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The flavor of coffee depends on a
variety of factors, including the
quality, freshness, and roast of the
beans, the purity of the brew water,
the cleanliness of the brewing
equipment, and the brewing
temperature. The fineness and
consistency of the grind is also critical.
Coffee that is ground too fine for
a particular brewing process
– using a fine espresso
grind in a drip coffee
maker, for example – will
result in the brew water
over-extracting the oils and
aromatic compounds in the
coffee, yielding a brew
that is extremely pungent
and bitter. Conversely,
coffee that is too coarsely ground
for a particular process will result in
the under-extraction of the oils and
essences, resulting in a very thin and
weak flavor. If the correct grind is
used, adding more coffee simply
makes a brew stronger without
making it excessively bitter.
The consistency of the grind is also
an important factor in the flavor of
coffee – and absolutely critical when
making great espresso. If the
grounds are uniform, equal amounts
of soluble compounds will be
extracted from each. If the grounds
vary in size, some will be over-
extracted and some will be under-
extracted, leading to extremely poor
quality. It’s not surprising that a
precision grind is mandatory for
good espresso, which is brewed with
near-boiling water under 9 bars of
pressure.
Coffee grind quality is directly
related to the type of grinder
used. High speed grinders with
small burr sets are usually not
able to produce the
fineness or consistency
required for the best
espresso. They also
excessively heat the beans
while grinding, resulting in lost flavor
and aroma.
The Artisan™ Burr Grinder uses a
pair of large, commercial-style cutting
burrs to grind coffee with precision.
Frictional heating is minimized with a
gear reduction system that slows burr
rotation, and uniformity is enhanced
with a helical-gear that transports
beans to the burrs at a controlled
rate. The result is a superb grind that
makes your coffee and espresso the
best it can be.
How the Grind Affects Flavor
