Coffee grinders may be considered the single most important part of any brewing equipment. This may come across as strange because all they do is smash the coffee beans into finer particles (into even smaller pieces). However, it’s an important part of coffee and should never be overlooked.
A good coffee grinder is one that will evenly grind the coffee, making sure that every particle of the cut coffee comes out equal size. The goal is to have it all the same – nothing too big (what we deem boulders) and nothing too small (what we call fines).
This can be the difference in getting a very sweet, clean cup of coffee and a muddy, flat and unclear coffee.
It’s time you learn the importance of grinders, and this is the guide to give you all the information you need. You’ll learn what to look for in a grinder, what grind size you should use for your preferred brew method, how to look for the equipment and even what coffee should be used for that great cup of coffee.
Sit back with your cup of Joe, and let’s go!
Why Should You Grind Your Own Coffee?
When it comes to reasons for grinding your own coffee, there are just two:
- Freshness
- Control
To understand freshness, you need to understand what happens to a coffee bean – post-roast. The bean goes through two phases – degassing and oxidation.
In the degassing stage, CO2, which accumulated in the bean during roasting, is released. In this time, the coffee is best left to sit in its own bag undisturbed. The oxidation stage begins when the coffee is exposed to oxygen. This is the phase in which coffee goes stale. Oxidation is why you should never pre-grind a bag of coffee.
When a coffee bean is whole, it’s much harder for oxygen to degrade the beans. Most of the stuff oxygen affects – aromatics, acids and oils – are locked within the bean. Once the bean is grounded into tiny particles, the oxygen can get to work.
Control is another prime reason to grind your own coffee. Let’s say you get an entire bag of Ethiopia coffee grounded at the coffee shop for your particular brew method. Chances are the coffee won’t be ground to the exact texture you want. You’re likely to need adjustments made to get the most from the coffee. It could be that the espresso shots are running too quickly. Without a grinder, this is a sacrifice you’re making.
Here are a few pros and cons of grinding your own coffee versus pre-grinding.
Grind Your Own Coffee
Pros:
- Freshness
- Control (You grind until you get the exact texture you want)
Cons:
- You need to own coffee grinder
- It takes more time and effort
Pre-Grinding Coffee
Pros:
- The grinder’s quality is usually much better than a home grinder
- Easier
Cons:
- Rapid deterioration of freshness
- No Control
How To Choose Your Coffee
One of the most traded crops in the world is coffee and, for that reason, there are millions of farmers around the world. This makes it a bit tricky to find the right kind of coffee. Now, there are two categories of coffee –specialty coffee and commodity-grade coffee.
Specialty Coffee
This type of coffee is in reference to coffee that’s been grown, picked, processed and roasted with absolute care – valued and priced for its flavors and quality. With a bag of specialty coffee, you tend to get a lot of information about the farmer and coffee.
This coffee comes from a single origin, meaning the coffee beans come from the same place rather than multiple places. The coffee has a more focused and clearer flavor profile, usually have individual flavors such as floral and fruity, tea or caramel-like flavors.
Pros:
- Far better quality and flavor
- Growers make more money because of their hard work
Cons:
- More expensive
- Harder to find
Commodity-Grade Coffee
This is the other kind of coffee beans, which makes up a good portion of the coffee market. All jars of instant coffee, bags of pre-ground coffee and low-end non-specialty coffee shops tend to use commodity-grade coffee. This is essentially coffee that tastes like coffee, has caffeine and get the job done for people who want it.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Easy to find
Cons:
- Poor quality
- Growers make little money
- Low coffee cost drives crop value down
What To Look For In A Coffee
Once you choose where to buy the coffee, there are some other factors to consider. And, every one of these factors makes a difference in the kind of coffee you get.
- Roast Date – Bags of coffee have a date that it’s been roasted. If you don’t see this in your bag, throw it away. Most coffees have a peak in flavor and aroma between five and 15 days after the roast date. Any time after about two weeks, the coffee slowly tapers off and flavors began to flatten due to oxidation. This happens faster with pre-ground coffee. Most coffee should be consumed within a month after the roast date.
- Variety (Varietal) – There are literally hundreds of coffee varieties each with their own exciting flavors. From Arabica coffee varieties such as Typica and Bourbon to Robusta varieties such as Java and Mocha.
- Roast Degree – Some coffee roasters roast their coffee very lightly, producing fruity and floral flavors. Other coffee roasters roast their coffee to a dark color, which gives the coffee a heavy, bitter flavor.
- Process – The way coffee is processed affects how the coffee tastes. Coffee processing ranges from Natural (coffee is sorted and left to dry) to Fully Washed (when the fruit if the coffee cherry is removed and the beans are washed and dried). The processing method the coffee producer chooses plays a huge role in the coffee bean’s sugar content.
- Origin – Another huge player in how coffee tastes after the brew is where the coffee comes from. The soil, climate and elevation all affect the crop. Coffees of each country tend to have unique characteristics, and only the drinker can say which one is best.
How To Choose The Right Grind Size For Your Brew Method
The process of brewing coffee (with the exception of immersion brews) is the process of pouring a certain amount of fresh water through a bed of ground coffee in a certain amount of time. Since every brew method is different – be it filter material or filter shape – every method will need its own grind size to make the perfect cup.
Now, the exact grind size largely comes down to your own personal taste preferences, the brew water temperature, the grinder being used and the coffee you chose. The following table is a good starting point from which minute adjustments can be made to optimize the brew.
Grinder Performance
Coffee grinders come in all shapes and sizes – from cheap manual hand grinders to $4,000 commercial machines. The scope is huge, and the grinder’s operation (manual or electric) is actually one of the least important aspects of grind quality.
The biggest difference, and perhaps the most important aspect of a coffee grinder, is what they use to cut the coffee. It’s this that will decide how evenly the coffee is cut and how many boulders and fines will be produced in the process. When the goal is to produce as few fines and boulders as possible, the way a coffee grinder does its thing is crucial. Every coffee grinder you see using one of the following:
- Blade
- Flat Burrs
- Conical Burrs
To make things easy, we’ll just say straight up the order of which these grinders achieve the goal stated above (from least goal-achieving to most goal-achieving). Here’s a look at each one – what they are and what they do.
Blade Grinders – (Okay, not great, but better than pre-ground)
Blade grinders use a blade that attaches to the motor. The coffee goes in, and the lid goes on. When the motor is engaged, the blades spin and haphazardly cut the coffee during the process. Think of this type of grinder as a food processor.
While blade grinders provide the lowest grind quality of the three types, using a blade grinder is still better than buying pre-ground coffee. There are several things that can be done to increase the quality of the coffee produced after grinding with a blade grinder.
James Hoffman has a great “blade grinder hacks” video below that will show you how to get the most out of a blade grinder.
Special Note: While these are some wonderful tips on how to make the best out of a not-so-great grinding setup, they do produce a significant amount of waste.
Since blade grinders are considered a “worst-case scenario,” we won’t mention them in our reviews section.
Uses - For the most part, blade grinders are used at home. However, they’re electric and don’t take up a lot of space, which makes traveling with them acceptable if you have a power outlet nearby.
Grind Type - Due to the utter lack of control, these grinders will really only be okay to make full immersion brews such as cold brews, Clever dripper and French press. For other brew methods, you should aim for a certain grind size, which you can’t get with a blade grinder. These grinders often produce copious amounts of fines and boulders. In the above video, James points out ways in which to reduce this, but it’s not easy to do
Pros:
- Easy to use – no controls but an off/on button
- Typically very cheap
Cons:
- Lack of any real control over the grind size
- Poor grind quality
Conical Burr – Good
Conical burr grinders use a burr set with one piece being conical shaped and the other a ring that sits at the large end of the conical burr. The conical burr set works by cutting coffee into smaller and smaller pieces until its completely run through – from the small end of the burr to the large end, and then cut by the ring-shaped burr. It finally ends up in the catchment – about the same size as each other.
The smaller domestic coffee grinders use the conical burr set, which produces amazing results and provides you everything you’d want from an at-home grinder.
Uses - Conical burrs are found in various types of grinders – from manual hand grinders to electric espresso grinders. Most non-commercial grinders use a conical burr set. Due to their size, these grinders are a great option for the outdoors, home and office.
Grind Type - A conical burr grinder is capable of producing great quality; even grinds from coarse to fine espresso grinds.
Pros:
- Great quality even for their size
- Hundreds of options to choose from
Cons:
- Typically, does not produce results with same evenness and consistency as flat burr grinders.
Flat Burr Grinders (Best)
Flat burrs almost always come in the very expensive commercial coffee grinders. You may be wondering – given how good a less expensive conical bur grinder is – if the extra money is worth what you get. What you get are the evenness and consistency.
Flat burr grinders offer a greater deal of control over the grind size, which makes them ideal for a commercial setup or a spectacular and expensive home coffee setup.
Uses – Flat burr grinders are generally very expensive, pretty big and power hungry. They are best suited for cafés and commercial applications. There are a couple of home grinders that use flat burrs, but they are rare.
Grind Type – Flat burr grinders can grind produce coarse to super fine grounds.
Pros:
- Amazing evenness in grind and consistency
Cons:
- Very expensive and big
It can take quite a lot of coffee to properly season flat burr grinders (season meaning when you run a certain amount of coffee through the grinder to even burrs out to ensure they perform uniformly.
What Are The Types Of Coffee Grinders Available?
There are all kinds of options to choose from, and the grinder you choose is based on what your needs are, where you’ll be using it and the budget you have.
- If I’m looking for a top-quality grind for pour-over coffee and I don’t want to spend too much, I’ll be looking for domestic home grinders or a manual hand grinder.
- If I want an at-home espresso grinder and don’t mind the investment, I’ll look at espresso grinders without a doser (I’ll discuss this more later on).
- If I’m setting up a café, I want something that can handle large volumes of coffee – a commercial grinder.
What are the best options available?
A Look At Domestic Coffee Grinders
Home coffee grinders are grinders made for home use. They are typically multi-use – they produce an array of grind sizes, have a fairly small footprint and are user-friendly. Most of the grinders that fall under this category are conical burr grinders; few are the flat burr.
Uses – Home, Office and Low-Volume Cafés
Grind Type – This will depend on the grinder but anywhere from coarse to super fine
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Extremely adjustable
- Doesn’t take up a lot of space
- Often reasonably priced
Cons:
- Grind quality isn’t always great
- May be difficult to attain a very fine espresso grind
Brew Type
- While some domestic grinders can handle fine espresso grinds, most are best suited to filter coffee grind sizes.
What Do We Like – Baratza Encore
The Baratza Encore costs less than $140, and it’s worth it for a home coffee choice due to the grind quality, simplicity and grind adjustment.
Domestic Coffee Grinder Reviews
Baratza Encore
The Baratza Encore pretty much dominates the high-quality domestic coffee grinder market. There are many grinders around its price point and produce grinds of this quality, but it’s rare to get both at the same time. The Encore is considered to be a very simple conical burr grinder that’s nice to look at.
Pros:
- Budget – Reasonably priced for what you get
- Grind Quality – Produces amazing quality grinds
- Grind Capacity – 227 grams
- Effort – Easy
Cons:
- Portability – This grinder was designed for home use only
- Cleaning and Maintenance – It may be a little difficult to clean the inside
Baratza Vario
The Baratza Vario features 54mm flat burrs, digital controls and grinds by weight. This is a cheap grinder, and it offers a significant punch above its weight in terms of features and grind quality.
Pros:
- Grind Capacity – About 300 grams
- Grind Quality – Produces high-quality grinds
- Effort – Easy to use
Cons:
- Budget – More expensive than other domestic grinders
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Can be a bit difficult to clean on the inside
- Portability – Not very portable, as it needs power and is rather large
Breville BCG820BSSXL
The Breville smart grinder pro features stainless steel conical burrs, digital controls that allow you to set the grind time, size and option to grind into a grind bin or portafilter. The grinder was made for both filter coffees and espresso.
Pros:
- Budget – Well-priced grinder
- Grind Capacity – Decent-sized hopper
- Grind Quality – Can grind for either filter or espresso
- Effort – Easy to use
Cons
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Maybe a bit difficult to get inside and clean
- Portability – It’s a domestic coffee grinder
Wilfa Svart
The Wilfa Svart is a minimalist grinder and its grind adjustment is indicated by the brewing method (reasonably accurate), timer (grind can be left to grind and will turn off when the timer runs out) and there’s an on/off button.
Pros:
- Grind Quality – The grinder won’t produce the best or most even grind, but for the price you pay, it’s well worth looking at and considering.
- Effort – Easy to use
- Grind capacity – a staggering 250 grams
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Easy to clean
Cons:
- Portability – Not very portable due to the need for power and size
A Look At Manual Hand Coffee Grinders
When it comes to the best grinders money can buy, a manual hand grinder is the way to go. Hand grinders are completely manual – no motor to it whatsoever. Your arm provides the torque in which grinds the coffee.
The quality of grind one gets with a high-end hand grinder gets close to the grind quality that one can get from high-end commercial grinders (not all the way, but close enough). This, of course, comes at a price – that price being hand grinders small capacity and the manpower it takes to grind coffee by hand. Some hand grinders struggle with grinding fine enough for espresso or being able to make the tiny but necessary adjustments for espresso.
Uses – Travel, Home, Outdoors (camping)
Grind Type – A good hand grinder is capable of grinding for an entire pallet – from coarse to fine
Pros:
- Portable
- Easy to use and experiment
- Minimal amount of space needed
Cons:
- Takes more effort to grind
- Can be expensive
- Grinding large amounts of coffee can be problematic
Brew Type:
- Hand grinders work best with filter coffees. Anything in the medium coarse to medium fine range is where hand grinders do best – though it’s possible to get fine grinds.
What Do We Like – Comandante C40
The Comandante C40 is a well-made, high-quality and good-looking grinder. Its grind quality is comparable to the commercial grinder EK43.
Manual Coffee Grinder Reviews
Lido 3
The Lido 3 is one of the best grinders in the hand grinder category. It comes with a 48mm conical burrs, large 70-gram capacity and stepless grind adjustment (it’s still possible to make micro adjustments). The Lido 3 is quite capable of grinding all the way down to an espresso fine.
Pros:
- Budget – Good price for the grind quality given
- Grind Capacity – Fits 70 grams in its hopper
- Grind Quality – Produces very nice even grinds
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Easy to take apart and clean
Cons:
- Effort – Fully manual
- Portability – It’s still portable but bigger than other hand grinders
Porlex Mini
The Porlex is a decent little grinder, and it’s small enough to fit inside an Aeropress.
Pros:
- Budget – Cheap
- Portability – Extremely portable
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Easy to clean
Cons:
- Effort – Fully manual
- Grind Capacity – Small; about 20 grams
- Grind Quality – The Porlex’s grind quality is okay and just slightly better than pre-ground coffee or a blade grinder
Comandante C40
The Comandante C40 has gained a cult following with its good looks and amazing grind quality for the price one pays. The C40 can do anything – from coarse to fine. This grinder is the best and our choice for the hand grinder category.
Pros:
- Budget – Good price for the grind quality
- Portability – Small size, which allows users to use it when traveling
- Grind Quality – Some compare the C40 grind quality as being similar to the EK43
- Grind Capacity – A whopping 43-gram capacity
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Easy to clean
Cons:
- Fully manual
Helor 101
The Helor 101 is a beautifully-crafted hand coffee grinder. It’s a bit unique in that it comes with two different burr sets (contemporary and conventional). The former is designed to be used to attain uniform espresso grinds and the latter is geared toward grinding for filter coffees.
Pros:
- Budget – Good price for grind quality
- Grind Quality – Even grind quality
- Portability – Takes up very little space
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Easy to clean
Cons:
- Effort – Fully manual
- Grind Capacity – About 37 grams but depends on the coffee
A Look At Espresso Grinders with Doser
These grinders are specifically-created for espresso, which means they don’t grind too well for filter coffees. They contain a doser – a catchment area for the grinds which uses a lever that, when pulled, release a set amount of coffee into the portafilter basket underneath. The drawback to these devices is that the coffee grinds can accumulate in the dosing chamber. If you’re only grinding for one or two shots, you’re wasting coffee.
Grinders with dosers are rare in the home coffee world, but if you want an espresso-only grinder for use in the home or office, then it’s best to go with a doserless grinder.
Uses – Home, Office and Cafés
Grind Type – Fine for an espresso grind
Pros:
- Was designed for espresso use
- The doser makes it easy to load coffee in the portafilter
- Good for getting more than one shot
Cons:
- Typically does not do well in producing grind for filter coffees
- It’s easy to grind too much coffee that leads to waste or stale coffee
Brew Type
- Espresso
What Do We Like – Rancilio Rocky with Doser
The Rancilio rocky is quite capable for a little grinder. It’s one of the only home espresso doser grinders on the market, which means choosing your home espresso machine with a doser is easy.
Espresso Grinder with Doser Review
Rancilio Rocky with Doser
Rancilio has been making commercial espresso equipment for quite some time, which makes them a trusted brand. The company’s Rocky espresso grinder is a great home espresso machine that can be purchased with or without a doser. It can produce decently even grind particles.
Pros:
- Budget – Reasonably priced
- Effort – Easy to use
- Grind Capacity – The hopper capacity is about 200 grams
Cons:
- Grind Quality – It doesn’t produce the best grind quality, but it does the trick
- Cleaning and Maintenance – It can be a bit difficult to clean on the inside
- Portability – It was designed for use at home
A Look At Doserless Espresso Grinders
Doserless espresso grinders have become the standard in specialty cafés through the world – due to their high level of control and less waste produced. The combination of a decent set of scales and good doserless grinder means you’ll soon experience coffee heaven.
Uses – Home, Office, Cafés
Grind Type – Fine espresso grind
Pros
- Low amount of waste
- High level of control
- Ability to grind minute amounts to check grind size before grinding a full dose
Cons:
- Typically only grinds well for espresso
Brew Type
- Espresso
What Do We Like – Mazzer Mini
The Mazzer Mini is basically a commercial espresso grinder in the size of a domestic one. It produces amazing grind quality for espresso.
Doserless Espresso Grinder Reviews
Baratza Sette 270 Wi
The Bartza Sette users some very cool technology in the grinder. It contains a grind by weight feature, using Acalia’s digital scale technology (connected via Bluetooth using your phone). This grinder is the future.
Pros:
- Budget – Extremely well-priced
- Grind Capacity – Decent hopper size
- Grind Quality – Amazing grind quality for the price
- Effort – Really easy to use
- Cleaning and Maintenance – These are much easier to clean
Cons:
- Portability – This is a domestic espresso grinder
Rancilio Rocky Doserless
This is the doserless version of the Rancilio Rocky grinder – has the same features including the 50mm burr set you see with the doser version.
Pros:
- Budget – Well-budged consider the grinder version
- Grind Capacity – Hopper can hold about 200 grams
- Effort – Easy to use
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Much easier to clean than the doser version
Cons:
- Grind Quality – It’s not the best but does fairly well
- Portability – It needs space and power
Mazzer Mini
This is a beautiful grinder that Mazzer has come up with. The Mazzer Mini comes with a touchpad feature with adjustment buttons and programmable dosing buttons. The grinder uses Flat 64mm stainless steel burrs. Of all doserless espresso grinders, this is what we prefer.
Pros:
- Grind Quality – Produces a great grind quality
- Grind Capacity – Has a large hopper
- Effort – Easy to use
- Cleaning and Maintenance – These types of grinders are much easier to clean
Cons:
- Budget – Pricey
- Portability – Isn’t really set up to be a portable device
A Look At Commercial Grinders
These are the big boys! These are where the best grinders in the world site. They are typically seen in espresso bars and homes of the serious coffee drinkers. There are two reasons for this:
- Size
- Cost – usually running close to $3,000
These grinders all contain flat burrs that produce high-quality coffee and given the most even grind.
Uses – Anyone with space and money to afford one – typically cafés.
Grind Type – All
Pros:
- Great grind quality
- Reliable and consistent
Cons
- Expensive
- Bigger than other machines
Brew Type
- Filter
- Espresso
What Do We Like - Mahlkonig EK 43
The EK 43 has become an industry standard for good reasons. The grinder produces particle evenness and consistency that only one or two other grinders on the market will rival.
Commercial Grinder Reviews
Mahlkonig EK 43
The EK 43 is basically the grinder that led to the development of other grinders being the best of the best. It turns out that the evenness of the grinds is what makes a good cup of coffee or a bad one. Fewer boulders, fewer fines… a more uniform grind.
Matt Perger, who’s been at the forefront of the idea, famously used the EK 43 during a competition to brew espresso shots with very high extraction rates.
Although the grinder is made as a filter grinder, it can more than handle grinding for espresso. The EK 43 comes with an adjustment dial and large 98mm flat stainless steel burr set.
Pros:
- Grind Quality- Top of the line
- Grind Capacity – EK comes with various hopper sizes
- Effort – Pretty easy to use
Cons:
- Budget – Expensive
- Portability – Large and heavy
Victoria Arduino Mythos 2
This high-tech grinder from Victoria Arduino features 85mm titanium-coated flat burrs, can dose by either time or volume and includes both a fan for cooling and heater for heating. These systems are part of the climate control system the grinder offers, ensuring the grinder remains a constant temperature all day long.
This is an espresso grinder
Pros
- Grind Quality – Amazing
- Grind Capacity – About 2kg
- Cleaning and Maintenance – Doserless grinders are very easy to clean
Cons:
- Portability – It’s a commercial-grade, non-portable espresso grinder
- Budget – Expensive
- Effort –Isn’t very easy to use, as it’s designed for professional baristas
Mazzer ZM
The Mazzer ZM is a tempting commercial grade filter and espresso grinder with 83mm flat stainless-steel burrs and digital controls that adjust the grind dose and size. The burrs adjust by microns, which means you can hone in on the perfect grind size.
Pros:
- Grind Quality – Very good
- Grind Capacity – 320g
Cons:
- Budget – Expensive
- Effort – Designed for commercial baristas
- Portability – Large and heavy; manufactured for café use
Mahlkonig K30
The Mahlkonig K30 is a very good, no-nonsense commercial grinder with 65mm flat burrs, stepless grind adjustment, cooling fan and grind on-demand function.
Pros:
- Grind Quality – Very good
- Grind Capacity – 1.5kg
- Effort – Easy to use and adjust
Cons:
- Budget – Expensive
How To Properly Care For and Maintain Your Grinders
Grinders must be cleaned regularly.
Coffee is oily, and even grinders that retain very little ground coffee around the burrs accumulate a lot of coffee.
Therefore, it’s best to clean your grinder each time you get new coffee. If you’re using coffee when it’s at peak quality, this will be around every seven days. Of course, the more often you clean your machine, the better off it will be.
For myself, I bush out my grinder pretty much every day. You don’t have to take your grinder apart – just regular cleaning means you decrease how often you have to clean with chemicals.
- Use an artist’s brush or paintbrush to brush away the coffee grounds where you can.
- Take some paper towels to wipe out the ground bin or collection container if your machine has one.
- Use a paper towel to wipe the hopper if the grinder has one. (If the oil is stuck on, use some descaling solution).
- Avoid using water, as this will cause the burrs to rust.
6 Commonly Asked Questions
How Do Coffee Grinds Affect Flavor?
A good, clean and clear-tasting coffee – one with depth and clarity of flavor – will be a coffee that has been grounded evenly and well-extracted. This is because all the coffee particles have extracted at about the same rate.
A cup of coffee made with beans that have been grounded unevenly will have a muddy, sour, bitter taste. The uneven grounds were subjected to over-extraction while the boulders were under-extracted. This leaves a taste of over and under extracted flavors that don’t taste right in any cup of coffee.
What’s The Impact On Taste If My Coffee Is Under-Extracted?
Under-extracted coffee taste is sour and weak. It lacks any depth of flavor, and what flavor there is quickly disappears.
What’s The Impact On Taste If My Coffee Is Over-Extracted?
Over-extracted coffee is bitter, and if you taste that in your coffee, it means the beans were over-extracted. While some bitterness is good, the toleration level of bitterness differs from one person to another. Over-extracted coffee can give you a dry mouth feeling – no sweetness and emptiness.
What Does A Well-Extracted Coffee Taste Like?
I’m happy you asked. A well-extracted coffee will have defined flavors and balance. It’s typically sweet with very little acidity and bitterness. This kind of coffee is clear with a clean flavor profile. Think of it as eating a peach or candy floss. That’s how clear it can be.
Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter?
Bitter-tasting coffee is typically the result of grinding the coffee too fine. Scale back a bit on this, so the coffee grind is coarser. If this doesn’t help, try using water that’s not as hot (92 degrees Celsius). If neither one helps, it could be the coffee you’re using. Go with a lighter roast.
Why Does My Coffee Taste Sour?
Sour coffee is a sign of under-extraction. Try making the grind finer and see if this helps. You can also try brewing with hotter water (bear in mind that hotter water brings out sweetness while less hot water brings out acidity).
Pay mind to the process on the label of the bag. Poor quality natural coffee exhibits sour flavor. If this doesn’t help, go with a coffee that has been roasted darker.
Now that you have got your coffee grinder ready, but still deciding on which brew methods to start brewing your own tasty coffee at home or work? Be sure to check out other buying guides below: