To brew your favorite cup of coffee, you need to match the best grind size with your coffee brewing method. For instance, espresso works very well with fine grinds, while cold brew with coarse grinds. The grind size impacts coffee extraction, which ultimately determines the quality and flavor of coffee. Unknown to many coffee lovers, selecting a proper grind size of coffee beans may help preserve and maintain a coffee maker. Using an inappropriate grind size may inadvertently damage a coffee brewer. Have you brewed your coffee right? Read on to find out.
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Coffee grind size chart
| Brewing method | Coarse grind | Medium grind | Fine grind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeropress | ✔️ | ||
| Chemex | ✔️ | ||
| Cold brew | ✔️ | ||
| Drip coffee | ✔️ | ||
| Espresso | ✔️ | ||
| French press | ✔️ | ||
| Moka pot | ✔️ | ||
| Percolator | ✔️ | ||
| Pour over | ✔️ | ||
| Single serve | ✔️ |
Ultimate Guide: best grind size for delicious coffee
Coffee styles and brewing methods by grind size type
Extra coarse grind size
Extra coarse grind size is by far the grind yielding the largest coffee beans. With its size, extra coarse grind size can remind of peppercorn. However, do not mistake the two! Coffee’s extra coarse grind is delicious for cold brew or cowboy coffee.
Similar to: black pepper, peppercorn
Brews: cold brew coffee, cowboy coffee
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder with Adjustable Setting, KRUPS 8000035978 GX5000 Professional Electric Coffee Burr Grinder
Coarse grind size
Coarse grind size is just a little bit smaller than extra coarse coffee. These coarse coffee beans are similar to sea salt or Himalayan salt. However, unlike salt, coffee’s coarse grind can be a great choice for brewing coffee in a French press or a percolator.
Similar to: sea salt
Brews: French press coffee, percolator
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder, Ariete -Delonghi Electric Coffee Grinder
Medium coarse grind size
Medium coarse grind size reminds me of rough sand, slightly larger particles of sand mixed with some additional components. These medium coarse coffee beans can do a perfect job in brewing coffee in Chemex coffee makers as well as clever coffee drippers.
Similar to: rough sand
Brews: Chemex coffee maker, clever dripper
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: Tripple Tree Manual Coffee Grinder, Capresso 560.01 Infinity Conical Burr
Medium grind size
Medium grind size is a happy balance between coarse and fine grind sizes. Most people should be satisfied with the medium grind, as this grind size is most compatible with pour over coffee drippers, drip coffee machines and aeropress.
Similar to: regular sand
Brews: cone-shaped pour-over brewers, flat bottom drip coffee machines, siphon coffee, Aeropress (with 3+ minute brew time)
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: Breville BCG820BSSXL Smart Grinder Pro Coffee Bean Grinder, Handground Precision Manual Coffee Grinder: Conical Ceramic Burr Mill
Medium fine grind size
Medium fine grind size is slightly smaller than medium particles. It is most similar to iodized salt. Because the particles are finer than medium, they have a shorter brewing time. Medium fine grind size performs well with cone-shaped pour over coffee drippers and aeropress that has a 2-3 minute brew time.
Similar to: iodized salt
Brews: cone-shaped pour-over brewers, Aeropress (with 2-3 minute brew time)
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, DeLonghi KG 521.M America KG521 Dedica Conical Burr Grinder
Fine grind size
Fine grind size is among the most popular coffee grind sizes out there. With its shape and size, it is similar to table salt. However, unlike salt, it can brew some of the most popular and beloved coffee beverages. Fine grind size can brew coffee in espresso machine, moka pot and aeropress (with a 1 minute brew time).
Similar to: table salt
Brews: espresso machine, moka pot, Aeropress (with 1 minute brew time)
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: Baratza Virtuoso Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, Rancilio HSD-ROC-SD Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder, Fiorenzato F4 Electronic Espresso Grinder
Extra fine grind size
Extra fine grind size is for extra coffee connoisseurs who enjoy a vast variety of coffee beverages. This size is most similar to powdered sugar of wheat flour. Coffee particles are nearly crushed to form a powder-like substance. Extra fine grind size can brew delicious Turkish coffee.
Similar to: powdered sugar or wheat flour
Brews: Turkish coffee
Awesome coffee grinders to achieve extra coarse grind size: Baratza Vario Flat Burr Coffee Grinder, Capresso 565.05 Infinity Stainless Steel Conical Burr Grinder
Why you need to choose a correct grind size in coffee brewing
A grind size is instrumental in any coffee brewing method. A mis-matched grind size can cause coffee to lack flavor or be too bitter. This results from either over- or under-extraction.
The grind size is one of the decisive factors in how well extracted coffee is. Therefore, a correct pairing between a brewing method and a grind size is important for a great-tasting cup of coffee.
An over-extracted cup of coffee will taste bitter and astringent, while an under-extracted cup of coffee will taste flat and acidic. The aim of pairing a correct grind size with a brewing method is to achieve a balanced, sweet, smooth tasting cup of coffee.
What happens when fine grounds are used instead of coarse grounds
The coarse grind size gives the best results when immersed and soaked in water for up to 5 minutes. Coarse coffee particles are large enough not to escape through metal filters, plungers or coffee baskets. Larger grounds need to be immersed and soaked in water for longer periods of time, because their surface is larger and the water needs to stay in contact with them for longer in order to extract all the coffee compounds.
For instance, French press works best with coarse coffee grounds. However, when fine grounds are used, coffee will be extremely over-extracted (concentrated, bitter-tasting).
What happens when coarse grounds are used instead of fine grounds
On the other hand, fine coffee grounds are perfect for coffee beverages that require only a brief contact between water and coffee. To accomplish this, coffee grounds need to be small enough.
Among the most loved coffee beverages that use fine coffee grounds is espresso. Fine grounds are small and they cling to each other. Thus, they create a cohesive puck of coffee that makes it difficult enough for the pressurized water to pass through, therefore, enabling extraction.
However, if coarse grounds are used, an espresso machine would yield a severely under-extracted coffee. Consequently, a flavor might be very weak and undone. Furthermore, a coarse grind size could damage the machine.
Quick cheat-sheet: best grind size by a coffee brewing method
Best grind size for cold brew: coarse
Cold brew coffee takes at least several hours to brew properly, and works best with coarse coffee grind size.
In proper cold coffee brews, coffee grounds are immersed in cold water to soak for hours. Thus, a coffee beverage can reach a balanced and even extraction of all coffee components.
Using smaller coffee particles, such as fine grind, would lead to over-exaction and would cause coffee to taste bitter.
Best grind size for pour over coffee dripper: medium / medium-fine
Pour over coffee makers work best with medium or medium-fine grind size.
In a pour over coffee maker, hot water goes on top of coffee grounds. With that, water comes in contact with and sifts through all coffee particles. Coffee particles should be immersed in water for a period of time, before water drips into a cup, taking with it coffee flavors and components.
Coarse grounds would not work in this case, because the water would not have enough time to soak coffee grounds properly. Therefore, coffee would be under-extracted. On the other hand, a finer ground would clog the filter and would make over-extracted coffee.
Best grind size for aeropress: medium-fine / fine
Because aeropress works similarly to espresso machines, we’ll need fine grounds in order to use it. Fine grounds don’t need to be soaked in water for long and they work best with extraction procedures that use pressure.
Best grind size for French press: coarse
French press is most compatible with coarse grind size.
Brewing coffee in a French press means that coffee grounds are immersed and soaked in hot water for up to 5 minutes. Coarse grounds work best with this method because the water has enough time to soak the grounds and extract all necessary coffee components.
Using finer grounds may lead to over-extraction. More than that, the small particles of finer grounds can escape through the metal filter of the French press plunger, ending up in a cup.
Best grind size for Moka pot: fine
Moka pots work best with fine grind size.
As a matter of fact, moka pots work similarly to espresso machines. Unlike espresso machines, the pressure in moka pots is created through a combination of heat and vacuum power. Since water comes into contact with coffee grounds only for a very short period of time, fine grounds work best with this brewing method.
Best grind size for Keurig: fine
Yes, we can use our own coffee grounds in single serve coffee machines such as the Keurig, thanks to the reusable k-cups called My K-cup. Keurig as well as single serve machines work best with fine grounds.
Why fine grounds? Because the contact between water and coffee is short: the machine is pushing hot water inside the cup, the water comes in contact with the grounds, and then is filtered and poured in a cup as fresh coffee.
Best grind size for drip coffee makers: medium-coarse / medium
Drip coffee makers are some of the most widely used kitchen appliances in the US. Drip coffee makers work best with medium grind size. This, perhaps, explains why medium ground coffee is most accessible and available across the stores in the US.
Drip coffee makers brew coffee by pouring hot water over coffee grounds in the filter. Coffee particles get soaked and even immersed in water for a while (some drip coffee makers have been known to overflow at times). The water travels through the particles, gets filtered, and then pours into the cup as fresh coffee.
However, the immersion time is not that long that we would need to use coarse grounds, and fine grounds are out of the question when it comes to drip coffee makers, as they can clog the filter.
What do we recommend?
Selecting the right size of coffee grounds is extremely important in brewing your coffee. After all, the quality and flavor of your beverage largely depend on whether you use properly sized coffee grinds.
What is your favorite kind of coffee grind? What coffee do you enjoy most? Have you used proper grind sizes?
Please leave us a comment, share with your friends!
Hi Owly. I checked your clues and made a coffee grind size according to them. First, it was for for espresso coffee. Second, for French coffee. I made the cups of delicious coffee for me and my friends. It was a fantastic gifts on Saint Nicholas Day. I showed my friends your blog and they liked it.
Wishing you a very Happy St. Nicholas Day….. May He fill your life with happiness and shoes with lots of gifts.
Hi, Eva,
We are so excited and happy to hear that you found our article on best coffee grind sizes helpful. What kind of espresso makers did you use to brew your espresso?
Once again, we are very thankful for such generous and kind support from readers like you! We hope you find our upcoming materials helpful, too!
-Owl
Hi Owly. There is very useful information for coffee gourmet. I never know how to grind coffee and what is a best coffee grind size for espresso and French press method. I will check your practical and clear instructions. I will be in contact with you and let you know about my coffee. Have a nice day.
Hi, Eva!
Thank you so much for your feedback. We, at Owly Choice, are really happy and excited to hear you find our article about best coffee grind size useful!
Espresso and French Press definitely benefit from using the proper grind size of coffee beans.
We look forward to hearing from you soon! 🙂
-Owly