Espresso Grinder Coarseness Calibration Tutorial: Solving Over-/Under-Extraction Problems

One of the most crucial brewing factors for espresso is the grinder. The grinder allows you to select how fine or coarse your coffee beans are. Too fine of a grind, and you could have bitter coffee this is over-extraction. It that comes out too coarse, your coffee might under-extract and taste weak. 

How to Change Your Espresso Grinder Settings For The Best Flavor

If you want to taste your espresso at its highest flavor potential, you want to dial in the grinder. First, see if your espresso has a bitter taste. If it is able to, then that may be too fine. One thing you might want to try is grinding the beans a tiny bit coarser. Begin with a small adjustment, say a click or two on the grinder settings, then pull a shot of espresso. Taste it and find out how different it is. 

The Best Espresso Grinder Calibrations Techniques and Where to Find Them

It can be overwhelming to locate the best methods to calibrate your espresso grinder. But don’t worry! A lot of interesting places to learn from. 10 Take an online class from tutorials or videos. There are a lot of coffee experts on YouTube giving you tips and tricks. They frequently present how to adjust grinders one step at a time, and easy for you to follow along. You can also go to coffee shops near you. 

What Coarseness Should You Grind For Espresso

Coarseness of the coffee grounds really matters when you’re brewing espresso. For commercial coffee grinder machine the ideal coarseness is usually very fine like table salt or perhaps even finer. That’s because espresso is brewed by shooting hot water through the grounds very rapidly, so the coffee must be ground fine enough to let its flavor be extracted quickly. Too coarse and the water runs through too fast, not allowing you to get the full flavor out of your coffee. That can result in weak, watery espresso, and that’s not the drink you want. 

How To Spot Under-Extraction In Your Espresso

Under-extraction occurs when the good espresso grinder has not been brewed long enough, or left to brew for too short a time. If your espresso is too sour or weak, you might be under-extracting. Start by observing the color of your espresso. Espresso that’s done right should be a deep, rich dark color with a luscious layer of crema on top. If your espresso looks pale and lacks a good crema, it might be under-extracted. 

How to Fix Them

When you discover your espresso is under-extracted, there’s a few quick fixes. Begin by looking at the grind size on your Selectric coffee grinder machine finer the grounds, the longer it takes for water to pass through them and create your brew in other words, more time for water to draw out flavors from the coffee bean. Begin by moving the grinder to a notch finer, try pouring another shot.