Brew guides
Coffee grind size guide
Grind size is the single biggest thing you can change to make your coffee taste better. Here's the right grind for every brewer, and how to adjust it when your coffee tastes off.
Why grind size matters
Water pulls flavour out of ground coffee. The finer the grind, the more surface there is and the faster that happens. Match the grind to how long the water and coffee spend together: fine for a 25-second espresso, coarse for a four-minute cafetière.
Get it wrong and a coffee can taste sour and thin (too coarse, under-extracted) or bitter and dry (too fine, over-extracted), even with great beans.
From fine to coarse
The right grind for your brewer
Use these as a starting point, then adjust to taste. Every grinder is different, so the number on your dial matters less than how the coffee tastes.
Like sea salt
Medium-coarse
V60 and pour-over, and Chemex. Chemex's thicker filters suit the coarser end.
If it doesn't taste right
Dialling in
- Sour, sharp or thin? Grind finer.
- Bitter, harsh or dry? Grind coarser.
- Brew running too fast? Grind finer. Too slow or choking? Grind coarser.
- Change one thing at a time, in small steps, and taste again.
Get more from your grinder
- Grind just before you brew. Ground coffee loses its aroma quickly.
- A burr grinder gives a much more even grind than a blade grinder.
- Keep your beans whole, sealed and out of the light until you need them.
Grinders
Ready to brew?
Pick your brewer for a step-by-step recipe.