In order to brew any type of coffee, you will need to grind your coffee beans. If you buy your coffee beans pre-ground, the grind will likely work with most of your typical brewing methods. However, the type of grind you use for your beans can vary greatly depending on the brewing method you want to use, as different grinds are optimized for different brewing methods. So how do you know which type of coffee grind is right for you?
Coffee can typically be ground to one of seven grind-levels: extra coarse, which have grounds that look like peppercorns, coarse, which has grounds the size of kosher salt, medium coarse, which has a less chunky, less rough feel, medium, which is the most common type of grind, medium fine, which has a smaller size than table salt, fine, which looks like refined sugar, and extra fine, which has the consistency of powdered sugar.
Each grind level is optimized for a different type of brewing process. This is because each process has a different contact time, extraction rate, and flow rate while brewing, all of which interact best with certain coffee grinds. Most at-home coffee grinders allow you to achieve the right grind for your purposes.
- Extra Coarse — Larger coffee grinds like extra coarse are perfect for making cold brew.
- Coarse — Coarse is optimized for immersion brewing methods like a French Press.
- Medium Coarse — For brewing with “quick-brew” methods like a Chemex, medium coarse is optimal.
- Medium — The most common type of grind, medium is ideal for standard drip-coffee methods.
- Medium Fine — Medium fine is a great option for pour-over coffee makers.
- Fine — Commonly used to achieve bold, strong coffee, fine is perfect for making espresso.
- Extra Fine — Even finer than espresso-optimized coffee grinds, extra fine is most commonly used in Turkish coffee.
For easy home-brewing with a Phin filter or French Press, Omni Bev offers all of its beans whole or ground to a standard medium grind. This allows you to brew your favorite Vietnamese coffee using Auto Drip, French press, and pour-over brewing methods.
Read more: