How to grind coffee at home for a perfect cup

Brewing coffee at home is an intimate and personal experience. Every step in the process is personalized to our exact preferences. From choosing the perfect beans to the precise brewing time, we take careful consideration in our coffee ritual. But the one step that is often carelessly considered is the grinding process.  With any cup of coffee, how you grind your beans is the most important step of preparing the properly extracted coffee.

When grinding coffee, it’s important to achieve the most evenly ground coffee to extract the most flavour during brewing. Consider how we prepare food. When roasting something in the oven, the bigger chunks always take longer to cook through, leaving the smaller pieces to become dry and overdone. The same can be said about brewing coffee. While some grounds will brew to perfection, others may not. The impact of unevenly ground coffee results in a less-flavourful cup.

Which Coffee Grinder Should I Choose?

Handheld Burr Grinder

There are a lot of varieties of manual grinders out there that deliver great results. But the Porlex Coffee Grinder is a timeless classic. Its ceramic burrs deliver consistently ground fresh coffee. Simple to use, this grinder is an essential part of any home or travel set-up. And the conical burrs can be adjusted to change the grind size, making it suitable for nearly any brew method.

Electric Burr Grinders

If you are looking to perfect your home brewing process, then selecting the right burr grinder can feel like a daunting task. There are a number of high-quality machines with countless ways for you to customize your grind. Our at-home grinder of choice is the Baratza Encore (it just rolls off your tongue). Although it’s classed as an entry-level grinder, it’s a full-featured machine. It gives you complete control over your ground coffee with exacting precision. What gets us the most excited, is how easily you can transition between grinding beans for your morning espresso and a delicate pour-over. 

One Last Consideration

In order to derive that perfect cup of coffee, you must ensure that the chemistry of the beans is not altered during the grinding process. This is common when using a blade grinder. This type of grinder works by slicing the beans, causing friction and static electricity which can reshape the flavour profile of the coffee. 

Carefully considering how you grind your coffee is a vital step in delivering an even and flavourful cup each and every time. Whether you go the electric or manual route, a burr grinder will give your ritual the boost that you didn’t know it was missing.