The process of making coffee at home can be overwhelming. Even if you use a simple French press or an old-school drip coffee maker with one button, you still have to choose the beans. While it may be the easier choice to go with the pre-ground coffee, it’s really best to grind your own beans at home for the freshest and best flavor possible. There are over 16 types of coffee roasts, which might make the process of selecting beans to brew at home even more daunting, but it’s okay to stick to the basics, including light, medium, and dark. We spoke with Jee Choe, a coffee and tea sommelier, who gave us some tips on grind size and the effect it can have on your coffee brewing experience — specifically if you prefer dark roasts.
“Lighter roasts tend to be less soluble than darker roasts so you will need to do a finer grind,” Choe advised. “Dark roast coffee is more soluble, which means you can do a coarser grind whereas you’ll need to do a slightly finer grind to get the same extraction.” In this context, coarse means a larger grind size, and fine means a smaller one. Keeping that in mind, Choe warned about the risks of using too fine a grind for your dark roasts. “Dark roast coffee extracts easily and if you grind your coffee too fine, there will be too much surface area, leading to a bitter and astringent taste,” she said.
The best dark roast coffee starts with the proper grind size
As Jee Choe noted, the grind size you choose for your beans can either enhance or diminish their flavor and delicate tasting notes. Dark roast coffee beans have a deeper, more intense flavor compared to their light roast counterparts, which makes them better for making iced coffee. In addition to iced coffee, dark roasted beans are also great for making cold brew coffee at home due to their flavor profile and their tendency to be less acidic compared to lighter roasts. Whether hot or cold, dark roast coffee tends to have more bold flavors.
While these are great guidelines to follow, every bean and roasting method can vary slightly, so when tinkering with your coffee grinder, Choe recommends “trial and error in adjusting the grind size for the light or dark roast coffee and see which tastes best for you.” Given how they’re easier to brew and extract, dark-roasted beans might be the best place to start for a beginner brewer. They’re also a great place to begin when making espresso at home, either in a traditional countertop espresso machine or even using a stovetop espresso maker like a moka pot. Once you’ve found beans roasted to your liking, make sure you store those specialty beans properly so they don’t lose their freshness or flavor.
