The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up and Using Your Coffee Grinder in the Best Way Possible

Grinding coffee is the most important step in the entire brewing process – more important than both the brewing method and water temperature. An incorrect grind size can ruin even the best roasted coffee. Here you get a complete and practical guide.

Arabica Robusta kaffebønner Home Roast

Why the grind size is crucial

Home-roasted coffee is often fresher and has a higher CO₂ content than factory-roasted coffee. This means:

  • It “blooms” a lot (especially 1–7 days after roasting)
  • It often requires a slightly coarser grind than store-bought coffee to avoid over-extraction
  • The flavor nuances are more delicate – a small change in grind size results in a big difference in taste

The main types of grinders

Kværntype Fordele Ulemper
Bladekværn (knive) Billig Ujævn kværning, varmeudvikling
Entry-level burr Ok til filter Ikke superpræcis til espresso
Mellemklasse burr Meget ensartet, god til både filter og espresso Pris
High-end burr Ekstrem ensartethed, minimal retention Høj pris

Grind size overview

Bryggemetode Kværningsgrad Ser ud som
Tyrkisk Ekstra fin Mel
Espresso Fin Fint bordssalt
Moka pot Mellem-fin Fint salt
Pour Over (V60, Kalita) Mellem Groft flormelis / fint sand
Chemex Mellem-grov Groft sand
Stempelkande (French Press) Grov Groft havsalt / knust peber
Cold brew Ekstra grov Små sten
Kaffekværn Home Roast

How to adjust the grinder – step by step (the correct method)

Most people make the mistake of blindly trusting the grinder's numbers. Instead, do this: 1. Start with the manufacturer's recommended setting for your brewing method. 2. Brew a test with 18 g of coffee (or your usual dose). 3. Taste and note: - Sour/bitter at the same time or thin body → too coarse - Very bitter, very bitter and dry → too fine - Perfect balance → you've hit it! 4. Adjust only 1–2 steps at a time (on most grinders = 0.1–0.2 mm). 5. Shake/pop the grinder lightly between adjustments to avoid "clumps." 6. Repeat until you hit the sweet spot – this usually takes 2–5 attempts. Tip: Write down your settings per bean and roast level (light/medium/dark). Home-roasted beans change a lot during the first 10–14 days.
Rejse Espressomaskine Home Roast

Pro-tips

  • Grind just before brewing – never in advance. Freshly roasted coffee oxidizes extremely quickly.
  • Use WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) for espresso – freshly roasted coffee clumps more
  • Single-dose if you can – switch between beans without waste
  • Clean the grinder every 1–2 kg of beans (use, for example, Grindz or rice – but rice wears down cheap burrs)
  • Never store beans in the grinder – CO₂ pressure can push oil out and grease the burrs
  • If you have a grinder with flat burrs: The first 5–10 g after adjustment can be uneven – grind a little away

The golden rule

Your grinder is more important than your coffee machine.

A mediocre machine with perfect grinding always beats an expensive machine with poor grinding.

Good grinding out there – and remember: The perfect setting today is not necessarily the perfect one tomorrow. Taste, adjust, repeat.

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