Hey coffee lovers, grab a mug and pull up a chair, and let’s talk. While coffee brewing can be as simple or complex as we want, even if you want to keep it simple, one factor worth getting familiar with is the grind size. Why? Because every brew method has a recommended size that generally works best.
In this guide, we’ll explore the different sizes, why they matter, which work best with different brew systems, and how you can tweak your grind to get the flavors you want in your mug.
What Is Grind Size, and Why Does It Matter?
Grind size is just how finely or coarsely your beans get chopped up in the grinder before they meet water. Simple enough, except every brew system has its own sweet spot, so there’s no single “right” size that works for everything.
Get it right, and you’re well on your way to brewing the best cup. Using the wrong size for your brew system can result in either overextracted or underextracted brews with off-flavors. Using the right size could help you create your Goldilocks brew, one that’s just right for your tastes.
The Coffee Grind Size Spectrum
If you’ve ever stood in front of a bag of coffee wondering what “normal grind” even means, you’re not alone! It’s just another name for a medium grind, and it’s by far the most common size out there. We offer all of our certified organic, Fair Trade coffees in whole bean, fine, normal, and coarse.
To get some of the less common sizes, like medium-coarse or extra-fine, you may want to invest in a grinder and grind it fresh yourself, which also helps preserve the coffee's fresh aromas and flavors.
Extra Coarse Grind
Extra coarse grounds are similar in consistency to peppercorns or rock salt. You’ll see this size most often with cold brew concentrate steeped for an extended period, or with cowboy coffee, where the grounds sit directly in the pot before settling to the bottom.
Coarse Grind
Coarsely ground coffee beans resemble coarse salt (like kosher salt); the grounds are chunky, but there are no whole beans. Brewers often use coarse grinds in immersion brewing, like cold brew or a French Press, where the grounds remain in contact with water longer, and where the lack of a paper filter means a coarser size can keep the sediment from muddying your cup.
Medium-Coarse Grind
Think somewhere between coarse salt and table salt, like coarse sand. It’s a good call for metal filters in drip coffee, since those let more sediment through than paper ones. Finding your medium grind a little too strong? Bumping up to medium-coarse can help even that out.
Medium (Normal) Grind
A medium or normal grind is about the texture of table salt. It’s the most common size you’ll see at grocery stores, and it’s often considered the best grind for auto-drip machines, pour overs, and the AeroPress.
Medium-Fine Grind
A medium-fine grind is finer than table salt but not powdery, more like a fine sand. Some brewers will use it in pour-overs and autodrip machines with cone-shaped filters, which can help prevent underextraction. It’s also the recommended size for a moka pot.
Fine Grind
A fine grind has a consistency that is almost but not quite powdery. Espresso machines typically use fine grinds because it creates the right amount of resistance for rapid extraction under pressure.
Extra Fine Grind
Extra fine grinds are like powdered sugar in consistency and are typically reserved for unfiltered Turkish coffees to produce their characteristic thick, velvety texture.
From Our Roastery
Try our Cold Brew Blend
For the perfect Cold Brew, we've blended Colombian, Nicaraguan and Honduran beans in a medium roast. This smooth cup stands on its own, but also holds up to cream and sugar.
Shop Cold BrewHow Grind Size Affects Flavor
Grinding beans increases their surface area, which changes how easily water can pull flavor out of them. More surface area isn’t automatically better, though. It all comes down to matching it to your brew method.
If you use a grind that’s too coarse for your method, you might end up with underextracted, weak, or sour flavors. A grind that’s too fine for the method can produce overextracted and bitter flavors.
Coffee Grind Size Chart by Brewing Method
Since the right size depends on the method, this chart will help you choose.
|
Brewing Method |
Grind Size(s) |
Texture Comparison |
|
Cold Brew |
Coarse |
Coarse salt |
|
Commercial Percolator |
Coarse |
Coarse salt |
|
French Press |
Coarse |
Coarse salt |
|
Chemex |
Medium to medium-coarse |
Table salt to coarser than beach sand |
|
Auto Drip |
Medium |
Table salt or beach sand |
|
Pour Over |
Medium |
Table salt or beach sand |
|
AeroPress |
Medium to medium-fine |
Table salt to finer than beach sand |
|
Moka Pot |
Medium-Fine |
Fine sand or slightly finer than table salt |
|
Espresso |
Fine |
Almost powdery |
|
Turkish Coffee |
Extra fine |
Powdered sugar |
Why Consistency Matters as Much as Size
Size isn’t the whole story, though; consistency matters just as much. Uneven grounds can give you the worst of both worlds in the same cup: bitter, overextracted notes alongside weak, sour ones.
Burr vs. Blade Grinders
Blade grinders break beans inconsistently, so you can get fine, medium, and coarse particles in the same batch. This inconsistency makes it harder to dial in your recipes because you can get different results every time.
Burr grinders crush the beans, producing more consistent sizes for a better extraction and overall taste.
How to Tell If Your Grind Is Wrong (and How to Fix It)
Using the “right” size for your setup and still not loving your cup? That happens, so here are some quick fixes for dialing things in.
Bitter Flavor
Overextraction can produce bitter flavors, which often results from grounds that are too fine; try grinding coarser next time. Bitterness can also happen if the grounds are in contact with the water too long, or if you leave coffee sitting on a hot plate.
Weak or Sour Flavor
Weak or sour flavors often happen when using grounds that are too coarse, which can let water pour through too quickly. In this case, try grinding a little finer. This issue can also happen if the coffee isn’t in contact with the water long enough.
Sediment in the Cup
If you get sediment in your cup, it could be from using grounds too fine for your setup, especially with systems that don’t use paper filters. Try grinding it coarser next time.
Coffee Brews Too Quickly
If the water pours through too fast, the grounds might be too coarse; try a finer grind next time. This can also happen if the seal between the filter and basket is poor, which means your setup may need some troubleshooting.
Flat or Stale Coffee
If your coffee is flat or stale, the issue probably isn’t the size, but rather the coffee was likely ground too long ago. Grinding increases the surface area and accelerates oxidation, which causes flavors to fade. Ideally, grinding fresh before brewing is best, but we know it’s not always practical. If you buy pre-ground coffee, store it in an airtight container and use it within one month of opening.
From Our Collections
Explore All Dean's Beans Coffees
Single origins and crafted blends, light through dark — every coffee we roast is organic, Fair Trade and shaped by its origin. Explore the full lineup and find your cup.
Shop All CoffeesFrequently Asked Questions
What Is the Best Grind for Drip Coffee?
The best grind for drip coffee is often a medium (normal) grind size. It depends on your filter, though. Flat-bottom filters are ideal for a medium grind, while cone-shaped filters sometimes perform better with medium-fine grinds, and reusable metal baskets may perform best with medium-coarse grinds.
How Fine Should You Grind Coffee for Espresso?
Espresso machines are designed to brew with a fine grind, finer than table salt, and almost a powder-like consistency. Using fine grounds is important because it creates the resistance needed during the high-pressure rapid extraction to produce a well-balanced cup.
What Is Coarse Ground Coffee Used For?
Brewers typically use coarsely ground coffee in immersion methods like French presses and cold brews, where you want the coffee to remain in contact with the water longer while preventing fine sediment. Many commercial urn percolators also work best with a coarse grind.
Can I Use the Same Grind for Every Brewing Method?
No, different brew methods generally work best with different grind sizes. Using the same coffee grounds in every system will lead to some brews being overextracted and bitter with too many sediments and others underextracted, resulting in weak or sour flavors.
The Perfect Grind Deserves the Right Beans
Who knew something as small as grind size could make such a big difference? It’s the line between a weak, sour cup, a bitter, overextracted one, or the perfect brew that’s just right for your tastes. Grinding fresh is ideal for the best flavors and aromas, and it lets you adjust your grind size and get those in-between sizes. But don’t worry if that’s impractical for you.
Good grind technique can only do so much if the beans behind it aren’t worth brewing. Here at Dean’s Beans, our coffee is shade-grown and sourced through long-term partnerships with cooperatives like PRODECOOP in Nicaragua and Cooperativa del Sur del Cauca in Colombia, part of our People-Centered Development approach.
Our certified organic, Fair Trade coffees are always roasted and optionally ground fresh to order, in medium, coarse, or fine grounds to suit your brew system.
