How Grind Affects the Taste of Coffee

Not sure what grind you need when ordering fresh coffee beans? Learn more about the different types and how they can impact the taste of your coffee.

If you’re ready to order fresh coffee beans, choose your roast and grind type and order now from Kaldi Gourmet Coffee Roasters. 

Whole Bean

If you’re looking for optimum freshness, we recommend ordering whole beans. This allows you to grind beans as you need them, ensuring fresh coffee. In its whole bean state, coffee will remain fresh for up to four to six weeks. 

Percolator Grind

This is going to be your coarser grind — think sea salt. When you use a percolator or french press, the grinds steep in boiling water. Beans that are too coarse may produce weak coffee, while beans that are too fine can lead to murky and bitter coffee.  

Drip Grind

This grind gives you a medium coarseness similar to sugar. This is because you’re pouring the boiling water over the beans. Remember: the less time the water is in contact with the beans, the finer your grounds should be. 

Fine Grind

A fine grind looks similar to sugar (but more fine than the drip grind) and should be used when the water is in contact with the coffee for a short period of time. For example, this grind is most common for brewing Turkish coffee. 

Espresso Grind

For espresso, it should be difficult to see individual grounds. That’s because the hot water will be in contact with the coffee for a short period of time. This need for fine grounds makes espresso the most sensitive type of coffee. 

Turkish Grind

Turkish coffee is very strong and made using extra fine grinds (smaller than espresso grinds). The consistency will look like flour or powdered sugar. If you like Turkish coffee, you need to make sure you have a grinder that can properly grind extra fine beans. 

Impacts of Grind on Coffee Taste

Different brewing processes require a different type of grind. Using the wrong type of grind can leave you with coffee that tastes over- or under-extracted. 

If your coffee tastes sour, salty or acidic, the grinds were possibly too coarse, leaving you with under-extracted coffee. On the other hand, if your coffee tastes bitter, tasteless or hollow, the grinds were possibly too fine and your coffee is over-extracted. 

A few variables will impact the taste of your coffee beans are brew time, water temperature, and the grind. This is why we recommend ordering whole beans, giving you control over the grind and ensuring you brew the best tasting coffee. Just make sure that you’re getting a consistent and precise grind, something that comes down to having a high-quality grinder. 

Order Fresh Coffee Beans

We hope that this post helped you better understand grind type and how it can affect the taste of your coffee. Make sure you order fresh coffee beans from Kaldi Gourmet Coffee Roasters and let us know which grind is best for you!