How To Grind Coffee Beans Without Grinder? Best Instruction
How to grind coffee beans? Do you want to make coffee grounds with your own favorite size and texture? This article will help you to know more detail about each kind of coffee bean size and give you an instruction to grind coffee. Let’s go with Centralparkwestcafe!
The Importance Of Coffee Grind Size
Whatever technique you choose to make coffee, the process always entails drawing flavor (and caffeine) from the coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds have a greater exposed surface area when they are ground finer, which leads to quicker extraction.
Because the water from an espresso maker passes through the grounds so fast and under such high pressure, coffee for espresso machines is often ground quite finely.
On the other hand, coarse-ground coffee is used to make cold brew since the cold-extraction process enables the coffee to linger with the water for a lot longer than espresso does (30 seconds versus many hours).
The Advantages Of Newly Grind Coffee
Why grind your coffee beans at home when pre-ground coffee is easily accessible? The main justification is that whole beans last longer than ground coffee.
Roasted whole beans may be stored for about two weeks at room temperature because they contain carbon dioxide, which inhibits oxidation and staling. As more of the bean’s surface area is exposed to air after grinding, the taste of the grinds degrades.
It’s preferable to buy ground coffee in very tiny quantities because its shelf life is only a few days.
Different Kinds Of Coffee Grinds
Understanding the varied sizes, textures, and brewing techniques available can help you learn how to grind coffee beans like a master. Knowing the importance of properly grinding coffee beans, you may test some of the most popular brands and sizes of grinds at home.
- Extra-coarse (Whole bean coffee) is not a specific kind of grind, yet understanding the concept is important. The best option for freshly brewed coffee made at home is the whole bean, which is coffee that has not been processed.
- Coarse (Coarse perk grind) is a coarse grind that works best with immersion brewing techniques, which allow for a lot of water contact with the coffee throughout the brewing process. A coarse perk grind must have the same appearance as the sand of Poipu Beach, which is gritty and granular. similar to the crystals of sea salt
- Medium (Auto drip grind) is the most prevalent size and medium grind that you may get at the grocery or on the shelves at your local coffee shop. The finest home brewers for automated drip or medium grinds are those. Auto drip grinds ought to resemble flaky sea salt or fine beach sand in size and texture.
- Medium fine (Cone fine grind) is a medium-fine grind that should be somewhat more refined than a medium grind and resemble traditional table salt. It is intended for cone-filtered brewers.
- Fine (Espresso grind) for use in pressure extraction brewing techniques, is a fine grind. Espresso coffee should resemble granulated sugar in terms of size and texture.
- Superfine (Turkish grind) is ground to a very fine, powdery consistency and is used to make Turkish coffee. The texture ought to mirror that of all-purpose flour or cocoa powder for baking.
Grind Size Chart For Coffee
If you own a coffee grinder, you may try various grinds to see which suits you the best. Start by matching this chart’s normal grind to the sort of brewing you do.
Type | Size (mm) | Similar to | Ideal for |
Extra-coarse | 1.5 | Rock salt | Cold brew |
Coarse | 1 | Coarse sea salt | French press, percolators |
Medium | 0.75 | Beach sand | Drip coffee maker, Chemex |
Medium fine | 0.5 | Table salt | Aeropress, Moka pot |
Fine | 0.3 | Fine granulated sugar | Espresso |
Superfine | 0.1 | Flour | Turkish coffee |
Grind Size Char
You can be over-grinding your coffee beans if it feels acidic and watery. See if the problem is resolved by grinding it more finely. You could be grinding your coffee too fine if it tastes extremely bitter. Your beer could taste better with a coarser grind. (Temperature and brew duration will also have an impact on taste).
How To Grind Coffee Beans
There are primarily three categories of coffee grinders. Dosing grinders prepare the coffee so that it is ready to use and distribute it with the pull of a handle. Non-dosing grinders deliver directly into a brewing container. Manual coffee grinders make you use your strength to grind coffee. No matter which one you choose, you’ll always begin by stuffing the hopper full of coffee beans.
Dosing Grinder
If you’re using a dosing grinder, everything that you have to do is adjust the fineness and pull the handle after powering it on and loading the hopper. Depending on how much coffee you’re making, it can take three or more draws. Make sure you don’t miss the additional coffee that has spilled over the sides. To push the final one through, you’ll probably need to make an additional tug.
Doserless Grinder
Doserless grinders grind directly into a vessel or portafilter, and some models have built-in filtration. For the number of cups you’re brewing, it’s crucial to measure the proper amount of coffee. Once this has been decided, take these easy steps:
- Add a bit extra coffee to the hopper than what you will need to brew the amount.
- Change the setting for fineness and coarseness.
- Instead of grinding the coffee beans continuously, pulse them quickly and briefly.
- Make another pot of coffee after the appropriate consistency has been achieved.
It’s important to keep in mind how much heat ruins coffee. This is why it’s so important to cook your beans in brief, intense bursts to prevent the taste from being lost to excessive heat. You’ll always get great-tasting coffee if you follow this guideline.
Manual Coffee Grinder
A lot of coffee sommeliers appreciate the consistent texture and unbroken grinds that a well-run manual coffee grinder produces. Grind a few beans to become accustomed to the grind level settings if this is your first time using the grinder.
- The locking mechanism above the grinder should be first disassembled and then loosened.
- Take away the stopper and handle.
- Adjust the mechanism to determine the grind level.
- Put the specified number of coffee beans in the hopper.
- Start grinding gently while maintaining a tight grip on the grinder’s body.
- Remove the grinding unit’s screws, then make your coffee with freshly ground beans.
It takes time to learn and master the skill of ground coffee to the ideal texture for your palate. It won’t take long for grinding anything to the ideal fineness to come naturally.
Home-based Equipment For Grinding Beans
It’s time to talk about the many grinders you may buy for your house. There are four primary grinder kinds to consider and contrast.
- Conical burr grinders are the kind of grinders you could get in your neighborhood cafe. The most precise grind sizes and textures may be obtained from them because of their conical form and various speed settings.
- Blade grinders are the most popular kind of home coffee grinders that you might discover at a nearby kitchen supply store. They have a few speed options and a straightforward blade at the bottom of the tank. Because they have few speed options and only have one blade, blade grinders work best for coarse to medium grinds.
- Burr grinders are the most popular home grinders among many coffee enthusiasts. Their multiple-blade design provides additional crushing surfaces, resulting in a more equal and reliable grind.
- Hand grinders are excellent for preparing gourmet coffee on the move or ensuring that you can prepare your daily cup of coffee when the power goes out. Prior to the development and accessibility of blade grinders, hand grinders were the most popular at-home bean blitzing equipment.
How To Grind Coffee Beans Without Grinder?
There are various methods to test your technique and flavor using equipment you already own when you’re ready to experiment with coffee grinders but aren’t quite ready to make the investment in a home grinder.
- Use a blender to try at home with both coarse and medium grinds. You should get decent results with the simple blades and low-speed settings.
- Use a food processor can give beans the texture you want by pulsing them. Blitzing just half a cup of whole beans at a time can produce more reliable results.
- Use a mortar and pestle to get an even medium-fine to fine-grind. You’ll need to put in a little time and effort, but the results ought to be good.
- You can chop, crush, and grind food using a variety of various culinary instruments, including rolling pins, meat tenderizers, and kitchen knives. Play around and experiment!
How Long To Grind Coffee Beans?
An electric grinder can often grind coffee beans in less than 30 seconds. However, a combination of grind size and consistent grounds, rather than time, is the key to finely ground coffee. To attain the proper size and uniformity, different grinding techniques will need to be used for varying amounts of time. Longer grinding times are associated with finer grinds and higher amounts.
Blade grinders have a high rate of production. For a French press or automated drip coffee maker, you may get a medium coarse/medium grind in as little as 14–21 seconds. It’s vital to remember that prolonged grinding durations can easily cause the coffee beans to overheat and lose valuable taste.
Tips For Grinding Coffee Beans Correctly
Consider these suggestions before starting to grind your own whole-bean coffee:
- Pulse your grinder to ground your beans if it has that feature. Short bursts provide a uniform, constant grind that will more accurately extract the coffee taste.
- Avoid over-grinding the coffee as this might result in an overwhelming and acidic taste.
- With your coffee maker, experiment with various grinds and brew periods to determine what works best. Use a finer grind or shorten the brewing time if your coffee was over-extracted and your brew is overly bitter. Try using a finer grind or a little longer brew time if your brew is sour because it was under-extracted.
- Even though your grinder machine has the ideal grind setting, various coffee beans may need different preparation methods. To get the ideal temperature and timing, you might need to “experiment” with each coffee bean and roast you use.
- To keep whole beans fresh, store them in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK to grind coffee beans the night before?
Yes, coffee beans can be ground the night before, but because of increased oxidation, they will be staler. As a general rule, grind your beans just before brewing to prevent taste degradation and guarantee the maximum flavor quality.
What is the best setting for grinding coffee?
Since a French press and a cold brew machine require larger grounds for a longer steeping procedure, coarse (often the higher settings) is preferable for these devices. Your typical hot cup of drip coffee tastes best with medium-sized grinds. Having a medium setting that is rated Excellent, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro BCG820 features one.
How many coffee beans do I grind for a cup of coffee?
A 6-ounce cup of coffee requires 0.38 ounces, or 10.6 grams, of ground coffee beans. This is roughly equivalent to two tablespoons of coffee grounds. In order to measure these weights properly, use a digital kitchen scale. Place a tiny glass dish, cup, or piece of plastic on the scale.
What happens if you grind coffee too fine?
Too-fine grinds might collect and pack together in the espresso maker’s basket, blocking an otherwise uniform mesh and impeding the flow of water. So some cups turn out bitter, while others turn out sour; some taste robust, while others taste faint.
Wrap Up
There may come a moment when you have whole coffee beans but no coffee grinder, whether you own one or not. Despite this, you do not have any choices. Many common kitchen equipment, as well as some uncommon ones, may be used to grind coffee beans.
Centralparkwestcafe hopes that through this post, you can grind coffee beans in your own way.

Johnathan Hicks has a background in coffee roasting and brewing. His early years are connected to coffee.Additionally, his family owns a coffee shop. His mission is to dedicate himself to coffee due to this. He never stops learning in order to improve his understanding of coffee.He has participated in several workshops and courses to learn from professionals in the area.The began writing about coffee on his blog around five years ago.He will provide readers of Centralparkwestcafe with numerous engaging articles thanks to his extensive understanding of coffee and other beverages.