If you’re like us, you probably buy ground coffee from Times, or Safeway, or wherever. This means, you buy your coffee beans already grinded up—you don’t buy whole beans. It’s easier, and anyway, you wouldn’t know how to grind the beans properly. Fortunately, however, through trial and error, we have perfected the art of grinding, and are going to share some of what we learned with you. So, before you pick up your next bag of ground coffee, read on. (Yeah, we try to limit our ground coffee purchases, and buy whole bean instead, whenever possible.) It’s okay if you feel nerdy just about now, nobody cares around here, we’re all nerdy. But cool kind nerdy.

We want to elevate your coffee drinking experience and help you understand the delicate flavors that give coffee its distinct taste and aroma. We want you to see through the aesthetics and dig down to the real taste of the coffee beans. But it’s going to require a little effort.

And that begins with buying a bag full of whole coffee beans. First we are going to grind them to the perfect texture and use them the way they were meant to be used.

Grinding the beans

Just so that we are on the same page, this much should be clear: to bring out the maximum taste from the beans, you will have to grind them. You can’t just pour the beans into your French press and pour water over it. You’ll have watery coffee, with little flavor and minimal caffeine. So you need to grind it. And how you grind the coffee will determine the optimal brewing method used to make the perfect cup.

Extra coarse

Extra coarse grinds are grinds where the beans are thoroughly broken up. They are not fine, and it looks a lot like dirt. There might be some larger pieces but this is how they should be. This mixture is perfect for the cold brews.

Coarse

If you are grinding your coffee beans to use them for French press then you need to take them to the consistency of a kosher salt. The particles are finer than what you’d find in extra coarse grinds, but still a little coarse in texture. Think Waikiki sand.

Medium coarse

Now think Ala Moana sand. Not too far different from Waikiki sand, but a little finer. This is how the texture should be if you want a coffee grind perfect for your automatic coffee maker.

Medium

To know if you have a proper medium grind, take some ground coffee between your thumb and fingertip and rub it slightly to feel the texture. It should feel slightly smoother than Ala Moana sand. This is the ideal grinding consistency for pour overs, and even works for automatic coffee makers.

Fine

Think of Lanikai sand. It gets everywhere. In your hair, in your car, and it’s hard to get out. This is what fine coffee grinds feels and looks like. They also resemble crystals of sugar. This type of grind will make a perfect cup of espresso at home.

Extra fine

Do you have a knack for Turkish coffee? Yeah, you’re from Hawai’i, and the probability of someone knowing Turkish Coffee is slim to none. Nonetheless, extra fine grinds are necessary for Turkish coffee.

The true taste of coffee depends a lot on the quality of the grinding. Make sure you use a good quality grinder and adjust its settings properly before throwing in the beans. After all, you wouldn’t want to ruin your whole coffee experience for nothing. But then again, no worry beef curry.