turning off.
Useful tips
There are several recommendations that will help a novice coffee lover diversify his “diet”. 1. It is very important to know what ristretto, espresso and lungo are. Ristretto is a drink that can give an unforgettable aroma and taste, you can get it by pouring the tablets for 15-20 seconds. Lungo is a drink that contains caffeine and flows out within 30-50 seconds. Espresso is the most common type, pouring out within 25 seconds. Every second of spillage is equivalent to 1 ml of coffee. Lungo is considered the strongest.
Lungo is a drink that contains caffeine and flows out within 30-50 seconds.
2. Ristretto is used to prepare light and very tasty drinks that are virtually caffeine-free. It can be either a milk latte or a flavored cappuccino.
Ristretto is used to prepare light and very tasty drinks that are virtually caffeine-free.
Proper grinding can unlock the full potential of the beans. Each cooking technique should be selected individually, otherwise no ristretto or lungo will work.
Proper grinding can unlock the full potential of the beans.
If you purchase ready-made ground coffee, it is advisable to store it in a dark place, pouring it into a zip-lock bag in advance. This is the most successful option to ensure that the future drink does not lose its aroma and richness.
If you purchase ready-made ground coffee, it is advisable to store it in a dark place, pouring it into a zip bag in advance
The highlighted recommendations are for informational purposes only. Only an experienced barista knows how many nuances and secrets are hidden in the preparation of even a simple cup of your favorite drink. You can learn the art of coffee brewing from the highlighted principles shared by professionals.
Only an experienced barista knows how many nuances and secrets are hidden in the preparation of even a simple cup of your favorite drink.
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Cooking using coffee grinder millstones
The coffee grind is of high quality because the beans are not chopped, but ground.
Residents used such manual coffee grinders in the Middle Ages. Their appearance has remained the same since then. You can purchase:
- a European coffee grinder, similar to a mill;
- Turkish cylindrical, with a rotating handle.
Such devices produce a very high-quality product, although grinding takes from 1 to 5 minutes. Devices without dispensers. Therefore, first the grains are weighed. The screw adjusts the distance between the millstones of the elements.
There will be no foreign smell if you grind on stone or ceramic millstones.
