More than half of Americans drink coffee every day.
Keep reading to find out why you should grind your coffee beans. Aside from being delicious, it increases your energy, enhances health, and can lower your risk for various diseases (like Alzheimer's and Type 2 Diabetes). However, most people don't realize they can get up their coffee game by grinding the beans.
Why Do We Grind Coffee?
To drink coffee, you don't necessarily have to grind the beans.
To create your brew, you can soak them in boiling water for at least an hour. However, this takes a long and doesn't give you a quality end product.
This is because grinding breaks up each bean, exposing more surface area for the hot water to work with. The outside of a coffee bean has a thin, paper-like covering called parchment. It protects the inside, sort of like a shell.
The parchment is broken open by grinding up coffee to expose the goodness inside. This allows for a faster brew while exposing more flavors and smells.
Why Should You Grind Your Beans?
Most people buy pre-ground coffee. Perhaps it's to save a minute in the morning. However, if you want the freshest coffee in the morning, you must grind your coffee beans.
The first and most notable benefit of doing it yourself is filling your kitchen with the most beautiful fragrances. You grind coffee in less than a minute, but the smells linger longer.
Aside from the serendipitous smells, fresh ground coffee is less likely to become contaminated by other smells or flavors in your kitchen. This is important as you don't want the coffee's 850 volatile aromas and flavors competing with anything else.
Grinding your coffee before you roast them prevents water and oxygen from degrading the beans. Coffee is water-soluble, meaning it begins to degrade when it comes in contact with water (including moisture in the air). The same goes for oxygen.
How to grind Your Coffee Beans?
Before picking out a coffee grinder, you'll want to decide what type of coffee you'd like to drink and the grind that best suits your brewing method. You can brew any coffee however you'd like. However, you shouldn't grind your beans without knowing how you'll brew them.
Types of Coffee
The basic choices of coffee are light, medium, and dark roasts.
Light roasts are the most caffeinated and taste more acidic than other roasts. They have the lowest roasting times and aren't very oily.
Medium roasts are sometimes oily and have a bittersweet aftertaste. They are the middle ground between light and dark roasts.
Dark roasts are the least acidic while boasting the most bitter, full-bodied flavors. This option is great if you like dark, rich tastes.
No matter what roast you choose, look for organic and single-origin coffees. This will ensure that you get a consistent and high-quality product.
Types of Grinds
If you've used a store grind, you may be familiar with grind options. The types of grinds are various sizes of cuts. Each brewing method has a preferred amount to get the most out of the beans.
The basic types of grinds include:
Coarse
Medium
Fine
Extra fine
Sometimes in-between settings allow you to get extra coarse cuts, coarse-medium, and medium-fine. To decide which method is suitable for you, research the best size for the method you use to brew. For example, French-pressed coffee is best with a coarse grind.
How to Grind Coffee
You should always follow the manufacturer's instructions with your grinder, whether electronic or manual.
When you're ready to get brewing, measure the number of beans you want to use with a kitchen scale. This will help you achieve a consistent cup. To start, you may want to try out 1.6 grams of beans per ounce of coffee you want to make.
Then you can fill your grinder, plug it in, and press the button for the desired amount of time. If you choose a manual grinder, skip the electronic stuff and turn the knob to grind while counting.
Different grinds take different amounts of time. In general, coarse grinds are faster because there's less cutting. Making coarse-ground coffee can last up to 15 seconds.
Fine grinds take longer — but not by much. You'll only be grinding for up to 30 seconds. Again, read your manufacturer's recommendations and research your preferred brewing method to make the perfect cup of joe.
Pro-Tips for the Avid Coffee Drinker
Ground coffee only keeps its freshness for a couple of hours. So, it would be best to ground-up beans when you're ready to brew them. Keep the bag sealed and in a dark pantry when you aren't making coffee.
Some people recommend putting coffee in the refrigerator or freezer — don't do this. It can become too moist due to temperature changes, and you don't want that.
If you're a typical coffee drinker, another pro tip to keep in mind is your timing. It would be best if you aimed to stop drinking coffee at least 4 to 6 hours before bedtime, as caffeine can affect your quality of sleep.
Create Your Perfect Cup
Making a cup of fresh ground coffee is well worth it. Choose your beans, find out what grinds suit your brewing method, and get to grinding.
Check out our coffee grinder reviews to find the perfect machine to make your ideal cup.
Comments