Which grinds should be used for optimal flow?
Which grinds should be used for optimal flow?
Taking the time to choose your coffee is good. Choosing the right machine is better. But both are not enough to "make a successful coffee". To have a good coffee, you also need to choose the grind you're going to use.
Why is the grind so important?
Simply because before brewing your coffee, you have to grind it first. The taste of your beverage will mainly depend on the size of the powder obtained.
- If it is too big, and the water runs out quickly, you will get a tasteless drink, the famous "sock juice".
- If it's too thin, and the water flows slowly, you'll get a coffee that's too strong.
To be completely satisfied, you must choose the right size and the right flow. There is no one grind that is suitable for all machines and all types of coffee. On the market, you can choose between several types of grind. And each of them, used in the right machine and the right coffee, will give you "your ideal coffee".
Which grind for which machine?
As you will have understood, for an optimal flow, you must choose the right grind for each machine. There are, in general, 5 types of grinding: coarse, thick, medium, fine and extra-fine.
Coarse grinding
The coarse grind, as the name suggests, is the largest. It is the size of a large grain of salt, but the seeds do not necessarily have the same size either. Some are therefore larger than others.
To obtain the expected flavour and taste, it is necessary to let it infuse a little longer. You should therefore use slow-flow machines, i.e. between 4 and 5 minutes. This is the case, for example, with Slow Coffee piston coffee makers and Slow Coffee decanters.
LA Thick Grind
The thick grind is also large, but the seeds are all the same size. Requiring a slow flow, allowing an optimal infusion, it is also suitable for machines with an infusion time of more than 4 minutes. It should therefore be used with plunger coffee makers.
The average grind
The medium grind offers a "happy medium" calibre. It is not very coarse, but it is not very fine either. To release its flavour, it therefore requires a machine that also offers a "medium" flow, i.e. not too slow, but not too fast either.
This type of gauge is ideal for use with electric or filter coffee makers and Italian coffee makers. The latter offer a brewing time of between 3 and 5 minutes, which is more than enough time for the water to soak up the coffee's aromas.
THE fine grinding
The fine grinding has the texture and size of fine salt. It is visibly fine, but when you touch it, you can still feel the presence of granules. But because of its texture, it mixes easily with water. To avoid having a coffee that is too strong as a result, it should be used with a fast flow machine.
This type of grind is therefore ideal for manual espresso machines. That's why it is called "espresso grind" because these machines have a brewing time of less than a minute.
THE extra fine grind
The extra fine grind is, as the name suggests, the finest of all. It has a powdery appearance and is not at all grainy to the touch. Because it adheres very quickly to water and may slow down the flow, it must be used with rapid extraction machines.
You can use it with a manual espresso machine, but for best results, choose oriental coffeemakers instead.
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