How To Grind Coffee For Percolator Like A Pro!

Now is as good a time as any for a reminder that a clean coffee grinder is a great coffee grinder. A coffee grinder can become clogged up with old grinds that get stuck when you grind coffee beans.

Also, they can become rather messy with the coffee oil from old beans. All of which are detrimental to the quality and taste of the coffee you brew.

I repeat this often on this site – coffee is a food product. Treat it as such and keep your equipment clean and your beans stored perfectly for maximum freshness.

Step 2: Weigh Your Beans

The only way of ensuring your coffee has the maximum freshness possible is to take the maximum care of them. With freshly roasted beans that you have either roasted yourself or bought freshly roasted (check the roasted on date) weigh the exact amount of beans you will be using.

Only grind what you are about to use. And keep your coffee beans stored in an airtight coffee canister with a one-way valve. Store this canister in the fridge.

When you are grinding only what you are about to use, you keep your beans fresher and better stored, your hopper is empty, and your grinder is easier to brush out and keep clean!

Step 3: Fill The Hopper

Remove the lid of the coffee bean hopper and put your beans in. Replace the lid.

Step 4: Select The Grind Size

On your coffee grinder, select the largest grinding size that it will permit.

Step 5: Grind Your Beans

Press the on button and start grinding your coffee beans.

Why Is Coffee Grind Size Important?

Your coffee beans are ground to extract the flavor from the beans with water, which will result in a cup of coffee. How fresh your beans are as well as the quality of the beans and the size of the grind have an impact on the flavor and aroma of your coffee.

As soon as you grind your coffee beans, the flavor is starting to deteriorate due to the coffee particles and compounds starting to oxidize due to contact with the air.

As a side note, your beans are at their freshest 3 days after roasting and will remain so for about a week this 7 day period is known as the peak freshness and flavor window. This is why, at Latte Love Brew we encourage you to join the home roasting revolution and roast your own beans.

The size of your grind will dramatically affect the flavor of your brew. You absolutely must use the correct grind size for your brewing method.

As your coffee grounds come into contact with the hot or cold water, the different flavor compounds are released at different times, with the bitter flavors being the last to get extracted and the sharp acidic flavors last.

Somewhere in between the two, the acidic and bitter flavors is the sweet spot, where all the lovely typical coffee flavors and notes and oils come through.

The extraction, the correct and perfect extraction, is a result of the contact time between the water and the coffee grounds. This, for each brewing technique, is determined by the size of the grounds.

The slower brewing methods need a larger grind due to the longer contact time, the longer duration of the water being in contact with the water.

There is a “sweet spot” between the coffee grounds and the water being in contact. Too long and your coffee will taste bitter, too short, and it tastes watery and slightly salty.

The correct grind size helps to make your cup of coffee taste amazing as you dial in the right grind size calculated to the amount of time it is in contact with the water.

If you are going to drip brew, make filter coffee or cold brew with a fine powder espresso like grind you will end up with a horrid very overly bitter coffee. A finer grind has a greater surface area and thus a much stronger bitter result.

This is why, and how, you can use a very short brewing time with an espresso.

What Is The Best Setting On My Grinder For Percolator Coffee?

With percolator coffee, a coarse grind is best. This is usually the biggest and highest setting on your grinder. A coarse grind is good for percolator coffee, French press and cold brew to name only a few.

Medium grind size is good for your everyday cup of coffee and drip coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Grind Coffee For Percolator

What Is The Best Coffee Grind For A Percolator?

A coarse, even grind size is the best grind size of percolator coffee. Percolator is a simple and easy brewing method that needs a large grind size. A smaller grind will result in an over brewed and bitter coffee.

Can I Use Regular Ground Coffee In A Percolator?

Yes, you can use regular coffee in your percolator coffee maker as long as it is of a coarse and even grind size. If it is of medium-coarse size, it is too small and will need to adjust your brew time to compensate for the smaller size.

How Long To Grind Coffee Beans For Percolator?

 For coarse and even grind size, grind for 8 to 10 seconds for a couple of seconds at a time.

How Much Ground Coffee Do You Put In A Percolator?

How much ground coffee you put in your percolator depends on how much coffee you want to make. The ideal coffee to water ratio is 1:15, one part coffee and 15 parts coffee. If you want to make 15 ounces of coffee (450 ml) use one ounce (30 grams) of ground coffee.

Does Finer Grind Mean Stronger Coffee?

Yes, a finer grind leads to a stronger tasting cup of coffee due to the increased contact area that your water has with the coffee grounds and thus a fuller and stronger coffee.

Also,

the smaller grind size may, depending on the brewing method, lead to a cup of coffee that is higher in caffeine.

Also, the opposite is true: a coarser grind means a weaker cup of coffee due to the reduced total surface area that your water is in contact with.

Is Coarse Ground Coffee Best For Percolator?

Yes, a coarser grind size is best for percolator coffee. Your coarse coffee grounds should be approximately the same size as sea salt.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – How To Grind Coffee For Percolator

If you have read this far you have learned how to grind coffee for percolator coffee, what grind size to use and more importantly why you should keep your hopper empty and clean to maximize the freshness of your coffee.

I hope you paid attention to the short section on the role that grind size plays in coffee brewing as it is crucial and critical to getting the best tasting coffee. It is also the reason why grind consistency is important as different grind sizes will extract at different rates leading to an unevenly brewed coffee.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location