When you prepare whole coffee beans to be brewed, you have to grind them. Grinding coffee is an important step in making a delicious cup of coffee, no matter how you prepare it. Different methods of brewing call for different types of grinds.When the grinds are too small or fine, you might over-extract the coffee and get a bitter and harsh taste. If the grinds are too coarse, you will under-extract the coffee and end up with a weak and almost flavourless coffee. Here is a quick guide on figuring out which grind is ideal for your brewing method.
Perco grind - Coarse
Coarse grind, used to prepare coffee with a percolator or in large capacity coffee makers.
Fairly coarse grind, used to prepare coffee with a French press (Bodum).
Filter medium grind
Medium-fine grind, used to prepare coffee with a paper basket filter. Van Houtte® packaging identified as “ground” contains coffee ground according to this grind type.
Filter fine grind
Fine grind, slightly granular texture, used to prepare coffee with a paper cone filter.