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Coffee grind size chart for every brew method

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In short

Grind finer for short, pressurised brews and coarser for long immersion brews. Turkish coffee needs a powder, espresso a fine grind like caster sugar, pour-over and filter a medium grind like sand, and French press and cold brew a coarse grind like sea salt. Grinder numbers differ between models, so use the texture as your guide and adjust by taste.

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Grind size controls how quickly water extracts flavour from coffee. Fine grounds have more surface area, so they extract fast and suit short brews like espresso. Coarse grounds extract slowly and suit long brews like French press. Get it wrong and coffee tastes sour or bitter. The chart below gives rough particle sizes in microns and a texture you can feel, then explains how to map them to your grinder. Treat the micron figures as approximate ranges, since sources and grinders vary.

Grind size chart

Microns are thousandths of a millimetre. The ranges are approximate and overlap, because every grinder produces a spread of particle sizes rather than one exact size.

Extra fineExtra coarse
  1. Turkishabout 100 µm
  2. Espresso200 to 300 µm
  3. Moka pot300 to 500 µm
  4. AeroPress400 to 700 µm
  5. Pour-over500 to 800 µm
  6. Filter machine600 to 900 µm
  7. French press900 to 1,200 µm
  8. Cold brew1,200 to 1,500 µm

Particle sizes in microns are typical values; every grinder's scale is different, so adjust by taste.

Grind size by brew method, from extra fine to extra coarse.
Brew methodGrindRough size (microns)Feels like
TurkishExtra fineUnder 200Flour or icing sugar
EspressoFineAbout 200 to 400Caster sugar
Moka potFine to medium fineAbout 350 to 650Fine table salt
AeroPressMedium fine, adjustableAbout 350 to 800Table salt
Pour-over (V60 and similar)Medium fine to mediumAbout 500 to 900Fine sand
Filter machineMediumAbout 600 to 1000Sand
French pressCoarseAbout 900 to 1300Sea salt
Cold brewExtra coarseAbout 1100 and upPeppercorns, cracked
Approximate grind sizes by brew method

Espresso: the most sensitive grind

Espresso needs a fine, even grind that lets a shot run in roughly 25 to 30 seconds for a standard double. Small changes make a big difference, which is why espresso grinders have fine steps or stepless adjustment. Grind finer if shots run fast and taste sour. Grind coarser if they drip slowly and taste bitter.

A grinder designed for espresso is worth it if you use a manual machine. See our best coffee grinders for espresso. For the Sage Barista Express, see Sage Barista Express grind settings, and for dose and timing see espresso dose and ratio.

Filter, pour-over and French press

Brew methods that use gravity or immersion are more forgiving. For pour-over, adjust grind to hit the brew time your recipe suggests: too fast and coffee tastes thin, too slow and it turns bitter. For French press, a coarse, even grind reduces sludge and makes plunging easier.

Blade grinders struggle to produce an even coarse grind, so a burr grinder helps a lot here. Our best coffee grinders for filter guide covers grinders built for these methods, and conical vs flat burr grinder explains burr types.

How settings map on popular grinders

Grinder numbers are not a standard. Setting 10 on one grinder can be much finer than setting 10 on another, and even two units of the same model can differ slightly. Most grinders put espresso near the fine end and French press near the coarse end, with filter in the middle. Many manuals print a starting range for each method, which is the best place to begin.

From there, change one step at a time and taste. Write down your setting for each bean, because a new roast or a different origin may need a small change. Built-in grinders on bean-to-cup machines usually have only a few steps and are set for espresso style drinks, so they are not suited to French press.

  1. 1

    Start at the maker's suggested setting for your brew method.

  2. 2

    Brew and taste, noting the brew time.

  3. 3

    Sour or weak: go a step finer. Bitter or harsh: go a step coarser.

  4. 4

    Change only one thing at a time, and keep notes.

Fresh beans and burr care

Grinding just before brewing keeps more aroma, because ground coffee goes stale faster than whole beans. Clean burrs give a more consistent grind. Old oils and packed fines change how coffee flows through the grinder. See how to clean a coffee grinder for a simple routine.

Frequently asked questions

What grind size is best for espresso? A fine grind, similar to caster sugar, adjusted so a double shot runs in roughly 25 to 30 seconds. The exact setting depends on your grinder and beans.

Can I use espresso grind in a cafetière? It is not ideal. Fine grounds pass through the mesh and over-extract, giving bitter, muddy coffee. Use a coarse grind instead.

What grind is best for a filter coffee machine? A medium grind, like sand. Adjust slightly finer if coffee tastes weak, coarser if it tastes bitter.

Why do grinder numbers differ between brands? There is no standard scale. Each maker numbers its own adjustment range, so use texture and taste as your guide.

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