The Coffee Grinder
All coffee lovers know the important role that the coffee grinder plays in producing the perfect cup of coffee.
The main function of the coffee grinder is to crush the roasted beans into smaller particles. This increases the surface contact of the coffee with the hot water allowing the soluble substances to dissolve.
Due to different machines and water pressure, there is no precise method to determine the correct degree of grind. As a rule of thumb, the type of grind depends on the brewing technique: if the water is in contact with the coffee for a long period of time e.g. when using a plunger, the grind should be coarse.
If the water is to be in contact with the coffee for a short period of time e.g. when using a drip filter, the grind should be fine. For espresso, the grind needs to be medium fine. Generally,the best water-to-coffee ratio is 1 tablespoon of ground coffee (2 tablespoons of whole beans) for each 180ml of water.
You also need to take into consideration the external factors at that time. I often need to reset my Isomac coffee grinder by a notch to adjust for changes in humidity, temperature or the gradual ageing of the beans over a couple of days.
My Isomac grinder is doserless, which means it dispenses the grounds directly into the porta-filter as I only make one or two coffees at a time and it grinds fresh every time. The doser is the cylindrical container on the front of some grinders which receives the ground coffee. There is a lever on the side which you pull, allowing the ground coffee to fall into the porta filter.
Most domestic coffee grinders are doserless but if you will be making a few coffees at a time, it is easier with a grinder that has a doser on it.
It is important to note that no matter how good the quality of your coffee is, if the grind is not * set correctly, then your coffee will have no flavour, taste or aroma.
