PureGusto Coffee Company talks about Coffee Grinding

Welcome to the PureGusto Coffee Company blog. PureGusto Coffee Company has been making everything on site since day one, and continue to work with local suppliers in our drive for quality. Our coffee is roasted with transparency in mind, we prefer the quality to speak for itself and strive to accentuate its inherent flavors. In today's blog, we talk about grinding coffee beans which is probably one of the most over-looked steps when it comes to making a great cup of coffee. But since you're here and you want to learn how to grind coffee beans, my sense is that you already knew this. Additionally, if you had previously been brewing your coffee with pre-ground coffee (i.e. coffee that you bought in its ground form) or god forbid, K-cups, then grinding your own coffee beans is going to be a game-changer for you.

Why grind coffee beans?
Coffee is a relatively fragile and perishable good. Just like the fruit, the coffee bean grows in, exposure to the elements (air, moisture, light, etc.) makes the roasted coffee bean lose a lot of its original aromas and flavors. This is especially true once the coffee bean has been ground, thus shrinking the surface area of the bean into hundreds and thousands of small particles.

The elements do much quicker work on these small ground coffee particles, and because of this, the longer you wait to brew the coffee, the less of its original aroma and flavor will remain in your final cup. Your local café grinds your coffee fresh before brewing for this very reason. If you want to replicate or improve the coffee you're drinking from the café, you'll need to grind the coffee right before you brew.

When to grind coffee beans
The optimal time to grind your coffee beans is immediately before brewing your coffee. In other words, the less time that passes between when the water makes contact with the freshly ground coffee, the better. This is especially true when brewing espresso, since the finer grinds that are required for brewing espresso oxidize much faster than their coarse counterparts.

Many coffee pros claim that ground coffee loses its aroma and flavors within minutes of being ground, but you should experiment with the timing to see what works best for you. In the end, brewing your coffee soon after grinding doesn't negatively impact anything, so you don't have anything to lose by grinding your coffee right before brewing.​


How to grind coffee beans. 
Before you press that button, you're going to want to ask yourself a few questions:

• How much coffee are you going to be brewing?
• What roast are the beans you are grinding? Dark? Medium? Light?
• What kind of coffee maker are you going to be brewing the coffee with?

The last question is especially important because different brewing methods call for different grind sizes. Espresso (you know, the drink that your latte is made from) for example, requires a much finer grind than french press. In fact, a blade grinder is not going to be able to grind finely enough for espresso, so if that's the drink you're trying to brew, you should upgrade to a burr grinder ASAP. Still, you can grind coarser or finer with a blade grinder by controlling the amount of time you grind.
e.g. grinding for 5 seconds will produce a coarser grind than grinding for 20 seconds would.

Step 1:Measure 1 tablespoon of coffee beans for every 6oz of brewed coffee you plan to make. This is a good starting point for a standard brew ratio that a lot of coffee companies recommend. You likely won't be able to fit more than a couple tablespoons of coffee into your blade grinder, so if you plan to make more than a couple cups of coffee, you'll likely have to grind in batches.

Step 2: Carefully add your coffee beans to the grinder chamber where the blade sits.

Step 3: Determine Target Grind Size. Most people who use blade grinders will simply press the start button for a random amount of time and hope for the best. A better approach is to first decide on your target grind size for the brew method you're using, then start grinding.

Another thing to keep in mind is your coffee's roast. I generally like to use a coarser grind than I normally would for dark roasts, and a finer grind for light roasts. Medium roasts typically have better balance in their flavor profiles, so no need to over-analyze your grind for this roast level.

Step 4: Grind and Shake
Now, you can start grinding. But take it slow, especially if you're targeting a coarser grind. Press the start button for about 2-3 seconds, pause, then shake the grinder. Repeat this a couple of times, then carefully remove the grinder's lid to check on your grind size and grind consistency. If the grind looks to be ideal size and consistency, you're all set! Just add the ground coffee to your coffee brewer and get ready to brew.

 If the grind looks too coarse, repeat the grind and shake process. Too fine? Don't beat yourself up about it. Either use more water than you typically would, or reduce your total brew time (if your coffeemaker allows you to control it).

I hope this was helpful.

Let me know what you think about this guide by leaving a comment below, I'd love your feedback. Also, if you have any specific questions about grinding the coffee, you can leave those below.

PureGusto Coffee Company is built on relationships. Our success is down to the success of the people we choose to partner with – from our first coffee customer to our staff around the world. Learn more about PureGusto Coffee Company online here. Discover more about PureGusto Coffee Company reviews from happy customers on our Yell page here. More home hacks you can use to grind coffee without a grinder on our PureGusto Coffee Company Twitter page here.