When I was writing an article on the importance of owning one of the best coffee grinders, I had a spark of inspiration. "How does one know to grind coffee beans correctly?" I thought to myself. "Well, I just know. But how?"
I realized that I unconsciously look for three things while making coffee. Coincidentally, they all begin with "T". How easy is that?
Texture
The first thing to look for is texture. How large are the coffee granules? Do the grounds stick to your fingers, or clump together?
If you're making espresso, you want the coffee grounds to be fine, resembling the texture of baker's sugar/caster sugar. The grounds should stick to your fingers and stick together (which is why some baristas use a WDT tool to distribute the grounds evenly). The photo above shows espresso grind.
If you're making filter or drip, you want the coffee grounds to be medium-sized. This looks touch coarser, closer to the texture of table salt or normal granulated sugar.
If you're making French press, the grounds should be medium-coarse or coarse. The coffee might look more like sea salt or demerara sugar.
Time
For this step, you'll need one of the best coffee scales, or be prepared to count in your head and use a sub-optimal kitchen scale.
As with texture, each brewing method requires a different brewing time. For espresso, you want to aim for a 1:2 ratio of coffee:water within 25-28 seconds. So, if you put 10g of coffee in, you should get 20g of espresso within 25 seconds. If the coffee is pouring out much faster, you need to grind finer. If it's pouring slower, you need to grind coarser.
Drip, filter, and French press take much longer — up to around four minutes. If your coffee isn't pouring through the filter within that time, it's probably ground too fine. And if it flows through in seconds? You're grinding too coarse.
Taste
Taste is the best way to tell if you're grinding your coffee correctly. After all, if you're doing something "wrong" but you still like how it tastes, then who am I to tell you off?
After making your coffee, give it a taste. Does it taste burned or bitter? You're grinding too fine. Does it taste sour and weak? You're grinding too coarse. Adjust the grind size infinitesimally until you get the best flavor possible.
At the end of the day, if your espresso extracts in 13 seconds but you like how it tastes, then you do you. But if you're aiming for "technically" perfect espresso, remember the three T's: Texture, Time, and Taste.
My go-to coffee grinder recommendations
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