Coffee Grinding, Storing Coffee and The Ultimate Coffee Brew Guide

My family loves it when I visit and it is not because they get to see me, but because I always bring them a pound of Weaver’s Coffee.

My sister’s favorite is Weaver’s Guatemala Antigua Coffee which she brews before work each morning. My father loves Weaver’s Decaf Coffee Blend for his post-dinner cup. My stepmom loves Weaver’s Astral Blend Coffee before she logs on to teach her college classes.

While I am always happy to bring coffee, one of the hardest things to keep straight is how each person is brewing their coffee. My sister uses a French Press, while my dad and step-mom use a traditional coffee pot. My partner uses the stovetop method. My best friend swears by their pour over method.

So, no matter how you brew coffee at home, storing your coffee properly and using the correct grind are essential in making sure your cup of coffee at home is the same quality coffee that you will find in one of our cafés.

Selecting the Correct Coffee Grind

Having your coffee ground for the appropriate method of brewing is crucial. Here are a few coffee grinding tips and a coffee grinding chart.

Typically, when you grind coffee it is either fine, medium, or coarse.

Fine Coffee Grind is usually for Espresso Machines as the water needs to be able to be “packed” so that the water can evenly distribute and extract all the flavor of the ground coffee.

Medium Coffee Grind is most often used for Regular Drip Coffee Pots as well as Pour-Over Coffee. Medium coffee grinds are about the size of granulated sugar, and this is usually what coffee is ground for when you buy pre-ground coffee in the grocery store. Medium coffee grind is the most common coffee grind because it allows water to sit on the coffee grinds and pour through at a consistent speed. Fine coffee takes longer for water to pour through, and coarse coffee will have water pour through it very quickly (think about water pouring through sand versus water pouring through pebbles).

Coarse Coffee Grind is usually for French Press and Stovetop Percolators. Coarse coffee grind will usually be about the same size as commercial breadcrumbs. This coffee grind is used for the French Press and Stovetop Percolators because the hot water needs to be in contact with the coffee, but not have it slip through the filter systems. Coffee that is ground too fine will slip through and a thick sediment will form in the bottom of the cup which can be bitter to the taste.

Storing Coffee

At Weaver’s Coffee & Tea, we roast to order to guarantee freshness. It is important to properly store coffee correctly to preserve this freshness. When storing your coffee, make sure it is in an airtight container placed in a cool, dry spot. A spot in a pantry away from kitchen equipment, or a spot on the counter that does not receive any direct sunshine tend to be ideal spots. Coffee will start to lose its freshness when exposed to oxygen, moisture, and bright light, meaning your cup of brew will taste flatter and intricate undertones will be harder to taste. If you need to store coffee in the freezer, it is better to do so for as short of time as possible. Most containers let in some amount of oxygen which eventually causes freezer burn. Coffee in the freezer will absorb the moisture from other things in the freezer. Once coffee is taken out of the freezer, do not place the coffee back in the freezer. The best way to make sure that you are storing your coffee properly is buying coffee as you need it and grinding it at home.  Ground coffee has more surface area and is prone to losing freshness quicker than beans. 

Coffee Grind Guide for Different Coffee Brewing Equipment

Quick Reference for How to Brew Coffee

French Press Coffee

1. Make sure your coffee is coarse grind. Add 2 tablespoons per 8oz of water.
2. After putting the desired amount of coffee in, add hot water, making sure that all the coffee grounds get wet. Use a wooden spoon to stir the coffee grounds to make sure they are all wet.
3. Place the plunger on top, and wait 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Gently push the plunger down to separate the grounds from the brewed coffee.

Stovetop Percolator Coffee

1. Play around with your grind, but coffee for a stovetop percolator it is usually a coarse grind coffee.
2. Put cold, filtered water in the bottom chamber. Turn on your stove to a medium-high setting to start heating the water.
3. Fill the basket with your coarse grind coffee.
4. Let the water boil, and leave on the heat for about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the stovetop percolator from the heat, let stand one minute, then serve.

Espresso Machine Coffee

1. Make sure your portafilter is clean and dry, as well as the gasket of the machine.
2. Fill your portafilter with the appropriate amount of finely ground coffee (you might need to play around with the grind size in order to get a good espresso pull)
3. Tamp your coffee and make sure it is packed well so water will evenly distribute to extract the coffee.
4. Place your portafilter into the group head and lock in place.
5. Start pulling the hot water to extract a 2oz shot, and drink immediately.

Melitta Pour-Over Coffee

1. Set up your station and put the paper filter in the Melitta ceramic pour over cone.
2. Boil water, and pour over the paper filter to get rid of any paper taste.
3. Dump the paper water out of your mug.
4. Add coffee grinds to the filter, and slowly add water in a circle motion. We recommend about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 8oz of water.
5. Let the coffee bloom, and slowly add more water.
6. Repeat until you have a cup of coffee.

Cold Brew Coffee Recipe

With summer quickly approaching, many people ask me how to make cold brew at home. It is so simple, and is just a few steps like any other brew method.

Recipe: Weaver’s Coffee & Tea

1. Use a coarsely ground coffee, the same type of coffee grind you would use for a French Press.
2. Use a 4 to 1 cold brew coffee ratio of coffee to water.
3. ALWAYS use filtered water.
4. If you want more complex flavors in your cold brew coffee use a coffee blend. Coffee blends have a lot more complex flavor and will make a cold brew coffee taste more “rounded” out versus a single origin.
5. Make sure all the cold brew coffee grounds are wet. Let it sit until the cold brew coffee grounds are layered to the top and do a second stir.
6. Cold-brew coffee can be left on a counter or in a refrigerator. Steep your coffee anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, until you find the timing that works for your taste preference, before serving. We usually steep for 18 hours.
7. Filter the cold brew coffee through a cheesecloth set in a fine mesh strainer. Slowly pour the cold brew coffee through the filter.
8. This is your pure cold brew concentrate. You will need to cut the concentrate with filtered water. We suggest a 1 to 1 ratio.

How to Grind Coffee Beans

How to Store Coffee for Maximum Freshness