Coffee Grind Size Chart: Match Your Grind to Your Brewer

If your coffee tastes sour or bitter, the culprit is often grind size rather than the beans. Matching your grind to your brewer is the single easiest way to improve your cup.

Why grind size matters

Finer grounds expose more surface area and extract faster; coarser grounds extract slower. Match the grind to how long water stays in contact with the coffee. Too fine for the method tastes bitter and harsh; too coarse tastes weak and sour.

Grind size chart

  • Extra fine (powdery): Turkish coffee
  • Fine (table salt): Espresso, Moka pot
  • Medium-fine: AeroPress, pour-over cones (V60)
  • Medium (sand): Drip machines, flat-bottom pour-over
  • Medium-coarse: Chemex
  • Coarse (sea salt): French press
  • Extra coarse: Cold brew

A quick troubleshooting tip

Sour, thin, and fast? Grind finer. Bitter, harsh, and slow? Grind coarser. Adjust one step at a time.

Grind fresh for the best results

Whatever your brewer, grinding right before you brew makes the biggest difference of all. Pick up whole-bean coffee and grind to match your method.

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