It's time to talk about grinding, with Johnny Jeon

We went through the stages that led us from where coffee grows, how it should be harvested and processed, to the roasted bean as we know it: now it's time to talk about grinding! Our Korean Coffee Pro Johnny Jeon will share tips and tricks with us.

How can you tell when the grind is wrong and how do you fix it?

“Setting the grind size correctly is essential for the success of the final product, but more than often this important step is overlooked.

If we are talking about espresso, we can consider some generic indications on extraction times. If espresso is brewed for too long – I’d say for more than 35 seconds after the start of the percolation phase - it means that the coffee has been ground too finely. In this case we can fix it by increasing the grind size on our coffee grinder.

Obviously this solution can be different depending on the grinder we are using: some grinders such as our Dc One and Dc Two are provided with a display and electronic buttons to dial in these parameters, while other coffee grinders - such as our Max – are equipped with a simple adjustment ring.

When the total infusion time is less than 15 seconds after the first drop of coffee flows down the portafilter’s spout, that means that the coffee has been ground too coarsely instead. When the extraction is too quick, this also leads to a shorter pre-infusion and as a consequence, fewer aromatic notes in the final cup.

So how long should an extraction take?

I always consider the extraction to be on average between 20-30 seconds after the start of the percolation phase, which takes place immediately after the pre-infusion phase and mustn’t be confused with the start of the extraction!

Thank you Johnny for these valuable tips, now we can see some of the most commonly used equipment for coffee extraction. We will obviously start with professional espresso machines, with Paolo Dalla Corte. Don't miss it! #beantocup #makeitbetter