Why Is It Important to Grind Your Own Coffee?

We often say here at Rave that the easiest way to step up your coffee game is to invest in a good grinder. But why doest that even matter?

The Science of Coffee Freshness

Coffee is complex, not in the same way your early 2000’s MySpace account says you were, but because it is made up of hundreds of compounds that contribute to its flavour and aroma. When coffee beans are roasted, these compounds undergo chemical changes that create a variety of flavours or, as we like to call them; tasting notes. However, this complexity also means coffee is highly perishable. Exposure to air, moisture, light, and heat can degrade these compounds, leading to a stale or flat-tasting brew.

Grinding coffee accelerates this degradation. Once a bean is ground, its surface area increases dramatically, making it more vulnerable to oxidation. This is the same process that turns a sliced apple brown or causes an old beer to taste awful.

The Flavour Impact of Freshly Ground Coffee 🤤

When you grind coffee right before brewing, you get its full potential. Here’s how:

• Preserving Aromas: Freshly ground coffee releases an intense burst of aroma because volatile compounds, which are responsible for coffee’s smell, are at their peak. These compounds dissipate quickly once exposed to air, so grinding just before brewing ensures you capture them in your cup.
  
  

• Retaining Essential Oils: Coffee beans contain oils that contribute to their flavour and texture. Grinding exposes these oils to oxygen, causing them to degrade. By grinding immediately before brewing, you minimise this loss.
  
  

• Enhanced Flavour Profile: The combination of preserved aromas and oils results in a more vibrant, nuanced flavour profile. You’ll notice brighter acidity, sweeter notes, and a fuller body compared to pre-ground coffee.
  
  

The Drawbacks of Pre-Ground Coffee

There’s no escaping it: pre-ground coffee is convenient and fractionally cheaper because you don’t have to take into account the cost of your own grinder. However, it does compromise quality of the coffee in several ways:

• Inconsistent Particle Size: Pre-ground coffee is typically ground for general brewing, not tailored to specific methods. This can lead to uneven extraction and an imbalanced brew. Why buy good quality beans when you aren’t going to be able to make the most of it by buying mass produced ground coffee.

• Shorter Shelf-life: Pre-ground coffee starts to lose its freshness as soon as it is ground resulting in a dull and stale taste while whole beans can stay fresh for weeks when stored properly, but more on that later…

• You Don’t Know How Old It Is: Here we put on our bag when the beans were roasted so you know exactly how fresh those beans are, even if you order ground coffee with us. With supermarket-bought coffee, you don’t know that information and could end up with staler coffee.

The Role of Grind Size in Brewing ☕️

Another reason to grind fresh is the control it gives you over grind size, which significantly affects brewing. Each brewing method requires a specific grind size to optimise extraction:

• Coarse Grind: for French press or cold brew, where water has a longer contact time with the grounds.

• Medium Grind: for drip coffee makers and pour-over methods.

• Fine Grind: for espresso machines, which require quick extraction under pressure.

• Extra-Fine Grind: for Turkish coffee (if you haven’t heard of this, you need to), which involves boiling the grounds.

Tools for Grinding Coffee at Home

To grind fresh coffee, you’ll need a quality grinder. Here are the main types:

• Blade Grinders: These are affordable and easy to use but produce uneven particles, which can lead to inconsistent extraction.

• Burr Grinders: Preferred by coffee enthusiasts, burr grinders offer precise and uniform grinding. They come in two varieties:

• Flat Burr: Provides consistent results and is ideal for espresso.

• Conical Burr: Versatile and slightly more affordable, suitable for various brewing methods.

While burr grinders are an investment, their ability to deliver consistent grind sizes makes them worth it for anyone serious about coffee.

Hand Ground vs Machine Ground

We sell both on our website, but which one should you choose? Well ultimately that comes down to price, space and time.

• Space: Our kitchen counters are getting busier and busier with your airfrier, slow cooker and your massive toasters. It can be hard to justify fitting in another appliance which is where the hand grinders come in. As they require no power you can pop them anywhere or take them with you. 

• Time: Hand grinders need time to perfect. Unlike an electric one where you hit a button and -wham- ground coffee to the coarseness you are after, hand grinders require you to put in the elbow grease yourself. There is a learning curve with manual grinding too as you will need to work out the time and effort it takes to get you the right coarseness for your brewing method. 

• Price: Hand grinders will take up less space in your house and also on your credit card. But both can end up giving your bank balance a good working over with some costing thousands, so spend wisely!    

Tips for Maximising Freshness

Grinding fresh is only part of the equation to making sure you make the most out of our hard work roasting those beans .

 

Buy Whole Beans: This is what Rave lives and dies by obviously.

 

Store Properly: Use an airtight container and keep your beans in a cool, dark place to minimise exposure to air, moisture, and light. Check out Airscapes for the best out there for keeping your coffee on lockdown.

 

Grind as Needed: Only grind the amount you plan to brew so you make the most of the beans you have.

 

Use Quickly: They will still taste great but the flavours will start to dull the longer you leave it. 

 

The Final Sip ☕️

At Rave Coffee, we are always going to be biased about buying fresh whole beans rather than your store-brought ground coffee. We built Rave by the mantra of fresh coffee done simply. Grinding your own coffee beans at home is honestly the best way to make the most of your coffee. Freshness isn’t just a luxury—it’s the key to top draw coffee.