So you finally bought whole beans instead of pre-ground. Good call. You got yourself a grinder too. Awesome. But now you're standing there staring at the thing wondering... how fine am I supposed to grind these?
I get it. Grind it wrong and your coffee either tastes like dirty water (too coarse) or like you're chewing on burnt toast (too fine). But nail the grind size and suddenly that $12 bag from Trader Joe's tastes better than the $6 latte you've been buying.
Here's everything you need to know about grind sizes. No BS, just what works.
TL;DR - Just Tell Me What to Use
French Press? Grind it coarse like sea salt. Pour Over or regular drip machine? Go medium, like regular sand. AeroPress? Somewhere between medium and fine. Espresso? Fine like powdered sugar. That's literally it.
The Complete Coffee Grind Size Chart
Coffee grind sizes range from extra coarse to extra fine. Here's what each looks like and when to use it:
Extra Coarse Grind
Looks like: Peppercorns or very chunky sea salt
Texture: Distinct chunks, very rough
Best for: Cold brew coffee
Why: Cold brew steeps for 12-24 hours. Extra coarse grinds prevent over-extraction during this long contact time. Too fine and your cold brew will be bitter and muddy.
Coarse Grind
Looks like: Sea salt or breadcrumbs
Texture: Chunky but smaller than extra coarse
Best for: French press, percolator, cowboy coffee
Why: French press needs coarse grounds or they slip through the mesh filter. Plus you're steeping for 4 minutes, and if the grind is too fine you'll over-extract and get bitter coffee. This is the one beginners mess up most—everyone buys pre-ground coffee (which is medium) and wonders why their French press tastes like burnt tires.
Medium-Coarse Grind
Looks like: Coarse sand or rough kosher salt
Texture: Gritty but not as chunky
Best for: Chemex, Café Solo brewer, clever dripper
Why: These pour-over methods use thicker filters and longer brew times (3-4 minutes). Medium-coarse allows proper extraction without clogging the filter.
Medium Grind
Looks like: Regular sand
Texture: Gritty like sand at the beach
Best for: Drip coffee makers, pour over (V60, Kalita Wave), siphon brewers, AeroPress (longer steep)
Why: This is the default. Most pre-ground coffee you buy at the store is medium grind. It works for the most brewing methods. If you have no idea what to do, start here and adjust from there.
Medium-Fine Grind
Looks like: Fine sand or table salt
Texture: Smoother than medium, starts to feel powdery
Best for: Pour over (with paper filters), AeroPress (short steep), stovetop espresso (Moka pot)
Why: These methods need faster extraction in 2-3 minutes. Medium-fine increases surface area for quicker flavor extraction without over-doing it.
Fine Grind
Looks like: Powdered sugar or flour
Texture: Powdery, feels smooth between fingers
Best for: Espresso machines
Why: Espresso pushes hot water through grounds under pressure for like 25-30 seconds. That's it. Fine grind creates enough resistance so the water actually extracts flavor in that tiny window. If it's too coarse, you just get weak brown water.
Extra Fine Grind
Looks like: Flour or cocoa powder
Texture: Extremely powdery, almost silky
Best for: Turkish coffee
Why: Turkish coffee boils the grounds directly in water and the powder settles at the bottom of your cup. Needs to be this fine to work. Most home grinders can't even do this—you need a Turkish grinder or a really good burr grinder.
Why Any of This Actually Matters
Think about a tea bag. When it's whole, the tea releases flavor slowly. When you tear it open and the leaves spread out, flavor comes out way faster. Coffee works the same way.
The finer you grind coffee, the more surface area gets exposed to water. More surface area means faster extraction. That's it. That's the whole science.
Too coarse? You get weak, sour coffee that tastes watery.
Too fine? You get bitter, harsh coffee that makes you wince.
Just right? You get coffee that actually tastes good.
Different brewing methods give water different amounts of time with the grounds. Match your grind to your brew time and you're golden.
Grind Size by Brewing Method (Complete List)
| Brewing Method | Grind Size | Brew Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Brew | Extra Coarse | 12-24 hours |
| French Press | Coarse | 4 minutes |
| Percolator | Coarse | 5-10 minutes |
| Chemex | Medium-Coarse | 3-4 minutes |
| Clever Dripper | Medium-Coarse | 3-4 minutes |
| Drip Coffee Maker | Medium | 4-6 minutes |
| Pour Over (V60) | Medium | 2-3 minutes |
| Kalita Wave | Medium | 2-3 minutes |
| Siphon | Medium | 2-3 minutes |
| AeroPress | Medium to Medium-Fine | 1-2 minutes |
| Moka Pot | Medium-Fine | 4-5 minutes |
| Espresso Machine | Fine | 25-30 seconds |
| Turkish Coffee | Extra Fine | 2-4 minutes |
Common Grind Size Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Mistake #1: Buying Pre-Ground for French Press
Store-bought ground coffee is almost always medium grind because most people use drip machines. If you dump that into a French press, you're gonna have a bad time. It'll taste bitter, you'll get grounds in your teeth, and you'll wonder why everyone loves French press so much.
The fix: Get whole beans and grind them coarse yourself. Or at least find coffee specifically labeled for French press. Even better, grab a cheap grinder for like $18 and do it right.
Mistake #2: Same Grind for Everything
You can't just grind everything the same and hope for the best. French press needs coarse, pour over needs medium. They're different brewing methods with different timing. Use the wrong grind and it'll taste off.
The fix: Takes two seconds to adjust your grinder. Most have settings or at least markings that tell you what to use for what.
Mistake #3: Never Adjusting When It Tastes Bad
Coffee tastes sour and weak? Too coarse. Tastes bitter and harsh? Too fine. But most people just drink it anyway and think "guess these beans suck" instead of just... turning the dial.
The fix: If your coffee tastes bad, mess with the grind before you blame anything else. Move it one notch finer or coarser and see what happens. You'll be shocked how much difference one click makes.
Mistake #4: Grinding a Week's Worth at Once
Ground coffee starts going stale in like 15 minutes. Seriously. If you grind a whole bag on Sunday, by Wednesday it's already past its prime. You're basically throwing away the whole point of grinding fresh.
The fix: Only grind what you need right then. It takes 10 seconds. Your coffee will taste noticeably better and you're already awake enough to press a button.
Mistake #5: Trying to Make Espresso with a Blade Grinder
Blade grinders are great for most stuff but they chop beans unevenly. For French press or drip? Whatever, doesn't matter. For espresso? You need precision or it's gonna taste like garbage.
The fix: Espresso needs a burr grinder, which runs around $100 minimum. If you're serious about espresso, save up. If you're just making regular coffee, blade grinders work fine.
How to Figure Out If You're Doing It Right
Don't overthink this. Here's what you do:
- Make coffee with whatever grind setting you're using now
- Taste it
- Weak and sour? Go finer
- Bitter and gross? Go coarser
- Actually tastes good? You nailed it, write that setting down
- Change the setting by one notch
- Make another cup and see if it's better or worse
The "correct" grind size might be slightly different for you than what's in this guide because water temp, how long you brew, and the beans themselves all play a role. Go with what tastes good to you, not what some chart says.
💡 Real talk: Write down your settings. I keep a note on my phone. Chemex = 18, French press = 28. Saves me from guessing every morning.
Do You Actually Need an Expensive Grinder?
Nope. Unless you're making espresso, a basic $18 blade grinder works totally fine.
Yeah, burr grinders that cost $100-400 are "better" because they're more consistent. But the difference between pre-ground and fresh-ground is HUGE. The difference between a blade grinder and a burr grinder? Honestly pretty small unless you're really into this stuff.
What I Tell Everyone to Buy:
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder - $18
This thing is great for French press, drip, pour over, basically everything except espresso. The chamber comes out so you can clean it in two seconds. Over 12,000 people gave it five stars, and I've recommended it to probably 50 people at this point.
Can't do true espresso grinds but honestly neither can most grinders under $100, so unless you're dropping serious money don't worry about it.
Check Current PriceIf you want more details on whether buying a grinder is even worth it, I wrote a whole thing about it here: Is a Coffee Grinder Worth It?
Quick FAQ
What grind size for Mr. Coffee drip machine?
Medium grind, same as sand. That's what all drip machines use. If you buy pre-ground coffee from the store and it just says "ground coffee," it's already medium so you're good to go.
Can I use fine grind in a French press?
I mean you CAN but it's gonna suck. You'll get grounds in your teeth, it'll taste bitter, and you'll be drinking mud. Fine grinds slip right through the mesh and over-extract while they're sitting there for 4 minutes. Just use coarse.
What if I don't have a grinder with settings?
Blade grinders don't have settings, you just control it by how long you grind. For coarse, do like 8-10 quick pulses. For medium, 10-12 pulses. For fine, 15+ pulses. Check it between pulses and stop when it looks about right.
Does grind size affect caffeine content?
Not really. Finer grinds might extract caffeine a bit faster but when you use the right grind for your brewing method, the total caffeine is basically the same. What actually matters is how much coffee you use vs how much water.
Can I grind coffee beans in a blender?
Yeah if you have to, use short pulses like you would with a blade grinder. But blenders create super uneven grounds and can overheat the beans which makes them taste burnt. If you're doing this more than once in a blue moon, just get an $18 grinder. See: Is a Coffee Grinder Worth It?
How do I know if my grind is too fine or too coarse?
Just taste it. Too coarse = weak, watery, sour coffee. Too fine = bitter, harsh coffee that makes you make a face. Perfect grind = tastes balanced and kind of sweet in a good way.
Look, Here's the Deal
Grind size isn't rocket science. Long brew time = coarse grind. Short brew time = fine grind. Everything else is somewhere in the middle.
The biggest upgrade you can make is switching from pre-ground to fresh-ground beans. The second biggest is actually using the right grind size instead of just winging it.
Use this chart, make some coffee, adjust if it tastes off. Within a week you'll have your settings dialed in and your coffee will taste better than the stuff you've been paying $5 for.
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