Standard Grind Vs Coarse Grind Coffee

If you are like me you love coffee but all the different "Grinds" can be confusing. So I decided to do some research and create a Blog/Brew Guide. I hope this helps you all as much as it has me. Stay Strong and Struggle On Friends  

Coffee is affected by how quickly water can extract flavor compounds from your grounds and by the duration of the brewing. Coarser, larger coffee grounds have less surface area than those that are finely ground. They allow water to flow more freely and they do not give up their flavor as quickly.

Finer grounds, in contrast, have greater surface area and slow the flow of water similar to how water flows through sand much more slowly than over large rocks. When water flows more slowly, it has more sustained contact with the coffee grounds. More contact and slower flow means extraction happens more quickly. This is why we choose faster brewing methods for finer grounds. If we allow brewing to continue for too long after extraction, our brew will become bitter.

Another way to think of this is as if the brewing liquid is digesting the coffee grounds. When you eat larger, coarser pieces of food like almonds, you will take longer to both chew and digest them compared to something like ice cream which is smooth. Both of these foods are great as long as you eat them properly. The same goes for your coffee grounds. All grind types have their perfect brew method.

Standard Grind

Your single-cup brewers typically use this grind along with most pour-over brewers. Syphon coffee makers and Aeropress brewers that require 3+ minutes of brewing time also use medium grind.

Coarse Grind 

Coarse grind is popular as it is commonly used in French press coffee. Not only is this longer brewing time perfect to help extraction, but the larger grinds will also not slip through the mesh strainer used in this method.