Learn — Brewing
Coffee Grind Size Guide:
Which Grind for Which Brew Method
Grind size is the variable most people change last. It should be the first.
Seven Sizes
Every brew method has an optimal grind size determined by one thing: how long the water is in contact with the coffee and under what pressure. Longer contact time requires coarser grind to prevent over-extraction. Higher pressure requires finer grind to create resistance. Get the grind wrong and no other adjustment — dose, temperature, timing — will fix the cup.
01
Extra
Coarse
Coarse
02
Coarse
03
Med-
Coarse
Coarse
04
Medium
05
Fine-
Medium
Medium
06
Fine
07
Extra
Fine
Fine
Cold Brew
French Press
Drip / Auto
Pour Over
AeroPress
Moka Pot
Espresso
Turkish
The spectrum runs coarse-to-fine left to right — matching the order from longest contact time to shortest, and from lowest pressure to highest. The relationship is not arbitrary: it is physics.
Size by Size
Every Grind Level — Parameters and Reasoning
Grind Level
Method + Parameters
Why This Grind Works
Brew Guide
01
Extra Coarse
Texture: cracked pepper
Cold Brew
Ratio: 1:10 · Temp: room or cold · Time: 10h ready-to-drink, 24–48h concentrate
Contact time is 10–48 hours. A fine grind at that duration would extract every bitter compound in the bean. Extra Coarse slows extraction dramatically — the result is smooth, low-acid, never bitter cold brew even after a full 48-hour steep.
02
Coarse
Texture: sea salt
French Press
Ratio: 1:12–1:13 · Temp: 94–95°C · Time: 4 min
French Press uses a metal mesh plunger — not a paper filter. Fine particles pass straight through into the cup. Coarse grind prevents grit and sediment. It also prevents over-extraction during the full 4-minute immersion steep.
03
Med-Coarse
Texture: rough sea salt
Home Coffee Maker / Auto Drip
Ratio: 9–10g per cup · Temp: machine-controlled · Time: ~5 min
Automatic drip machines have a fixed pour rate you cannot control. Medium-Coarse ensures water flows through the grounds at the right speed for the machine's timing — not so fast it under-extracts, not so slow it over-extracts.
No dedicated guide — standard method
04
Medium
Texture: table salt
Pour Over · AeroPress
Pour Over: ratio 1:15–1:16 · 92–94°C · 3.5–4 min
AeroPress: ratio 1:12 · ~93°C · 2:30
AeroPress: ratio 1:12 · ~93°C · 2:30
Both methods use a controlled, manual pour where you dictate the flow rate. Medium grind creates the right resistance for a 3–4 minute pour over extraction and a 2:30 AeroPress press. Fine enough for flavour development, coarse enough to prevent over-extraction at those contact times.
05
Fine-Medium
Texture: fine sand
Moka Pot
Ratio: 1:7 · Temp: stovetop steam · Time: 3–4 min
Moka Pot uses steam pressure — more resistance is needed than drip methods, but less than an espresso machine's 9-bar. Fine-Medium sits precisely in this gap. Too coarse and the steam passes through without full extraction. Too fine and pressure builds dangerously and the coffee turns bitter.
06
Fine
Texture: ground cinnamon
Espresso
Ratio: 1:2 · Temp: 91°C · Time: 25–28s
9-bar pump pressure forces water through the puck in 25–28 seconds. Fine grind creates the resistance that slows water down enough to extract fully in that window. The contact time is short — Fine compensates by maximising surface area. Espresso grind is also the most sensitive: a half-step too fine or too coarse changes the shot completely.
07
Extra Fine
Texture: flour / icing sugar
Turkish Coffee
Ratio: 1:10 · Temp: open pot (slow heat) · Time: 2–3 min
Turkish coffee is brewed unfiltered — the grounds stay in the cup. Extra Fine grind is required because there is no filter and no pressure; only heat and time. The powder-fine particles extract fully in 2–3 minutes of gentle simmering, then settle to the bottom of the cup. Any coarser and the coffee is thin and under-extracted.
No dedicated guide — traditional method
Dialling In
When the Grind Is Wrong — What the Cup Tells You
Grind size is the first variable to adjust when the cup tastes wrong — not dose, not temperature, not timing. The coffee tells you exactly which direction to move.
Sour / Sharp / Under-extracted
Cause: Grind too coarse
Water passed through too fast. Not enough resistance, not enough contact time. Grind finer by one or two steps and retest. Applies to all methods — most obvious in espresso and pour over.
Bitter / Harsh / Over-extracted
Cause: Grind too fine
Water moved too slowly, extracting bitter compounds beyond the good flavours. Grind coarser by one or two steps and retest. In espresso this also manifests as a slow, dark, viscous shot that runs past 35 seconds.
Espresso: Channeling
Cause: Uneven puck or incorrect grind
Water finds the path of least resistance and tunnels through the puck instead of distributing evenly. Result: one side over-extracts, one side under-extracts. Fix: even distribution and tamping first, then adjust grind if the problem persists. Grind adjustment is the first variable — not the tamp pressure.
The Rules
Three Principles That Override Everything Else
01
Grind Fresh
Ground coffee loses CO₂ and aromatic compounds within hours. Whole beans ground immediately before brewing produce a measurably different cup than pre-ground coffee from even the same morning. A blade grinder used fresh beats a burr grinder used stale.
02
Change Grind First
When the cup tastes wrong, the temptation is to adjust dose or time. Adjust grind first. Sour means coarser. Bitter means finer. Make one change, keep everything else constant, and retest. Multiple simultaneous changes make diagnosis impossible.
03
Burr Over Blade
Blade grinders chop randomly — the result is a mix of particle sizes that extract at different rates simultaneously. Burr grinders crush between two surfaces, producing a consistent particle size. Consistent particle size means consistent extraction. This matters most for espresso and pour over.
Grind is the variable most within the brewer's control and the one that changes the cup most. Get the grind right for the method, grind fresh, and adjust based on what you taste — not what a recipe says.
Tool
Brew Matcher
Grind size follows method. Select your flavor zone and desired body and get the right method — with the correct grind, ratio, and temperature — matched to a Simple Coffee product.