Why You Should Grind Your Own Coffee

Why You Should Grind Your Own Coffee

Fresh coffee.....What a concept! Can you imagine eating an apple that is months past the date when it was picked, and that traveled half-way across the world to get to you? Oh, wait, maybe you can. But, I digress.

Coffee, locally roasted and then freshly ground right before you brew it, is an amazing revelation. Did you know that even ten minutes after grinding, coffee begins to lose its flavor?

You see, grinding coffee beans reduces their surface area, which causes the beans to lose their flavor more rapidly than they would if they were left as whole beans. So those bags of coffee that were ground who knows how long ago, are leaving you short of a truly wonderful coffee experience. Once coffee is ground, even moisture in the air can cause the flavorful, water soluble parts of the coffee bean to dissolve. In addition, oxidation, which occurs naturally, is sped up once the surface area of the coffee bean is reduced through grinding. All this makes your cup of morning joe lose its complex flavors and health benefits. (More on the health benefits of coffee in another article)

That's okay if you are just drinking your coffee to jump start your morning, but if you want really good coffee, you've got get the right tools and knowledge on how to turn your morning 'meh' coffee into great coffee.

So let's walk through a few steps. First, in order to brew the most delicious cup of coffee, start with the whole beans of your favorite coffee. Use cold water for the best tasting coffee. Using a coffee grinder, create a coarse grind of the coffee beans. You can get an inexpensive burr grinder at any box store. And they will do the job.

Next, for the sake of real flavor and your health, please skip the fake creamer or low fat milk and use real, full-fat milk or cream in your coffee. For extra goodness and health, try sweetening your coffee with sucanat, grade B maple syrup, honey or your favorite whole, unrefined sweetener.

If you like flavored coffees try adding a few dashes of cinnamon, cocoa powder or a new and delicious addition is ground cardamon. We put our ground spices into a salt shaker and add about four shakes into the coffee once everything else in is - stir and enjoy!

Another important detail is what level of grind you should use for your maker. Knowing which grind size to use is crucial to getting the best possible cup. Below is a basic guide to follow:

Turkish coffee calls for an extra fine grind size, similar to that of powdered sugar.

Espresso is a brewed through using pressure to force water through compacted coffee grounds. The contact time is very short, requiring an extra fine grind size.

AeroPress is a popular single-cup manual coffee maker. Recommended grind size is between medium and fine, depending on steep time.

Pour-over brewers come in an array of different sizes and shapes. While different brewers require varying grind sizes to control the flow rate of water, most pour over methods call for a medium to medium-fine grind.

Stove-top espresso maker or Moka pot is a coffee maker which uses steam pressure to force water upwards through a filter basket full of coffee grounds. The contact time is quite short, but the pressure is a bit higher than your typical manual brewer and calls for a medium grind size.

Single-cup coffee maker, such as a Keurig or Verismo. The contact time is fairly low, meaning it calls for a medium to medium-fine grind size, comparable to that of table salt.

Drip coffee maker. Contact time is dictated by a small hole in the bottom of the brewing basket, so recommended grind size varies between medium-coarse to medium.

French press is an immersion brewer. Water is added to coffee grounds and allowed to steep for several minutes before straining out the grounds. This method calls for a coarse grind setting.

Cold Brew, unlike other brewing methods, is done at or below room temperature and takes between 12 and 72 hours. Due to the low temperature, the extraction rate is low, regardless of grind size. A coarse or extra coarse grind size is recommended, as it's easier to filter. A finer grind size will work just as well (with a slightly shorter steep time), but can cause the final product to appear a bit cloudy.

Of course, all the above recommendations are just recommendations. They are subject to change based on preferences and slight differences in brewers. Getting the grind size exactly right requires some testing and tweaking to your taste.

If you feel your cup of coffee is a tad weak, try a slightly finer grind size next time. Or if the coffee tastes too strong or slightly bitter, test with a slightly larger grind size to see if it solves the problem.

Now go out there and make a great cup of coffee. Better yet, make two and share it with a friend!