A finer grind gives water more exposed coffee to work with. In a filter brew, it can also slow the water flowing through the grounds. A coarser grind usually lets water pass more easily. If your pour-over runs slowly and tastes harsh, try grinding a little coarser. If it runs quickly and tastes sharp or thin, try a little finer. Taste is the deciding factor; the timer is a clue.
A question from the roastery
At one of our Coffee Experience Sessions, we roasted a fresh batch, cupped different coffees and spent a lovely stretch of time talking with everyone who came. Someone asked a question that stayed with me: “How does grind size actually change the flavour in my cup?”
It is such a good question. Alejandro and our team can put care into roasting a coffee, but what happens in your kitchen matters too. And when a cup disappoints you, the answer may be as small as moving your grinder one setting.
Before deciding a bag isn't for you, give the brew another try. Keep your usual amount of coffee and water, change the grind slightly, and see what happens. You might be surprised by how much more you enjoy the same beans.
Where should I start with my grinder?
| Brewer | A useful starting point |
|---|---|
| French press | Coarse to medium-coarse |
| Chemex | Medium coarse - to medium |
| Drip coffee maker | Medium |
| V60 pour-over | Medium-fine to medium |
| AeroPress | Varies widely with the recipe. WE usually use medium fine |
| Espresso | Fine, adjusted to your machine |
These are descriptions, not universal grinder settings. A “5” on your grinder may be completely different from a “5” on mine. Your filter, dose, coffee and brewing recipe can all change the result.
If you have a grinder, write down the setting when you make a cup you love. I have learned that “somewhere around there” is not a setting my grinder remembers either. 😂
Why does a finer grind change the taste?
Grinding breaks coffee into smaller pieces. Grind finer and more of the coffee is exposed to water. That can help water dissolve more of the compounds that give a cup its flavour.
In a pour-over or drip brewer, finer grounds can also make it harder for water to pass through the coffee bed. Very small particles may slow the filter further. Your brew might take longer, though grind size is only one of several things that affect the flow.
That is why I would use the clock and your taste buds. A longer brew is not automatically bad. What matters is whether you like the coffee it makes.
My coffee tastes bitter or harsh. Should I grind coarser?
If you're making filter coffee and the water is moving unusually slowly, try one small step coarser. Keep everything else the same so you can tell whether it helped.
If the next cup still tastes harsh, consider your brewing time, water and coffee-to-water ratio. It may also be that you prefer a different roast profile. Changing the grind can improve a brew, but it cannot turn a dark roast into a medium roast.
My coffee tastes sharp or weak. Should I grind finer?
If a filter brew finishes unusually quickly and tastes unpleasantly sharp, try one small step finer. Then taste again.
“Sharp” and “bright” are not always the same thing. Some coffees have a pleasant fruit-like acidity that belongs in the cup. And if your coffee tastes simply watery, check how much coffee you used before assuming the grind is the whole problem.
The most useful note is a simple one: one setting finer, same recipe, sweeter cup. That gives you something you can repeat tomorrow.
Does every brewing method follow the same rules?
No. The slow-flow clues above are most useful for coffee made by passing water through grounds and a filter, such as pour-over and drip.
French press holds the coffee and water together before you separate them, so there is no filter drawdown to watch in the same way. AeroPress is flexible: different recipes use different grind sizes and steep times. Espresso calls for its own careful adjustments because small changes in grind can make a substantial difference to the shot.
Start with the recommendation for your brewer, then let the cup guide you.
What if I buy my coffee already ground?
Tell us how you brew, or choose the matching grind option when you shop our coffees. Ground coffee gives you less room to adjust at home, but you can still make a lovely cup. Measure your coffee and water, keep the bag closed, and pay attention to the recipe that works for you.
If you're curious about buying a grinder, our guide to choosing between burr and blade grinders walks through the practical choices. You do not need an expensive setup to begin experimenting.
Try this with your next cup
Make your usual coffee and take a sip. Then choose one change for the next brew:
- Slow and harsh filter brew? Try a little coarser.
- Fast and unpleasantly sharp filter brew? Try a little finer.
- Thin cup despite a normal brew time? Check your coffee-to-water ratio.
Keep the adjustment small and make a note when you like the result. Coffee is personal, and the best grind setting is the one that helps you make a cup you want to make again.
Brew boldly. Live fully.
Adriana