When it comes to brewing coffee, five key grind sizes of coffee tend to be used in various brewing methods. Below you will find the ideal coffee grinds for certain brewing methods.
Extra Fine
Seen as the thinnest ground of coffee, an extra-fine grind is a perfect match for brewing Turkish coffee. This grind looks like flour or a powder-like substance since it is so fine. Brewing Turkish coffee can only be achieved by using an extra-fine grind. Substituting it for espresso ground coffee will not do, since Extra Fine grind is what gives the coffee its distinctive body.
Fine
Not too dissimilar from Extra Fine grind it is similar to a finer salt. It is the perfect match for brewing espresso. A fine grind is essential for making espresso since the coffee is in contact with the water for a short time. Water is forced through the water under pressure and needs to be in contact with the coffee for the right period of time. If your coffee is too fine it will take longer for the water to pass through the coffee and pick up a bitter (sometimes burnt) flavour. This is known as being over-extracted. If your coffee is too coarse the water will pass through the coffee too quickly and will have a weak, dilute the flavour. This is known as being under-extracted.
Medium
A medium coffee grind is quite multi-purpose as it is, of course, the middle grind. The grind is similar to the consistency of sand. You will often find this to be the default ubiquitous setting for coffee that you buy from most retails that is preground and described as a universal grind. We wouldn’t advocate using the grind since an important part of making a great cup of coffee is ensuring that your coffee is ground correctly for the specific type of equipment that you intend to use.
Coarse
A coarse coffee grind resembles the substance of sea-salt. It is a perfect match for brewing French-Press coffee within a café or even in your own home. The reason a coarse grind works well with brewing French-Press coffee is that finer grinds will tend to get stuck in the filter of a French-Press and tend to get pushed all the way through.
Extra Coarse
Listed as the largest grind of coffee, an extra coarse grind is similar in texture to peppercorns. As it is the largest grind, it is ideal for slow extraction and so is a perfect match for brewing cold-brew coffee. The reason this is the case is that cold-brew coffee tends to benefit from an extra-coarse grind as this will maximise and enhance the flavour of your coffee.
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