Grind Size Guide
Grinding your coffee isn’t just another step. It’s the key to unlocking the full potential of great coffee beans. And it changes everything — flavour, texture, intensity, balance. This guide walks you through how to choose the right grind size based on your method, your gear, and what you’re looking for in your cup.
Table of Contents
How to Choose the Right Coffee Grind?
Grinding your coffee isn’t just another box to tick in your morning routine. It’s a powerful lever that can totally transform what ends up in your cup. Grind size acts like a precision filter between your coffee beans and your brew. Too fine, and you over-extract the bitter notes. Too coarse, and the water doesn’t have time to capture the flavours locked in the bean. Either way, you’re missing out on taste.
Concretely, grind size influences three fundamental elements of your coffee:
- Extraction surface: The finer the grind, the more surface area is exposed to water contact. This allows for faster, more complete extraction — but also riskier. Too much extraction, and bitterness takes over.
- Contact time: Grind size determines how long water stays in contact with coffee. A very fine grind works quickly (for espresso, for example), while a coarse grind needs time (French Press, cold brew...). Adapting the grind to your brewing method is therefore essential.
- Extraction temperature: The finer it is, the more the water needs to be at the right temperature (between 90 and 96°C). Otherwise, you risk over-extraction — that moment when coffee becomes too strong, too dry, too aggressive.
Wrong grind size is like putting bicycle tires on a car: it rolls, but it doesn't hold the road. And most importantly, you're not getting what your coffee really has to offer.
💡Important reminder: Ground coffee starts oxidizing as soon as it's exposed to air. Within minutes, it loses its most subtle volatile aromas. If you want to respect your coffee (and your palate), always grind just before brewing.
Grind Type by Brewing Method
There’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” grind. Each brewing method has its own logic — pressure, time, temperature, ratio… and with it, a specific grind size that fits. Here’s a clear and visual overview, from the finest to the coarsest.Extra-fine
Method: Ibrik (Turkish coffee)
Texture: Very fine powder, like flour
Brew time: 2 to 3 minutes, slowly brought to a boil
Note: Unfiltered — the grounds remain in the cup
⚡ Ultra-fast extraction, requires precision and tradition
Methods: Moka pot, Aeropress® (short recipes), espresso machine, automatic machine
Texture: Icing sugar / very fine salt
Brew time: 25 to 60 seconds
Note: High or manual pressure depending on the machine
🏁 Too fine = clogging / Too coarse = under-extraction
Fine
Methods: V60, Moka pot, Siphon, Aeropress® (long recipes)
Texture: Fine salt
Brew time: 25 seconds to 3 minutes
Note: Manual or vacuum extraction — requires balance
🏠 Be careful with tamping when using espresso methods
Medium
Methods: V60, electric coffee maker, siphon, Chemex
Texture: Coarse sand
Brew time: 3 to 6 minutes
Note: Gentle extraction by percolation or immersion
💧 The ideal middle ground for most drip and filter brewers
Coarse
Methods: Electric coffee maker (depending on model), Chemex
Texture: Sea sand / lightly crushed pepper
Brew time: 4 to 6 minutes
Note: Slow extraction with thick filters
🧼 Too fine here = guaranteed clogging — watch your flow
Very Coarse
Methods: French Press (plunger), Cold Brew
Texture: Crushed pepper / large coarse grounds
Brew time: 2 to 24 hours depending on method
Note: Long immersion without paper filters
❄️ Perfect for smooth, low-acidity coffees to sip slowly
Which grind size for your coffee maker?
The reference list:
- Turkish coffee (Ibrik): Extra-fine grind, powder texture (flour)
- Espresso: Very fine grind, powdered sugar texture
- Moka pot: Very fine grind, very fine salt texture
- V60 / Aeropress: Fine grind, fine salt texture
- Siphon: Fine-medium grind, fine salt to sand texture
- Chemex / Filter: Medium grind, coarse sand texture
- Drip coffee maker: Medium-coarse grind, sand to light pepper texture
- French Press: Very coarse grind, cracked pepper texture
- Cold Brew: Very coarse grind, coarse grains texture
🏆
The perfect grind doesn’t exist in absolute terms. It depends on your coffee, your water, your equipment… and your taste! What really matters is understanding the principles — and adjusting accordingly.
Troubleshooting
Quick DiagnosisUse a coarser grind or shorten the brew time. Also check the water temperature.
Use less coffee or a coarser grind. Adjust the brewing time as needed.
Use a finer grind or increase the brewing time. Also check the freshness of your coffee.
Grind too fine for your machine. Adjust to a coarser grind.
Use more coffee or a finer grind. Check your coffee-to-water ratio.
Grind too coarse. Adjust to a finer grind or increase the amount of coffee.
Expert tip
Grind just before brewing. Ground coffee loses its aromas within just a few minutes.
Invest in a good burr grinder for consistent grind size. Avoid blade grinders.
Adjust the grind in small increments. A minor change can completely transform your coffee.
Note your settings for each coffee. Every origin may require specific adjustments.
Try different grind sizes with the same coffee. You might uncover surprising flavor profiles.
Clean your grinder regularly. Oil residues can turn rancid and spoil the flavor of your coffee.
FAQ
- Espresso / Automatic machine → Very fine
- Moka pot (Italian stovetop) → Very fine to fine
- Aeropress → Very fine to fine
- V60 → Fine to medium
- Drip coffee maker → Medium to coarse
- Chemex → Medium to coarse
- Siphon → Fine to medium
- French Press → Very coarse
- Cold Brew → Very coarse
- Turkish coffee (Ibrik) → Extra fine
📌 For the full breakdown, scroll up to the grind guide 👆
Honestly? No.
Each brewing method has its own requirements — an all-purpose grind often leads to average coffee. If you really want to enjoy your brew, match the grind to your method.
Whole beans. Always.
Why? Because ground coffee starts losing its aromas just minutes after being exposed to air. If you want flavour, freshness, and complexity, nothing beats grinding right before you brew.
But hey, we get it — not everyone has a grinder at home 😉. So if you go for pre-ground coffee: choose the grind that fits your brewing method, keep it well sealed… and drink it fast.
📦 That’s also why we only offer it in 250 g bags — to keep it as fresh as possible.
📌 Whole beans remain the best option to unlock the full aromatic potential of your coffee.
About 2 weeks if stored properly.
Keep it away from light, air, and moisture. But honestly? The best option is still to grind it just before brewing.
Yes. On chronic.ch, you can choose from three grind types when ordering:
- Ground – French Press
- Ground – Moka (Stovetop)
- Ground – Espresso
And of course, all our coffees are also available as whole beans.
👉 For other brew methods (V60, Chemex, Siphon, Aeropress…), we recommend buying whole beans and grinding them fresh. These more technical extractions deserve a grind that’s fresh and dialled in by hand.
Brewing a V60 with pre-ground coffee? Honestly, it just doesn’t make much sense.
📝 Important note:
This guide gives you a solid foundation — but every coffee is unique. Feel free to experiment and adjust based on your personal preferences. Taste is always the best judge!
