Back to the Grind... get it?



Back to work today, and let's talk about grind. You need to throw away your shitty Krupps grinder. Blade grinders give you lots of huge pieces and lots of dust, and not much else. Brew that up and you under-extract the big chunks and over-extract the dirt. The outcome of this poor system is no less than a dreadful brew, both weak and bitter, with no body or crispness. And for espresso? Fucking forget it. You'll never get a fine enough grind with a blade grinder. You're better off with a $300 grinder and $300 espresso machine than a $100 grinder and a $1000 machine. The wrong grind is the death of your cup. Set your grind so that your shots pull 2 to 2.5 ounces of espresso in 28-30 seconds. Your drip (set right up the middle for auto drip and as coarse as possible for french press) should brew, regardless of portion, in 4 minutes. One ACM (accepted coffee measure, a rounded tablespoon) of ground coffee per 8 ounces of water, or a flat tablespoon for 6 ounces.

Go out and buy a burr grinder, you won't be sorry.
- posted by Mason @ 10:56 PM