Grinding for the very first cup can be a surprisingly challenging experience. Most of the time, it takes a couple of shots to understand what grind size would produce the best coffee. There is no universal number to rely on. Every coffee bean is different, and different roasts require different grind sizes to bring out the best in them.
This article is my attempt to make that process a little easier. In this article, I’ll share the grind setting that I found works best for each coffee bean I try. Hopefully, if you happen to be brewing the same coffee, these settings can give you a head start and help you save some valuable beans and time by avoiding the trial and error I went through to arrive at the number.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend treating these numbers as gospel. Half the fun of making coffee is finding that sweet spot yourself. Once you have a starting point, I encourage you to go a little finer or coarser and see if you like the coffee better. And please let me know if you do, I’d love to give it a try myself.
I use a Kingrinder K6 hand grinder, which has 16 microns of adjustment per click. So, if you use a different hand grinder, you would need to do a small calculation to convert the setting:
Grind setting on your grinder = (K6 setting × 16) ÷ your grinder’s adjustment per click (microns)
| S. No. | Coffee Bean | Roast Level | Dose (g) | Yield (g) | Grind Setting: Non-Pressurised Basket | Grind Setting: Pressurised Basket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Attikan Estate by Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters | Medium-Dark | 19 g | 38 g (1:2) | Yet to test. Will update soon. | 39 clicks. Produces a very rich, balanced and syrupy espresso with a brew time of about 30 seconds. |
| 2 | Silver Oak Blend by Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters | Medium | 19 g | 38 g (1:2) | Yet to test. Will update soon. | 35 clicks. Produces a delicate and well-balanced cup, where I can clearly taste the honey and grape notes. It is acidic without being sour, with a slight bitterness that gives it that familiar coffee taste. Brew time of about 30 seconds. |
Swipe left to see the complete table on small screen devices.
