The necessity of grinding coffee beans

The necessity of grinding coffee beans

Grinding your coffee beans is one of the key steps to brewing a delicious cup of coffee. In this article, we’ll explore why you need to grind your coffee beans and explain its importance in improving the taste and aroma of your coffee.

1. Increase surface area

Grinding coffee beans increases their surface area, which means more water comes into contact with the coffee particles. When water comes into contact with fine particles, they are better able to dissolve and extract the aroma and flavor compounds in them. In contrast, if you use whole or large pieces of coffee beans to brew, only the outer layer will come into contact with the water, and the inner part will hardly be fully utilized.

2. Control the brewing time

You can control the brewing time by adjusting the grind size. A finer grind size will cause water to flow more slowly through the gaps between the particles, thereby extending the extraction time; while a coarser grind size will increase the flow rate of water and shorten the extraction time. Different coffee brewing methods require different grind sizes. For example, a French press requires a coarser grind size, while hand brewing and immersion brewing require a finer grind size.

3. Improve taste and aroma

When coffee beans are broken up, they can release more organic compounds and volatile substances. These substances give coffee a rich and complex taste and aroma. When water comes into contact with fine particles, they are better able to dissolve and extract these compounds. In contrast, if you use whole or large pieces of coffee beans to brew, it is difficult to achieve the same degree of taste and aroma.

4. Keep it fresh

Keeping coffee beans whole can extend their shelf life; however, once they are ground into powder, they quickly lose their freshness. Therefore, fresh coffee beans should be ground on site as soon as possible after purchase and used within a few weeks. This ensures that the taste and aroma of the coffee always remain at their best.

5. Personalized Adjustment

By adjusting the grind size, you can brew coffee of different flavors according to your personal preferences. A coarser grind size will produce a lighter and refreshing coffee, while a finer grind size will produce a stronger and fuller coffee. Therefore, by crushing the coffee beans ourselves, we can personalize it according to our own taste and aroma preferences.

in conclusion

In short, breaking coffee beans is an essential step in brewing a delicious cup of coffee. It can increase the surface area, control the brewing time, improve the taste and aroma, maintain freshness, and achieve personalized adjustments. Therefore, when enjoying a cup of high-quality coffee, remember to break the fresh beans into the powder form required for your chosen brewing method.