QUESTION: What is the grind size I should use in an Aeropress machine? I’m having trouble getting my Aeropress to brew coffee the way I like it. — Jason D.
ANSWER: For the best cup of coffee, Aeropress recommends you grind coffee on the fine drip or espresso setting. This puts the best grind size for an Aeropress at a medium-fine grind size, somewhere between what you would use for French press coffee (coarse) and the extra fine grind of an espresso. The sweet spot for the texture of your coffee should be similar to the fine particles of table salt. Aeropress explains that espresso grind will take longer to press, and you might have trouble using more than one scoop at a time. However, the espresso machine setting will give you a better tasting brew more quickly than the fine drip setting.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Aeropress brewing method, allow me to give a brief overview. The Aeropress coffee maker is a manual brew method that makes a great cup of coffee. With the Aeropress you can use your own coffee beans and customize the kind of coffee you use, water temperature, grind size, brewing time and the grams of coffee you use to make delicious coffee that is just right for you. The Aeropress uses a small paper filter or a reusable metal filter, so there is never any grit or coffee grounds in your final cup. You can make hot coffee, cold brew coffee or any number of coffee beverages using the Aeropress recipes.
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You can even use a pre-ground coffee in your Aeropress machine, but for best results, you may need to either brew for a longer time or use more coffee to get the best flavor in your brew. Of course, since the coffee flavor begins to diminish as soon as it is ground, we recommend you grind your own whole beans for use in the Aeropress. This of course is true with any coffee maker if you want to make great coffee.
Extraction and Grind Size With Your Aeropress
The right grind size goes a long way to crafting better coffee. A finer grind size will allow water to move through the grinds more slowly (extraction), so your brew time will increase. A coarser grind will allow water to move through the Aeropress more quickly, so your brew time will be reduced leading to under-extracted coffee.
As you adjust the extraction of the coffee into the water by calibrating the brew time and grind setting, you’ll need to know what over-extraction and under-extraction taste like. Coffee that is over-extracted (brewed for too long or grind setting too fine) tastes too strong, bitter, or burned. Coffee that is under-extracted (not brewed long enough or grind setting too coarse) tastes weak and watery or even sour.
If your coffee tastes over-extracted, you should adjust by reducing the brew time and/or grinding your beans more coarsely. If your coffee tastes under-extracted, you should adjust by increasing the brew time and/or grinding your beans more finely.