How Fine Should You Grind Your Coffee?

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You know that moment when the kettle clicks off and the kitchen goes quiet for a second? That’s the split second when your coffee is either going to be magic or a write-off. Most of the time, it’s not the beans or the machine that decides – it’s how fine you’ve ground the coffee.

If you’ve already nailed the basic coffee-to-water ratios from our first guide, this is the next big step. Grind is where your coffee finally starts to taste like something you’d happily serve to someone else.

Why grind size matters so much

When hot water hits coffee, it pulls out flavour in stages:

first: brightness, acidity, lighter flavours
later: sweetness, body
last: bitterness and dry, harsh notes

Grind too coarse and the water rushes through without enough contact time. The result: coffee that tastes thin, sour, “empty”.

Grind too fine and the water struggles to move. You get over-extracted coffee: bitter, harsh, “muddy”.

Same beans, same machine, same water – completely different cup just because of grind. That’s why it’s worth spending ten minutes to understand it instead of throwing money at new beans every time something tastes off.

One golden rule

You don’t need to memorise charts.

Just remember this:

Finer grind = more extraction.

Coarser grind = less extraction.

If your coffee is sour, sharp, empty → grind a bit finer.
If your coffee is bitter, heavy, dry → grind a bit coarser.

That’s 80% of troubleshooting done.

How fine should you grind for each method?

Think in textures you know from the kitchen. It’s much easier than staring at grinder numbers.

Espresso (home espresso machine)

Espresso grind should feel like powdered sugar or fine flour.

It clumps slightly when you pinch it.
If you rub it between your fingers, it feels soft and silky, not gritty.

Too coarse and your espresso runs like water and tastes sour.

Too fine and it drips slowly, tastes harsh and “burnt”.

If you’re pulling a shot in about 25–30 seconds and it tastes balanced, you’re in the right ballpark.

Pour-over (V60, Chemex, Kalita, drip cones)

Pour-over likes something between sea salt and fine sand.

You can see the grains clearly.
It doesn’t turn into powder, but it’s nowhere near French press chunks.

A good starting point:

Brew time around 2:30–3:30 from first pour to last drip.

If the water flies through in under 2 minutes and the coffee is sharp → grind finer.
If it takes 4+ minutes and tastes heavy or bitter → grind coarser.

French press / cafetière

Here you want coarse, chunky grounds – think cracked pepper or coarse breadcrumbs.

You should see clear, uneven pieces of bean.
If it looks like sand, it’s too fine.

With French press, you usually brew for about 4 minutes before pressing the plunger down.

If it’s thin and watery → slightly finer.
If it’s sludgy and bitter → coarser, and don’t stir too aggressively.

Pod machines and automatic filter machines

You have less control here. With pods, the grind is fixed by the manufacturer. With pre-ground coffee for filter machines, you usually get a medium grind – somewhere between pour-over and French press.

But you still have two things you can adjust:

Dose – a little more or less coffee.
Ratio – how much water you run through the machine.

If your pod coffee tastes weak, run a shorter drink instead of a huge mug. Less water, more flavour.

What if it still tastes wrong? Quick fixes

You don’t need to throw the beans out. Change one thing at a time.

If your coffee is sour, sharp, or tastes like lemon water:

Grind a little finer.
Keep the same ratio and brew time, just tighten the grind one small step.

If your coffee is bitter, harsh, or makes your mouth dry:

Grind a little coarser.
For French press, you can also shorten the brew time by 30–45 seconds.

If it’s just… boring:

Check your ratio again. Sometimes you’re simply using too little coffee.
Try a slightly finer grind and a touch more coffee – small changes, not a full reset.

Do you really need an expensive grinder?

A good grinder helps, but you don’t have to start with a £500 machine.

If you’re using a blade grinder, pulse in short bursts and shake it between pulses to avoid turning half the coffee into dust. Aim for something roughly even, not perfection.
If you can stretch to a basic hand grinder with burrs, that’s the biggest upgrade you can make for home coffee. Even a simple one can transform how your beans behave.

Think of it like knives in the kitchen: one sharp, reliable knife is better than a full block of blunt ones.

Bringing it all together

Getting grind size right isn’t about becoming a coffee nerd. It’s about not wasting good beans – and not starting your morning with a bad cup just because “that’s how it came out”.

Espresso → powdered sugar.
Pour-over → sea salt / sand.
French press → cracked pepper / breadcrumbs.

Start there, taste, adjust a little finer or coarser next time. After a week or two you’ll stop guessing and just know what your grinder should be set to.

Let the blends carry you through the busy weekdays. Let single origins shine when you have time to play with grind and notice what’s actually in the cup.

That’s your quiet little coffee ritual – and now you’re in control of it, not the other way round.