Coffee beans · Grind size
Coffee grind size guide: espresso, filter and plunger
Short answer: the shorter the contact between water and coffee, the finer the grind. Espresso is fine like table salt or finer; stovetop is fine-to-medium; Aeropress medium-fine; pour-over and filter machines medium like sand; plunger coarse like breadcrumbs; cold brew coarser still. If the coffee is sour and thin, grind finer. If it is bitter and harsh, grind coarser. Automatic machines set the grind for you and only need a notch either way.
- Grind size controls how fast water extracts flavour. Finer means more surface, faster extraction, slower flow; coarser means the opposite.
- Sour, thin, fast = under-extracted = grind finer. Bitter, harsh, slow = over-extracted = grind coarser.
- Burr grinders grind evenly; blade grinders chop randomly and make every method worse.
- On an automatic, adjust only while the grinder is running, one notch at a time, and wait two or three cups to judge.
Grind size by brewing method
| Brewer | Grind | Feels like | Contact time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso machine (Breville, Rancilio) | Fine | Table salt, slightly finer | 25–32 seconds |
| Automatic (Jura, DeLonghi) | Fine to medium-fine – set by the machine | Machine handles it | Short, pulsed or continuous shot |
| Stovetop / moka pot | Fine-medium | Between table salt and sand | 1–3 minutes |
| Aeropress | Medium-fine | Slightly finer than sand | 1–2 minutes |
| Pour-over (V60, Chemex) | Medium | Sand | 2.5–4 minutes |
| Filter / drip machine | Medium | Sand | 4–6 minutes |
| Plunger / French press | Coarse | Breadcrumbs | 4 minutes |
| Cold brew | Extra coarse | Cracked pepper | 12–18 hours |
Why grind size matters
Water pulls flavour out of coffee in a fixed order: acids first, then sugars and body, then bitter compounds. Grind size and contact time together decide how far along that sequence you get. Too coarse for the brewer and water rushes through the acids and leaves before the sweetness – sour, thin, weak. Too fine and it keeps extracting into the bitter compounds – harsh, astringent, drying. Every brewer above is a different pairing of grind and time that lands in the sweet middle.
How to adjust
- Change one thing. Grind size, not grind size and dose and water.
- Move one step at a time. On an espresso machine one or two grinder settings; on an automatic one notch; on a hand grinder a couple of clicks.
- Brew, taste, decide. Sour or thin: finer. Bitter or harsh: coarser. Both at once usually means stale beans.
- On espresso, time the shot: too fast means finer, too slow means coarser, with 25–32 seconds for a double as the target.
- Expect to nudge finer as a bag ages – older beans have less gas and flow faster.
Grinding on automatic machines
Jura, DeLonghi and similar machines grind per cup and are set at the factory near the right point. Adjust only while the grinder is running – turning the dial on a stopped grinder can damage the mechanism – and move one notch at a time. Finer makes the coffee stronger and slower; if the machine strains or drips, go back a notch. Change beans and the right setting moves slightly, so give it two or three cups. The beans themselves matter more than the setting: dry medium roasts grind evenly, oily ones clump – best coffee beans for Jura machines.
Grinding on a Breville
The Barista Express and Pro have a numbered grind dial and a dose adjustment. Start mid-range, dose about 18g into the double basket, and aim for 36g out in 25–32 seconds. Fast means finer; slow means coarser. Change one or two numbers at a time. The single-wall baskets show the truth; the pressurised ones hide it – best coffee beans for Breville machines.
No grinder? Buy it ground for the brewer
Ground coffee is fixed at whatever grind it was bought at, so buy it ground to order for the method you use. Our store grinds at checkout for espresso, stovetop, filter or plunger – choose the brewer and it arrives right. Buy 250g at a time and use it within a fortnight; ground coffee stales fast – whole bean vs ground coffee.
Burr vs blade
A burr grinder crushes beans between two surfaces to a set size and produces even grounds; a blade grinder chops them randomly into dust and boulders at the same time, which extract at different rates and taste muddy. A modest burr grinder beats an expensive blade grinder for every method. Built-in grinders on automatics and on the Barista Express and Pro are burr grinders.
Ground to order for your brewer, or whole bean
Melbourne-roasted beans, ground at checkout for espresso, stovetop, filter or plunger if you need it. Free shipping on orders over $60.
Frequently asked questions
What grind size for espresso?
Fine – like table salt or slightly finer – so a double shot of about 18g runs 36g out in 25–32 seconds.
What grind size for a plunger?
Coarse, like breadcrumbs, steeped for about four minutes. Finer grinds slip through the mesh and turn bitter.
Why does my coffee taste sour?
Under-extraction: the grind is too coarse for the brewer, or the beans are stale. Grind finer; if that does not fix it, the beans are old.
Why does my coffee taste bitter?
Over-extraction: the grind is too fine or the brew too long. Grind coarser or shorten the brew. Dark, oily roasts taste bitter at any grind.
How do I change the grind on a Jura or DeLonghi?
Turn the grinder dial one notch while the grinder is running. Finer for stronger, slower coffee; coarser if the machine strains. Judge after two or three cups.