Nothing beats a freshly brewed cup of coffee to kickstart your morning; the sensory brewing experience, the fresh aroma through your kitchen space the first thing in the morning, and the flavorful cup that you just can’t resist.
Of course, grinding coffee beans only takes a few seconds from your morning schedule, but this looks infinitely longer when you’re rushing through a busy morning to get to work on time or just check off the next thing in your to-do list. So, you may be asking, is it worth it?
Let’s find out why you should grind your own coffee beans.
Benefits of Grinding Your Own Coffee
Grinding your own coffee beans comes with multiple benefits, which we’ll cover in a moment.
But just before that, it’s worth noting the various characteristics that affect your grinding journey and the juicy benefits you’ll extract from your grind:
- Coffee bean structure: Dark coffee beans are more brittle than light counterparts, which are more pliable and tenacious. This affects the size of the particles after grinding.
- Roast type: There are various variations of coffee bean depending on its type (Arabica or Robusta), the altitude where the bean is grown, the bean harvesting stage, and the processing. All these factors affect the grind you’ll achieve.
- Your grinder: The type of grinder you use highly affects the quality of your grind, and ultimately the quality and flavor of your coffee. There are several types of coffee grinders, each with a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. You’ll find a burr grinder better instead of the blade grinder for many reasons:
- You have a great choice of grind size
- They make uniform texture of grinds
- They offer consistency in grinding and are long-lasting
Burr coffee grinders can either be manual or electric. Manual burr grinders are an excellent choice for beginners and veterans alike. They are inexpensive, light, and offer a personal coffee-making experience, unlike their commercial counterparts.
- Quenching method: You may not know this, but how the coffee beans are cooled (either by air or water) after roasting affects the consistency of grind particles.
That said, here are the reasons why grind coffee beans:
Fresh Heavenly Aroma
If you’re a coffee-lover, the smell of coffee contributes to the overall taste of your favorite cup of joe. The enticing aroma alone is enough morning boost before you even immerse yourself into the drink. It creates a full-circle enjoyment of the drink. Besides, the freshly ground coffee fragrance will linger in the air long after your coffee grinding experience is over. Plus, it’s also a great way to bring smiles to the faces of other coffee lovers by inviting them to enjoy the stimulating beverage.
Grinding coffee beans initiates oxidation—the process where compounds in coffee interact with air molecules. In the process, numerous desirable flavor and aroma compounds are released from the bean. Taking freshly grinding the beans, not pre-ground, means you enjoy the unique aromas and flavors before they’d be lost if coffee is stored ground.
Flavorful Taste of Freshly Ground Coffee
Unless you’re looking for the coffee hit alone, you want a cup of coffee that is filled with various flavor and aroma profiles. Freshly ground coffee tastes better as it is packed with undertones and overtones of flavor; acidic or bitter, sweet, bland, or sharp coffee and aromas that are fruity, flowery, herby, chocolatey, or nutty.
Like in oxidation, moisture particles degrade the flavor of the coffee. When pre-ground, coffee is at more risk of coming into contact with moisture in the air. When that happens, the moisture begins to break down the organic molecules that preserve coffee’s flavor depth, a process that should occur in brewing to give the full depth of taste. For this reason, you want to brew your coffee immediately after grinding to get the best of the precious flavor-giving oils.
Grind Just What You Need
As we earlier mentioned, pre-ground coffee loses a lot of flavors after grinding. This means that you’ll need to use more coffee to achieve the same flavors as when using fresh grinds. Besides, by grinding at home, you can track the amount of coffee needed to ensure no waste in the process. Your coffee beans will last you longer, and they’ll cost you less.
Rewarding Coffee-Making Experience
If you’re anything like us, coffee isn’t just about the caffeine. The process of making it counts; it comes full circle to enjoying your cup of joe. Grinding your coffee beans comes close to understanding your favorite beverage all around. You experience how grinding affects the final product, and by day, you get better at it. You’ll end up seeking more information about coffee making, brewing, temperatures, flavors, and how to make the best taste coffee.
Sure, you can’t expect your first grind and brew to be excellent, otherwise, you’ll be frustrated and give up grinding and brewing your own coffee. As you learn the basics, a few tips on what makes your brew flavorful, you’ll become better. In the process, you’ll feel more control over your coffee-making skills, knowing that your grind affects the quality and flavor of your coffee.
Best Preservation of Coffee
Coffee is considered fresh thirty minutes after grinding. After that, it begins to lose its freshness, and the longer it stays, the more it loses its fresh taste. The best preservation method is grinding at home. Freshly roasted coffee beans remain fresh for up to two weeks. To keep them as fresh as possible, take note of these tips:
- Avoid heat, moisture, air, and light: These elements deteriorate your coffee beans as they interact with the coffee molecules. When storing coffee beans, use air-tight and opaque containers and store them in dark at room temperature.
- Don’t buy in bulk: You may be tempted to stock up your coffee beans for the next few months, but it’s better to buy small portions frequently for better preservation.
- Avoid contaminants: Beyond the moisture and air, coffee absorbs other elements from the atmosphere. The porous nature of the coffee particles can easily cause them to be contaminated by smells. The more exposed the surface of your coffee is, the higher the likelihood of it taking scents.
You want to keep your coffee beans from any contaminants as they can lead to the decay of organic molecules. Your coffee can become stale faster. Also, don’t be tempted to store your ground coffee in the fridge, as some people recommend. In the fridge, you expose the grounded coffee to odors and contaminants.
Total Control of Your Grind
Buying pre-ground coffee means you have limited options for your grind. With your whole bean and the grinder of our choice, you’ll not have to worry about the grind size. This level of control offers you a world of possibilities in every aspect of your brewing. You have more versatility and control over your coffee brewing method. For instance, brewing an espresso, AeroPress, or pour-over, all require different grind sizes.
There are several grind sizes you can achieve grinding from home:
- Extra fine grind: These are extra-fine grinds that feel like flour. It’s not known to many since it requires a special grinder to make.
- Fine grind: If you’re looking for an espresso grind, this is your sure candidate. It can be used in filter brew and electric drip coffee makers.
- Medium grind: This is the size of granulated sugar and is the most common in pre-ground coffee. It works well for drip and vacuum coffee makers. This grind is the most versatile and only requires being in contact with water for a few seconds.
- Coarse grind: These have the largest grind particles, the size of commercial bread crumbs. They are ideal for French Press and in percolators. For better flavor with a coarse grind, you want to leave the coffee in water longer.
A Perfect Budget Saving Option
Coffee can be expensive, but with your own grinder, and the willingness to spend some time grinding, you’ll save money without sacrificing the quality of your coffee. All you need to get started is a good quality grinder, and you’ll no longer wait up for coffee roasters to grind and charge you for it.
Is Grinding Coffee Beans Worth It?
Grinding is one of the most essential yet overlooked components of coffee making. It determines the overall quality, flavor, and taste of your brew. If you’re looking for more flavor, freshness, and quality in a delicious cup of coffee, grinding your own coffee will be worth it. It is easy and should only take you a short time, with the right grinder.
