Grinding

Legend has it that it was a monk who centuries ago discovered that if you roasted green coffee beans and steeped them in hot water, you could obtain a delicious and lively drink. However, history fails to mention who made a very important discovery; that if you ground the coffee into smaller pieces you could obtain a lot more flavor from the beans...

The simple fact is that the finer the grind, the easier it is for the water to extract the flavor, and the more flavor you will get from a given amount of coffee. So it would seem as though we should grind all our coffee as fine as possible, however two other factors come into play...the brewing method and the clarity we personally desire in the cup.

As far as clarity is concerned, the finer we grind our coffee, the greater the chance of having small coffee particles (grounds) find their way into your cup. This bothers some of us more than others--but a lot of sediment in the last sip of coffee can make for an unpleasant end to what was a beautiful cup of coffee.

This leads us to the brewing method. Basically, you should grind your coffee as finely as your brewing method will allow. You don't want to slow down the brewing process with a grind too fine for your machine or some unwanted flavor characteristics would begin to be extracted.

	For the best flavor and value you'll grind your own!
	Automatic Drip and other coffee makers requiring a paper filter.
	Coffee makers requiring the use of a gold or metal filter,and for Plunger or Press Pots.
	Percolator-type coffee makers
	Steam-type Espresso machines
	Pump-type Espresso machines

More

History of Java
Understanding the Bean
Coffee Regions
Roasting: The Art
Grinding
When To Grind?
Brewing: Twelve Tips for Brewing A Perfect Cup of Coffee!
Storing Your Coffee
Decaf De-Mythed