Do you want to learn to grind coffee beans to produce fine and strong coffee? If YES, here are 6 important coffee beans grinding tips you must know.
The importance of grinding coffee beans is most times overlooked even though it tends to be very pertinent in the process of creating the perfect cup of coffee. However, if you are an amateur looking to understand more about coffee grinding, here are crucial tips to always remember;
6 Important Coffee Beans Grinding Tips You Must Know
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1. Always Buy the Right Coffee Beans
First things first, you always have to invest in fresh coffee beans that are no more than a few days old, rather than pre – ground beans for the most effective grind. Have it in mind that coffee reaches its best just days after it has been roasted.
Knowing and understanding your taste for coffee is all part of the fun. The numbers lining up in front of freshly roasted coffee bean packs tend to translate to the strength of the beans. Lower numbers mean they have been roasted lightly and have brighter flavour notes. Higher strengths are roasted darker and are more full bodied and intense.
Do not forget there are so many types of coffee profiles from rich, nutty tastes, to coffees with a floral aroma. There are no limits to the types of coffee available. Exploring these different strengths and origins is an exciting new experience for any coffee lover.
2. Ensure Grind Consistency
Another crucial fact to always consider when grinding coffee is the grind consistency and this must be specific to your preferred brewing method. Note that coffee can lose its flavour thirty minutes after being ground and is best to grind the beans before brewing. Coarse, medium and fine grinds are used for various brewing methods to get the most out of the coffee’s flavour profiles.
- Coarse: This type of grind leaves the largest of granules of coffee and is a preferred method when using a French Press.
- Medium: Medium grinds are known to have a consistency of granulated sugar and are recommended for drip coffee makers.
- Fine: This is also known as an espresso grind, and it is a grind with a powdery consistency used in espresso makers.
- Pulverized: This is more like fine flour, and most times needs the help of a special grinder.
3. Always Measure Your Beans
One crucial factor about grinding and making coffee is using the right amount of coffee. You can do this by making use of a digital scale to measure the coffee beans and making the same amount of coffee per unit of water each time you brew for a better tasting coffee.
A strong cup of coffee for example, is one part coffee and 20 parts water, but will depend on your taste requirements. Another alternative way of measuring it is to fill the grinder to capacity being careful not to under fill or overfill as it will ruin the taste of the coffee. On average, 7g of ground coffee is enough for one cup.
4. Know The Right Temperatures
According to experts, the desired brew temperature is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using boiling water then use only recently boiled water that has been standing for just over a minute.
If you re – boil the water, the oxygen water levels will be too low and will burn the coffee grounds leaving you with a bitter tasting coffee. Notwithstanding, to get it right you can try pouring water onto a spoon before letting it hit the coffee beans so it can have a chance to cool before mixing with the grinds.
5. Quality Of Water
To get coffee that is at its full potential in terms of flavour, you need to consider the quality of the water you are using. Note that using water that is too hard and full of minerals risks the water not bonding with the coffee beans well. High mineral content also leads to build – ups in the coffee machine or maker which means the machine will need to be descaled more often.
Also remember that heavy filtered or distilled water can be equally as destructive, if lacking minerals altogether which will force the water to take the minerals out of the metal in the machine. The water needs to have a mineral balance of 150 parts per million, by using lightly filtered water.
6. Know Your Brewing Time
Coffee beans have different flavours inside that are released at different times. However, to get the most out of your coffee beans, you will need to pre – infuse your coffee grounds by adding a small amount of water to them in the grinder and stir the beans.
You can stir five to six times to make sure the grounds are well stirred if using a manual coffee grinder. Be sure to leave it to brew for four minutes to give the flavour its time, then plunge. After this, pour it straight away so it doesn’t over brew. This process means any carbondioxide left from the roasting process will have a chance to release, making the brew strong and flavoursome.