Choosing the right grind size

The grind size of your coffee is one of the most critical factors in brewing a great cup. Get it wrong, and even the finest beans will disappoint. Get it right, and you unlock the full potential of your coffee.

Espresso requires a fine grind—almost like powdered sugar. The reason is extraction time. Water passes through an espresso puck in just 25-30 seconds under high pressure. Fine grounds provide enough resistance and surface area for proper extraction in this brief window.

Pour-over and drip coffee use a medium grind, similar to table salt. Water contact time is 2-4 minutes, so you need grounds that allow water to flow through at a steady pace while still extracting the good stuff.

French press needs a coarse grind, like sea salt. Because the grounds steep in water for 4 minutes and are filtered through a metal mesh, finer grounds would over-extract and slip through the filter, creating a muddy, bitter cup.

Cold brew takes the coarsest grind of all. Since extraction happens over 12-24 hours, very coarse grounds prevent over-extraction and make filtering easier. The result is a smooth, sweet concentrate.

Remember: grind fresh whenever possible. Coffee begins losing flavor within minutes of grinding. At Coffeelic, we offer five grind options, but we always recommend whole beans if you have a grinder at home.