Dialling in
Adjusting your grind
Grind size is the most powerful setting you have. It controls how much flavour the water pulls out, and how fast the water drains through. Taste first, then check the time.
Why grind size matters
Finer grounds have more surface area and pack more tightly, so water pulls flavour out faster and drains more slowly. Both push extraction up. Coarser grounds do the opposite. Extraction tends to go in a predictable order: bright acids come out first, then sweetness, then bitterness. Good coffee lands in the middle.
What to change
| You notice | Likely cause | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, sharp, thin, maybe salty. Drains fast (under ~2:30). | Under-extracted | Grind finer |
| Bitter, harsh, drying finish. Drains slowly (over ~4:00). | Over-extracted | Grind coarser |
| Sour and bitter, muddy or hollow. | Uneven extraction: water found channels through the bed | Pour more gently and evenly, keep water off the paper, swirl to level the bed |
| Tastes balanced but weak or watery. | Strength, not extraction | Use more coffee (e.g. 1:15) and leave the grind alone |
| Tastes balanced but too heavy or intense. | Strength, not extraction | Use more water (e.g. 1:17) |
| Drawdown stalls, with a muddy layer on the bed. | Too many fine particles clogging the filter | Grind a bit coarser and stir or swirl less |
Grind sizes at a glance
| Size | Feels like | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Extra fine | Flour, powdered sugar | Turkish coffee |
| Fine | Fine sand | Espresso, moka pot |
| Medium-fine | Table salt | V60 and other cone drippers |
| Medium | Coarse sand | Flat-bottom drippers, drip machines |
| Coarse | Sea salt | French press, cold brew |
Grinder numbers aren't universal. "Setting 20" on one grinder is nothing like setting 20 on another, so use the texture and your brew time as your guide.
How to dial in
- Brew the recipe as written and note the total time.
- Taste it as it cools a little. Flavours are easier to judge when it's warm, not scalding.
- Change only the grind, one small step (one or two clicks) at a time.
- Keep everything else the same: dose, water, temperature and pours. Otherwise you can't tell what made the difference.
- Once it tastes good, write the setting down for that bag of beans.
Roast level changes the starting point
Lighter roasts are denser and harder to extract, so they usually like a slightly finer grind and hotter water. Darker roasts extract easily and often taste best a bit coarser and cooler. Fresh beans also bloom and drain differently from older ones, so expect to adjust when you open a new bag.
The grinder matters
Burr grinders crush beans to a fairly even size. Blade grinders chop them unevenly, which gives you dust and boulders in the same brew and makes dialling in hard. If you upgrade one piece of gear, make it the grinder.