GRINDING OUR WAY TO AN ANSWER
DIALING IT IN
In the previous post, I encouraged you to keep brewing your coffee the same way you always have, with one exception: experiment with the coffee-to-water ratio.
The amount of coffee and water you use are variables over which you have control: too weak, add more coffee or less water; too strong, less coffee or more water.
Sometimes, though, you have the ratio as dialed in as possible but still can’t get more than just an “okay” cup.
Assuming that you’re using high-quality ingredients, there are a few other adjustments that you can make, and grind size is one of the big ones. Or small ones, depending on your settings. (That’s a little coffee-grinder joke.)
You can imagine how weak your coffee would be if you placed whole beans in your cup and poured hot water over it. Using that as the starting point, it’s easy to recognize that the smaller you grind that bean, the stronger your coffee will be.
Playing around with the grind is vital to finding your cup of perfection. Just as with the ratios, the more you adjust this variable, the stronger or weaker your end result.
TRADITION, PRACTICALITY, & PERFECTION
We will discuss different brewing methods in the future, but the TRADITIONAL version of each type calls for a specific grind. Espresso, for instance, is traditionally a fine powder; a French press takes a coarse grind, and so on.
There are practical reasons why grind sizes vary between brew types. For example, the standard French press contains a screen on a disk, at the end of a rod.
Together, it acts as a plunger (we will discuss more in a future post), and if your coffee is ground too fine, you’ll get an ugly surprise after plunging (pressing) the coffee.
The grinds will go through or around that screen, and you’ll likely be spitting them out as you attempt to enjoy your cuppa. That doesn’t make for an enjoyable experience unless you’re into that kind of thing.
On the other hand, it doesn’t mean you have to go all the way to the other end of the grind scale. For you, there may be a happy spot between the two extremes.
Remember, we are searching for YOUR perfect cup, not the “traditional” experience.
Sometimes, those two may be one and the same, so starting with the traditional grind is a great idea. But it’s your cup of coffee, and no law says you have to stick with that grind for the sake of tradition. Experiment.
FRESHNESS
Beyond controlling the grind size, there is the matter of freshness. Whole bean coffee typically has a shelf life of about a year, and it’s generally agreed that ground coffee, even stored properly, will last about half that long.
The instant you grind a bean, it begins to degrade, accelerating the oxidation process. The finer the grind, the quicker the deterioration; over time, you will notice it in how your coffee smells and tastes.
Speaking of the way your coffee smells, that’s another reason I really prefer grinding beans myself. The aroma of freshly ground coffee is one of the benefits of drinking for enjoyment rather than effect.
Some would tell you that the smell is at least half of the experience, if not more. Grinding your beans fresh allows a blast of that earthy goodness to waft in your vicinity. You’re imagining it right now, aren’t you? Probably smiling just a little, too.
BURR OR BLADE, DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
Now comes one of the most common questions: what type of grinder? There are two main categories; the cheapest and most common is the blade grinder.
As the name implies, blades (usually 2 to 4 of them) spin around quickly and “grind” the beans into smaller pieces.
The reality is that the blade doesn’t really grind the coffee so much as “beats up” the bean.
Each whack of the rapidly spinning blade breaks off inconsistently-sized bits and pieces of the bean. As mentioned previously, consistency is the key to duplicating the perfect cup.
A burr grinder, on the other hand, genuinely grinds the coffee. The teeth (or burrs) crushing the bean down to the size you’ve determined with a simple setting on the grinder.
That setting (coarse or fine) determines the spacing between the burrs, significantly reducing inconsistencies in the end result.
COSTS
As with most coffee-related equipment, grinders can range in price from low to high. You can get a blade grinder for $10, or for $40, you can buy a decent burr grinder.
If you want all the bells and whistles, you can spend several hundred dollars on a grinder, but I’ll stick with the low-end and spend my money on great coffee.
GRINDING TIP
Next time you use your grinder, try putting a couple of drops of water in the beans before pressing the start button. Then, use a metal spoon and stir them gently. This will greatly reduce the mess caused by the static electricity that builds up when the metal parts begin cycling.
ACTION STEP
As you did with the ratio experiment, continue making your coffee the same as always. However, begin adjusting the grind size with each batch you brew.
Make a note of the grinder settings and how you feel about the coffee; is it too strong or too weak? Adjust accordingly.
If you aren’t able to adjust the grind size because you don’t have a burr grinder, you’ll have to skip this step. Trust me, if you are on the quest to find your perfect cup, you’ll really be missing out on a primary key to your success.
If you need one, have questions, or want to see one in action, visit us at Ole Dog’s Coffee Culture, and we can make it happen. In the meantime, be well, do good, and brew on.
