Buying ground coffee at the grocery store is easy and cheap. And for those who are satisfied with a cup of such coffee, there is certainly no shortage of choice. But why do some invest in coffee grinders and even get up early in the morning to freshly grind coffee for the first cup of the day? No, not because they are hipsters and just want to appear cool (although maybe a little...).
Below you will find 4 arguments of coffee lovers that explain the reasons for this behavior, which is strange to some.
1. You expect unique and delicate aftertastes from a cup of coffee
A roasted coffee bean contains about 1,000 different volatile aromatic molecules that give coffee its expressive taste. When grinding, i.e. increasing the surface area, these molecules begin to rapidly "escape" from the bean and react with the oxygen in the air. Therefore, the coffee flavor complex fades very quickly.
15 minutes after the coffee has been ground, only 40% of the "delicious" particles remain in it!
Along with these particles, CO2 (carbon dioxide) escapes from the coffee and is the main agent that transfers the oils from your coffee beans, i.e. the flavor and texture, to the drink. Of course, coffee beans are already very porous and CO2 escapes constantly. However, grinding greatly speeds up this process.
And it's a good thing if you pour water over the ground coffee right away, before the particles are dispersed in the air. If these processes did not happen when grinding coffee, it would never delight us with its delicate and complex aftertastes!
2. You want to prepare coffee in different ways or according to different recipes
It is possible that you use, and perhaps want to use, several methods of preparing coffee. For example, you have an espresso machine at home, a Chemex, and you like to sometimes just brew coffee in a cup. If you buy pre-ground coffee, you can only prepare it properly in one of the following ways. The one for whom the coffee was ground. Therefore, you will have to buy a separate package of ground coffee for each of the recipes. If you have a grinder at home, you can taste the same coffee by preparing it in different ways, choosing the right coffee coarseness for each of them.
Coarseness is a critically important parameter that determines how coffee will be extracted . Also, you can control the flavors of the coffee by experimenting with the coarseness of the coffee.
We already shared the coffee coarseness table here: https://www.gday.lt/post/kad-kavos-puodelis-niekada-nenuviltu-6-pagrindines-taisykles
3. You can't get the same taste at home as baristas can
Uneven coffee coarseness can lead to a poor result in a cup of coffee: bitterness or saltiness. It is also more difficult to reproduce the taste of the drink if the coffee is ground unevenly. There is only 1 way to grind coffee unevenly - by using a poor grinder or one that is not suitable for coffee. Larger pieces will contribute to the wateriness of the coffee (it will be more difficult to absorb, add saltiness), and too small grains will make the coffee bitter.
When you buy pre-ground coffee, you can (almost) never be sure that a good and accurate machine was used to grind it.
4. You want to control the thickness and taste of your espresso drink
There is no single right answer to how finely you should grind the coffee you will prepare through the machine. This is influenced by many different parameters: from the ambient temperature and humidity to how long it has been since the coffee was roasted.
Being able to grind coffee at home also gives you the opportunity to experiment. And most importantly, it means the ability to always drink perfectly brewed coffee.
Coffee lovers know very well how important components for a great cup of coffee are its freshness and the right coarseness. And if you're reading this post, you're definitely one of those people who doesn't just want an average cup of coffee to wake you up in the morning. You want a cup that inspires with its complex flavors and fresh aromas. And you already know what to do next!
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