Why grind your coffee beans at home?

Many benefits come with grinding your coffee beans at home. The main reason to grind your coffee beans at home is that whole beans last longer, up to 2 weeks from roasting, and ground coffee only lasts for a few days. This is assuming you don’t put the coffee in a sealed jar which is preferred. Also, freshly ground coffee has a fuller aroma and flavor, which means you’ll be able to enjoy the true taste of your coffee without any unwanted flavors. 

Benefits: Fuller aroma and flavor; freshness; no unwanted flavors

Note: The fresher the whole beans, the better. Ground coffee only lasts a few days, so it’s best to grind a small amount at a time or enough for the next few days.

Why does coffee grind size matter?

Coffee grinds come in a variety of sizes, from coarse to fine for certain machines the coarser the coffee ground size, the better. In other words, you will want to use a very coarse grind for the French press and an even finer one for espresso. But what if we’re not making any special coffees? Just regular drip coffee? What should be our setting then? Most likely medium or medium-coarse (depending on your machine).

The general rule of thumb is for longer brewing methods the larger the grind size and the quicker the brewing method the finer the grind size. It can take a bit of testing to get your coffee just the way you like it. Start with the coffee grind size chart pick the appropriate size, make a cup of coffee and taste it.

If the coffee is watery and a bit acidic the coffee grinds are too coarse so you will need to grind them a bit finer.

If the coffee tastes bitter the grind size is too fine and you will need to grind a bit coarser.

The amount of time the coffee is brewing and the temperature of the water can also affect the flavor.