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The Ultimate Coffee Grind Size Chart

Having a good coffee in a cup requires several steps. And one of the most important is to have the...

Grind Guide

Having a good coffee in a cup requires several steps (see our 5 golden rules). And one of the most important is to have the right grind for your machine to get the best extraction possible, and therefore the best result in a cup.

At Ma Caféine, we always advise you to buy your coffee beans and grind them as you go along. This way you keep the freshness of the coffee.

Indeed, ground coffee loses its freshness and its aromas in barely a week, while with a well preserved coffee bean you can go up to three weeks.

You can get a grinder for a few hundred dollars (see our grinders), or we can grind your coffee for you.

But how do you know what grind you need for your coffee machine?

Here's a little summary that might help you figure it out, from the finest to the coarsest:

  1. Extra-fine grind: Extra fine powder with a floury texture used for Turkish coffee preparation.

  2. Fine grind: Very fine powder, used for the preparation of espresso coffee in manual espresso machines.

  3. Medium-fine grind: For Italian coffee makers, also called "stovetop". It is a grind halfway between espresso and filter, resembling table salt.

  4. Medium grind: Medium fine grind, used for coffee preparation with a paper filter in a basket. It is also suitable for reusable capsules.

  5. Medium-coarse grind: Used for manual brewing (pour-over) type Chemex.

  6. Coarse grind: Coarse grind resembling sea salt, used for the preparation of coffee in a French press/bodum type coffee maker, but also for percolator type coffee makers.

How do you know if you have the right grind?

One simple way to tell is by the speed of your coffee, which you can observe for espresso machines or manual brewing.
If your coffee flows too slowly or too fast while all other parameters are respected (like the quantity of coffee used), then there is a problem.


In summary, here are some solutions if your coffee

flows too slowly = your grind is too fine, or you have to decrease the quantity of coffee.
flows too quickly = your grind is too coarse, or you need to increase the amount of coffee.
is too bitter = use a coarser grind.
is too acidic = use a finer grind.
is too strong = reduce the amount of coffee
is too mild = increase the amount of coffee

Our coffee grinders

Manuals

Comandante C40 Nitro Blade

Comandante C40, $375

Commandante's C40 Nitro Blade is designed for true coffee lovers and specialty coffee connoisseurs.

All our manual grinders

Automatic

Fellow Ode Brew

Fellow Ode, $420

A powerful and precise home grinder with coffee-making capabilities, Ode Brew Grinder does things differently.

All our automatic grinders

5 comments on The Ultimate Coffee Grind Size Chart
  • Ma Caféine
    Ma CaféineMay 15, 2023

    Dominique, pour une machine DeLonghi, expresso manuelle, il faut une mouture espresso manuelle, numéro 2 dans le guide.

  • gaetane
    gaetaneMay 15, 2023

    Je viens de me procurer un percolateur Lagostina 8 tasses. Je ne sais pas quelle moulure mettre dans le filtre en métal. Combien de temps dois-je laisser bouillir et à quelle intensité de moyen à fort…J`ai jeté à date au-moins 3 cafetières de café non buvable..j`aime un café doux moyen..Merci de m`aider à profiter de ma nouvelle cafetière…

  • Dominique
    Dominique May 15, 2023

    Pour une machine DeLonghi, expresse manuelle
    Quel no de mouture me conseillez-vous?
    Merci

  • Odette Dumas
    Odette DumasAugust 15, 2022

    J’ai acheté chez l’antiqluaire une cafetière en verre pirex des années 50 (stle percolateur?) et je me demandais quelle mouture utiliser. J’imagine une mouture grossière mais je veux m’assurer si c’est bien ça. J’attends donc votre réponse et vous en remercie à l’avance.

  • Nurcan Altuntaş
    Nurcan AltuntaşJanuary 03, 2022

    Merci pour cet article très explicite.

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