Coffee grind size chart

The chart

Sizes are approximate. Every grinder is different, so use these as a starting point and adjust by taste. Our recipes start here:

• Extra fine: about 100 to 300 microns, like flour. For Turkish coffee.
• Fine: about 200 to 400 microns, like fine table salt. For Espresso.
• Medium-fine: about 400 to 600 microns, like table salt. For V60, AeroPress, Moka pot, Iced pour-over.
• Medium: about 600 to 800 microns, like sand. For Kalita Wave, Melitta, Clever.
• Medium-coarse: about 800 to 1000 microns, like coarse sand. For Chemex.
• Coarse: about 1000 to 1200 microns, like sea salt. For French press.
• Extra coarse: about 1200 to 1500 microns, like cracked pepper. For Cold brew.

Why the grind matters

Smaller pieces have more surface for the water to work on, so they give up their flavour faster. They also pack tighter and slow the water down. A short brew needs a fine grind to extract enough in time; a long steep needs a coarse one so it doesn’t go too far.

Dialling in

Start in the right band, brew, and taste. Sour or thin: one step finer. Bitter or dry: one step coarser. For drippers, the brew time is a clue too: if it drains much slower than the recipe says, go coarser; much faster, finer. Write down the setting that works for each coffee.

Burr or blade?

A burr grinder crushes the beans between two rings to an even size. A blade grinder chops them into a mix of dust and chunks, so some brews too much and some too little. If you buy one piece of kit, make it a burr grinder.

Sources

• Coffee preparation (Wikipedia)
• Extract more better (Barista Hustle)
• The most important thing about brewing coffee (Barista Hustle)