Grinding coffee beans yourself is one of the most critical steps you can take to ensuring that you enjoy a great cup of coffee each time. Not everyone who loves coffee can grind their beans perfectly, but it is not something that is impossible to learn. Here are some useful tips to help you grind your coffee beans like a pro:
1. Avoid pre-grinding your beans
When you grind your coffee beans and leave them for some time, they will become stale faster compared to whole beans. This is specifically why it is important that you buy whole beans then grind them at home just before you brew the coffee. For a perfect ground, ensure that your beans remain in an airtight container.
2. Be aware of the grind size you want
Your method of brewing is the best determinant of the grind size you need to go for because consistency is critical when grinding the coffee beans. Each brewing method works well with a specific consistency to produce a great cup of coffee. For instance, coffee brewed with the French Press comes out best when the ground is coarse because the coffee grounds remain submerged in the water for a longer period as the coffee steeps. This also applies to percolators. Grounds that have larger particles allow for extraction of right quantities of flavor. Espresso pots require very fine grounds because they brewing happens under high pressure and it happens very first. The surface area of the numerous tiny grounds therefore allows water to take in much flavor as it passes through the fine powder. For drip coffee makers, a medium grind works best.
3. Measure the Coffee Beans
Measuring your beans accurately every time allows you to get a constituent drink each time you brew. For a great drink, the water to coffee ratio needs to be 16:1, View complete chart here. You can always use a tiny kitchen scale to ensure your measurements remain accurate. When you measure your beans and stick to the 16:1 ration, you ensure that you do not grind more beans than you actually need.
4. Find the Ideal Grinder
You can grind your coffee beans using a blade grinder or a burr grinder, the later is recommended. Just like a blender, the blade grinder spins from the bottom and can produce an inconsistent grind. On the other hand, a burr grinder comes with two cutting discs. The burr grinder grinds the beans by shaving them evenly in between the burrs. The distance between these two discs is what determines the consistency of the grind. The lesser the distance, the finer the grind will be. Since brewing coffee is an extraction process that involves exposing it to the water so that the flavor is extracted, uniformity of the particles in terms of size results to a much tastier brew.
5. Choose between automatic and manual grinder
Burr grinders can be automatic or manual and both work very well. Depending on your preference, it is important that you decide which one is best for you. In terms of pricing, manual grinders are cheaper and compact, an aspect that makes them ideal for traveling. Even so, it is important to note that a costly grinder does not necessarily make it better. It is advisable to review your needs before deciding on which grinder to go for.
Whether your beans are ground or not, ensure that you store them well. The four things that damage coffee freshness are moisture, air, light and heat. So keep your coffee beans away from these and only remove them when you are grinding them in quantities that you need.
