Coffee Grind Size Chart: The Right Grind for Every Brew Method
Grind size is the most important setting in coffee that most people never think about. You can buy brilliant beans, weigh everything and use the perfect water temperature — but if the grind is wrong for your brewer, the cup will taste sour, bitter, weak or muddy. Get it right and everything else gets easier.
This guide gives you a simple grind size chart for every common brew method, explains why different methods need different grinds, and shows you how to tell when you've nailed it.
Why Grind Size Matters
Brewing coffee is really just water pulling flavour out of ground beans. How fast that happens depends on how much surface area the water can reach. Finer grounds have far more surface, so flavour comes out quickly. Coarser grounds have less, so it comes out slowly.
That leads to one rule worth remembering:
The longer the water and coffee are in contact, the coarser the grind should be.
Cold brew steeps for 12 hours or more, so it needs the coarsest grind of all. Espresso is pushed through in under 30 seconds, so it needs a very fine grind. Everything else sits somewhere in between.
The Coffee Grind Size Chart
| Grind size | Looks like | Best for | Which George's option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra coarse | Cracked peppercorns | Cold brew | Cold Brew grind |
| Coarse | Sea salt flakes | French press / cafetière, percolator | French Press/Cafetière grind |
| Medium-coarse | Rough sand | Chemex, Clever dripper | Whole Bean |
| Medium | Beach sand | Filter coffee machine, AeroPress (longer brews) | Whole Bean |
| Medium-fine | Table salt | V60 and other pour-overs, AeroPress (short brews) | Whole Bean |
| Fine | Caster sugar | Espresso, moka pot (slightly coarser than espresso) | Whole Bean |
| Extra fine | Flour or icing sugar | Turkish coffee | Whole Bean |
We grind for the two methods where a set grind works for nearly everyone — cafetière and cold brew. For pour-over, espresso and anything in between, the right setting depends on your own brewer and grinder, so we recommend whole beans and grinding at home.
Grind Size by Brew Method
Cold Brew — Extra Coarse
Cold brew steeps in cold water for 12–18 hours. A fine grind would over-extract and turn muddy and bitter over that time, and it would clog the filter. An extra-coarse grind gives a smooth, sweet, low-bitterness result. Our cold brew guide has the full recipe, and the Cold Brew Kit comes with the grind already done.
French Press / Cafetière — Coarse
A cafetière steeps for about four minutes and uses a metal mesh filter. Coarse grounds extract evenly over that time and stay behind the mesh. Go too fine and you'll get a bitter, silty cup and a plunger that's hard to push down. See our French press guide for the method.
Chemex — Medium-Coarse
The Chemex uses thick paper filters that slow the water down, so it needs a slightly coarser grind than a V60 to avoid a long, over-extracted brew.
Filter Coffee Machine — Medium
Most drip machines brew in four to six minutes through a flat-bottomed basket. A medium grind, like beach sand, is the safe starting point.
V60 and Pour-Over — Medium-Fine
Pour-over has a short contact time, so it needs a finer grind than a cafetière — about the texture of table salt. Aim for a total brew time of roughly 2:45–3:15 for a single cup. Our V60 guide walks you through it step by step.
AeroPress — Medium to Medium-Fine
The AeroPress is flexible. Short brews of a minute or two suit a medium-fine grind; longer steeps of three minutes or more suit a medium grind.
Moka Pot — Fine (but not espresso-fine)
Moka pots push water up through the coffee using steam pressure. Use a fine grind, a touch coarser than espresso — too fine and the pot can sputter and taste burnt.
Espresso — Fine
Espresso forces water through tightly packed coffee in around 25–30 seconds. It needs a fine, consistent grind, and small adjustments make a big difference. This is the one method where a good burr grinder is essential.
How to Tell If Your Grind Is Right
The chart gets you close. Your taste buds and your timer do the rest.
- Sour, sharp or thin? The coffee is under-extracted. Grind finer.
- Bitter, harsh or drying? The coffee is over-extracted. Grind coarser.
- Pour-over draining too fast? Grind finer. Too slow or stalling? Grind coarser.
- Cafetière plunger hard to press? Grind coarser. Drops straight through? Grind finer.
Change one thing at a time and make small adjustments. Our guide to fixing bitter or sour coffee goes into more detail.
Consistency Matters as Much as Size
A blade grinder chops beans randomly, leaving a mix of dust and chunks. The dust over-extracts (bitter) while the chunks under-extract (sour) — so you can get both faults in one cup. A burr grinder crushes beans between two surfaces to an even size, which is why it's the single best upgrade for better coffee at home. The Hario Mini Mill PLUS is an affordable hand burr grinder that's adjustable from coarse to fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grind size is best for a cafetière?
Coarse — similar to sea salt flakes. Our French Press/Cafetière grind option is ground for this.
Can I use cafetière grind in a V60?
You can, but the water will run through too quickly and the coffee will usually taste weak and sour. For pour-over, buy whole beans and grind medium-fine at home.
What grind size is best for cold brew?
Extra coarse — like cracked peppercorns. It keeps the brew smooth over a long steep and stops your filter clogging.
Should I buy whole bean or ground coffee?
If you have a grinder, whole bean gives you the freshest cup and works for any method. If you only use a cafetière or make cold brew, a ground option works well. Read our whole bean vs pre-ground guide to decide.
Find Your Coffee
Every George's Coffee bag is hand roasted to order in Yorkshire, with the roast date on every bag. Choose Whole Bean, French Press/Cafetière or Cold Brew when you order. Browse the full range.
Happy brewing!