THE BENEFITS

The main benefit is freshness. Like many perishable products, oxygen speeds up the oxidation process. Once ground, the peak time to brew the coffee to get the best flavours is between 0-15 minutes, anything over this time frame and the coffee starts to stale with the flavours and quality disintegrating rapidly. Grinding increases the degassing process, all fresh beans need to degas but if too much degassing occurs it creates a flat and stale brew. If you purchase pre-ground coffee it will have already lost many of its flavours by the time it reaches your letterbox. By buying beans the quality of the beans is preserved, especially when stored in resealable pouches or containers. Ground coffee is also more susceptible to Moisture which decreases the quality of oils present in the bean that contribute to the flavour. Grinding coffee is one of the reasons that makes the ritual of coffee making so enjoyable. We want you to experience the pleasure of fresh coffee yourselves, the aroma of freshly ground coffee is as much a wakeup as the caffeine itself. Whether you are grinding for espresso or filter, there are so many different variables that will affect the taste of your coffee. Control is a key element in brewing and you will have a greater chance of brewing exceptional coffee if you have control over the grind size. Most brewing methods require different grind sizes so if you are buying pre-ground coffee you are limiting yourself to only one method.Grinding your coffee at home is the perfect way to learn about coffee extraction and how you can improve a brewing method by tweaking certain parameters, usually beginning with the grind size. 

GRIND SIZE

Getting the grind right and the extraction time is key to flavour. When coffee is ground finer the water flows through the coffee slowly allowing more coffee compounds to be collected. The courser the grind the quicker the water flow.Brew extraction is related to the fineness of the grind. The finer the grind, the faster coffee can be extracted as water runs through it as it comes into contact with a larger surface area of the ground coffee. The coarser the grind means more time is needed to extract coffee as the water is flowing faster and needs more time to extract the flavours from the grounds. Below are three basic grind settings to use as a guide to get the right grind setting. A finer grind is needed for espresso to create a shorter extraction time and a courser grind is needed to create a longer extraction time for a Cafetière. 

FINE

Best suited for: Espresso Machine / Moka Pot

MEDIUM

 Best suited for: AeroPress 

COARSE

Best suited for: Chemex V60, Kalita Wave / Cafetière 

WHICH GRINDER?

The most accurate grinders come with burrs, two revolving abrasive surfaces that grind a few beans at a time. They can be conical or flat but ultimately do the same job. They are adjustable to allow for a different grind setting, the closer they are together, the finer the grind, the further apart, the courser the grind. Electric or Manual? Burr grinders can be electric or manual and both have their advantages and disadvantages. Manuel grinders are cheaper and portable, Ideal for a one-cup brew and for taking camping or travelling. However, they require some elbow grease and can take a few minutes to grind a cup's worth of coffee. Electric grinders are a more expensive and complex machine. They are very convenient, more accurate and can grind a cup's worth of coffee in a few seconds. We have a couple of electric and manual budget-friendly burr grinders available which you can view below. .

HARIO SKERTON COFFEE MILL

WILFA SVART PRECISION GRINDER