Finer grind when extracting Espresso – Should or shouldn’t?

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Recently, experts have discovered that using too fine a grind can have an undesirable impact on Espresso extraction. This is quite strange to almost all bartenders and consumers. Because for a long time, the process of preparing espresso has always been associated with finer grind mode. So, should finer grind when extracting Espresso? Explore with 43 Factory Coffee Roaster!

The finer grind causes in a weaker espresso extraction

Espresso is prepared by grinding roasted coffee beans into small particles. The coffee ground is then compressed and hot water is passed through at high pressure. From there, the soluble content of the beans dissolves into the flowing water, creating espresso extract. Water will flow faster through fine, compacted particles. Therefore, the fine grind will help reduce flow resistance and extract more. From this rule, many people believe that the finer the grind, the more coffee will be extracted. However, that is not the case. Professor William Lee from the University of Huddersfield said that when the particle size is too small, the flow speed may exceed normal limits. This causes an initial difference in flow resistance. This creates an initial difference in flow resistance, resulting in a reduced, underdeveloped extract with an excessively fine grind size. Another experiment also showed a counterintuitive phenomenon in the espresso brewing process. A finer grind can result in an underdeveloped or weaker espresso and ruin the espresso extraction.

Grinding fineness may cause extraction efficiency to decrease

Finer grind causes uneven espresso extraction

According to research published in the American Institute of Physics, grinding too finely is the “culprit” leading to uneven espresso extraction. Scientists at the University of Huddersfield said it was possible that this could happen due to interactions between dissolution and flow due to the particle layer being too small. This means that when the coffee grounds are too fine, it can lead to an uneven flow of water through the coffee grounds during the extraction process. The increased flow difference leads to the appearance of more flow (channeling phenomenon). That said, water will as a rule seek paths of least resistance through the coffee beans, causing some areas to be poorly extracted and making the overall extraction weaker.

Coffee grounds that are too fine can lead to uneven water flow

Should you choose the finer grinding level when extracting espresso?

Given the risks of weak, uneven extraction, experts advise against setting the grind too fine when extracting espresso. To choose the right grind, you need to understand coffee, taste, and experiment. Because each person has their taste preferences. However, not only testing the grinding level, you need to control and adjust both time, compression force, and extraction pressure. In particular, you can start with an average grind level, extraction time is about 25-30 seconds and slowly increase the grind level until you get satisfactory results.

Setting a moderately fine grind level helps extract espresso better

Choosing the ground level for espresso is an important part of the brewing process, and grinding too fine can cause some unwanted problems. For more insightful tips and information about making coffee, follow 43 Factory Coffee Roaster’s news channel!

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