Coffee begins to stale about twenty-five minutes after grinding. At Coffee Fresh, Inc., we encourage our customers to grind their own coffee immediately before brewing. Since different grinds work best for different brewers, here is a quick look at the most common brewer types*, the grind that works best for each, and directions on how to use them.
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French Press Example: Bodum, Planetary Design |
Coarse Grind |
Pro-Makes Great Coffee, Low Cost Con-Manual, Easy to overheat water (don't boil!) While presses come in many sizes, each only brews one amount of coffee. |
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Heat water to 200 degrees F. For 16 oz. press: Put 1 oz. (2 heaping tablespoons) ground coffee into press, pour in hot water to ½ an inch from top, steep 4 minutes and press. Total time: 5-10 minutes |
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Electric Percolator Example: Farberware, Presto |
Medium Grind |
Pro-Easy to use, Mostly automatic, Can vary amount of coffee brewed. Con-Can burn coffee if left on after perking. |
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Pour desired amount of water into percolator. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of ground coffee per cup in basket. Assemble unit, plug it in, turn it on and wait. Total time: 5-10 minutes |
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Auto Drip Example: Mr. Coffee |
Medium-Fine Grind |
Pro-Easy to use, Mostly automatic, Can vary amount of coffee brewed. Con-Warming plate can burn coffee. Different units may heat water differently, resulting in over- or under-extracted coffee. |
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Pour desired amount of water into tank. Place filter in basket and measure 1 heaping tablespoon of ground coffee per cup into filter. Put carafe under basket, turn unit on and wait. Total time: 5-10 minutes |
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Single Cup Brew System Example: Keurig |
Medium-Fine Grind |
Pro-Fast, easy to use, Mostly automatic Con-Only makes one cup at a time |
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Pour water into brewer reservoir. Measure 2 tablespoons ground coffee into system's reusable filter cup (ex. MY K-Cup®). Insert cup into machine. Hit brew button. Total time: 2 minutes |
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Manual Drip Example: Melita, Swiss Gold |
Fine Grind |
Pro-Easy to use, Low cost, Can vary amount of coffee brewed. Con-Manual. Easy to overheat water (don't boil!) |
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Heat water to 200 degrees F. Put filter in cone/basket and measure 1 heaping tablespoon of ground coffee per cup into filter. Place basket over carafe. Measure hot water, pour over coffee and let drip. Total time: 5-10 minutes |
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Espresso Example: Rancilio, Krups |
Extra-Fine Grind |
Pro-Very fast, Many can steam milk for Lattes and Mochas Con-Expensive Equipment, Hard to Clean. Complex process. Brews set amount (1-2.5 ounces) depending on size of portafilter. |
| Turn on espresso machine. Grind coffee to top of portafilter and tamp. Put portafilter in espresso machine and when water is hot, hit switch for brew. Turn off in 25-30 seconds or when shot glasses are full. Total time: 1-2 minutes | ||
Some of our customers have asked us to grind their whole bean coffee before we ship it. If you would like to try fresh roasted coffee, but don't have a grinder, just click "the special instructions to merchant" link on the page with the final "pay now" button (or drop us an email) and ask for the coffee to be ground. Let us know what kind of brewer you use and we will happily grind your coffee before shipping it to you.
It is possible to make great coffee with any of the brewer styles listed above. Here at Coffee Fresh, Inc., we make our drip coffee with a Planetary Design French press and our espresso with a Rancilio espresso machine. Since a given coffee will have a very different flavor depending on how dark it's roasted, we've also included a table that lists out the various trade-offs for each roast level from the lightest to the darkest.
| Name | Brightness | Body | Aroma | Varietal Character |
Sweetness |
Comment |
| New England | Peak | Medium | High | Peak | Low | East Coast Roast |
| City | High | High | High | High | Medium | Midwest Roast |
| Full City |
High | High | Peak | High | Medium | West Coast Roast |
| Vienna |
Medium | Peak | Peak | Medium | High | European Roast |
| Northern Italian |
Low | Peak | High | Low | Peak | Espresso Roast |
| Southern Italian |
Low | High | Medium | Low | High | Darker Espresso Roast |
| French | Very Low | Medium | Medium | Very Low | Medium | Burns away flaws |
With most coffee, the best drip is made with a City to Vienna roast. The best espresso (where you do not want the acidity) is made with a Northern or Southern Italian roast.
Different coffee cultures traditionally roasted their coffees to different levels. Americans traditionally bought the best coffee and roasted it very light. The Northern and Central Europeans bought lesser coffees and roasted them darker. The French, Spanish and Latin Americans used the worst coffee and roasted it very dark. This has changed completely since WWII with the Europeans and Japanese buying most of the premium coffees and the large American roasters using Robustas and the low quality Arabica beans.
Coffee Fresh, Inc. buys only the finest quality coffee and roasts it to your order. Your Coffee, Your Roast, Your Way
Coffee Fresh, Inc., 2321 Davis St., Unit C, North Chicago, IL 60044 (847)578-0772