Coffee industry

The particle size of various coffees has a significant impact on its use effect as follows:

Espresso

Grinding requirements: Espresso requires extremely fine coffee powder, similar to the texture of fine sugar. The ideal particle size range is usually 200 - 600 microns. Very fine coffee powder can fully contact with hot water during a short high-pressure extraction process to extract the rich oil, aroma and flavor substances of coffee, forming the unique rich taste and thick crema (coffee oil layer) of espresso.

Impact: If the coffee powder particles are too coarse and the extraction time is too short, the coffee liquid will be light and lacking in flavor; if the coffee powder particles are too fine, it may lead to over-extraction and the coffee will have a burnt and bitter taste, and may clog the coffee machine filter and affect the extraction pressure.

Drip coffee

Grinding requirements: The particle size of drip coffee is generally coarser than that of espresso, about 600-1200 microns, similar to the size of coarse sugar. This particle size enables the hot water to have a suitable extraction speed during the drip filtering process, extracting a balanced coffee flavor.

Impact: If the coffee powder is too fine, the water flow will flow slowly, and it will be easily over-extracted, causing the coffee to have a bitter taste; if it is too thick, the water flow will be too fast, and the extraction will be insufficient, and the coffee will appear sour and taste weak.

Hand brewed coffee

Grinding requirements: The particle size of hand-brewed coffee is moderate, between 800-1400 microns, similar to the particle size of coarse salt. Hand-brewed coffee focuses on adjusting the extraction through factors such as water flow, water temperature, and brewing time. The moderate particle size provides the barista with a large operating space to show the flavor characteristics of different coffee beans.

Impact: Appropriate particle size and appropriate brewing techniques can extract the rich layers and aroma of coffee. Particles that are too fine or too coarse will destroy this balance and affect the taste and flavor of the coffee.

French press coffee

Grinding requirements: The coffee powder used in the French press has a coarse particle size, about 1200-2000 microns, similar to the size of coarse corn grits. The coarser particle size is because the extraction method of the French press is immersion. Coarse particles can avoid over-extraction caused by long-term soaking.

Impact: Coarse coffee powder can retain the original flavor of coffee and make the coffee taste more mellow, but if the powder particles are too fine, long-term soaking will cause the coffee to taste bitter and over-extracted.