Coffee Grind Size Guide
Find the right coffee grind for your taste and equipment with Deadline Coffee
Dialling it in. Your grind, your way.
The grind of your coffee matters, a lot! From muddy moka pots to weak French press brews, the wrong grind can sabotage even the best beans. At Deadline Coffee, we want you to make coffee that works as hard as you do. This guide breaks down the different grind sizes and matches them to the most common brewing methods.
Extra Coarse Grind
Think chunky sea salt. This grind is large and uneven and the best for cold brew or long steeping methods. It allows for a slow extraction, producing smooth, mellow flavours.
Best for: Cold Brew, long immersion methods
Brew time: 12–24 hours
Coarse Grind
Looks like coarse kosher salt or ground pepper. This is the go-to grind for a proper French press. The large particles steep slowly and avoid over-extraction.
Best for: French Press (Cafetière)
Brew time: 4 minutes
Medium-Coarse Grind
Somewhere between sand and salt. Ideal for Chemex or flat-bottomed drippers that need slightly more resistance than a typical filter brew.
Best for: Chemex, clever dripper
Brew time: 3.5–4.5 minutes
Medium Grind
Similar to regular sand or granulated sugar. The most versatile grind — perfect for drip machines, filter brewers, and most pour-over setups.
Best for: V60, AeroPress (with longer steep), drip machines
Brew time: 2.5–4 minutes
Medium-Fine Grind
A bit finer than sand, but not quite powder. Offers good extraction for AeroPress or siphon brewers, depending on steep time and pressure.
Best for: AeroPress, siphon
Brew time: 2–3 minutes
Fine Grind
Similar to table salt. This grind is ideal for espresso machines, moka pots, and high-pressure brews. It allows for fast, rich extraction.
Best for: Espresso, stovetop moka pot
Brew time: 20–30 seconds (espresso), 2–3 minutes (moka)
Extra Fine Grind
Powdery, almost like flour. Used rarely in Western coffee — mainly for Turkish coffee, which requires a very fine grind for immersion and sediment.
Best for: Turkish coffee
Brew time: 3–5 minutes
Grind Type Summary
Here's a quick reference guide...
| Grind Type | Texture | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Coarse | Chunky / Breadcrumbs | Cold Brew, Long Immersion |
| Coarse | Kosher Salt | French Press (Cafetière) |
| Medium-Coarse | Rough Sand | Chemex, Clever Dripper |
| Medium | Granulated Sugar / Sand | V60, Drip Machine, AeroPress (longer steep) |
| Medium-Fine | Fine Sand | AeroPress, Siphon Brewers |
| Fine | Table Salt | Espresso Machine, Moka Pot |
| Extra Fine | Flour / Powdery | Turkish Coffee |
