Coffee Grinding - The 5M Rule for More Coffee Enjoyment
Find the perfect espresso grinder - this is what you should look out for! Long gone are the days when a reasonably suitable coffee grinder was set up somehow and the day's amount was ground in the morning. Luckily, because the result was always just somehow...
Today, baristas attach much more importance to the grinder, the grinding point, the degree of grinding and also the way of grinding. If the starting product "coffee" is high quality and perfectly roasted, the grinding process deserves the right and regular attention! Depending on the weather, humidity and temperature, the coffee grounds influence the complex extraction process.
Better quality means more enjoyment and more sales for the catering industry!
A really good espresso, cappuccino, etc. makes the customer happy. If just one more cup is sold every day due to the high quality, then at €2.00 net sales x 300 working days, that's a real €600 more in the till every year!
The reverse is also true: if you save on coffee quality, you save on sales... Real "saving" starts with investing in high-quality equipment and good coffee - for a new restaurateur, this can also mean good and refurbished used equipment - just ask us.
5M rule for the perfect espresso
The preparation of high-quality espresso should be carried out carefully so that the aromas can fully develop with this method of preparation. The bitter substances in the cup are not desired. Actually quite simple, isn't it? The 5M rule gives a brief overview of what you should pay attention to when preparing a delicious espresso. Person -> Mixture -> Quantity -> Grinding level (grinder) -> Machine
Coffee powder at the touch of a button - Espresso On-Demand is a must!
Coffee should be freshly ground for each cup. The coffee in the bean container should also only be filled to the limit of what you need for the day. Light and air reduce the quality of the coffee very quickly. Ground coffee quickly loses various aromas that are bound to the volatile essential oils in the coffee. The smell of freshly ground coffee that we love so much unfortunately also means a loss of aroma. If you want quality, you should always grind fresh - on demand , for each cup . Modern grinders have a controlled output that is activated when the portafilter is inserted. Either manually at the push of a button, or often more conveniently, using a switch that the portafilter activates when it is inserted. Manual means that you decide beforehand whether one portion or a double portion is to be ground.
The right amount of grinding is important!
A good espresso needs an extraction time of 22 - 30 seconds. The degree of grinding, amount of coffee and compression control the extraction time.
As a rule of thumb, for a "single-shot" portafilter you need 7-9 gr. and for a double-shot portafilter you need 14-23 gr. - here too, the best result is determined by trial and error. A single-origin often needs very fine grinding and more ground coffee in the portafilter to extract the complex aromas. A spicy espresso with a robust component may need a little less....
An experienced barista can tell from the run whether the amount used, the compression or the degree of grinding are correct. Running too quickly means under-extraction - the coffee does not develop its full aroma and often tastes sour and does not develop a nice crema. If the coffee runs too slowly, the coffee grounds burn and undesirable bitter substances are formed.
The right espresso grinder for your portafilter machine
The first thing to look at is the coffee grinder. Modern grinders with disc grinders or conical grinders, optionally with digital scales, can be adjusted to a wide variety of coffee types and always provide fresh and perfectly ground coffee. In principle, cleavers, mixers, etc. should not be used in the professional sector, but rather specialized coffee grinders.
mills with conical grinder
Espresso grinders with (conical) conical grinders break the coffee into smaller and smaller pieces until a homogeneous coffee grind is produced. A conical grinder works slowly and with little wear, which is gentle on the coffee and keeps the grinding temperature very low. It is often used for grinding larger quantities. Grinders with conical grinders are usually larger and heavier due to their design. The technology is extremely robust, but the grinding level is not always consistently perfect, as the design-related tolerance for grinding level and grinding quantity is somewhat higher. Manually controlled grinders with conical grinders were used by professionals up until the 2000s. The older a conical grinder is, the greater the tolerances in the grinding level become due to wear and tear. With the introduction of electronics that control grinding time, grinding level and quantity, the proportion of conical grinders in grinders has fallen significantly. In upscale coffee bar culture , quality is ultimately defined by a very consistent and repeatedly reproducible result in the cup .
mills with disc grinders
Grinders with disc grinders work with two specially ground discs at different distances, with only one disc moving during the grinding process. Towards the edge, the distance between the discs becomes smaller and the coffee grounds are ground more finely. The larger the disc diameter, the greater the amount of coffee ground and the temperature stability per grinding process. Disc grinders wear out over time and the grinding discs should be replaced every two to three years. The frequency depends on the actual amount ground. The motors and grinders in large professional grinders are specially cooled so that even larger amounts of coffee ground can be processed with temperature stability.
The classic grind levels
Different grinding degrees are used for the different preparation methods:
| - Espresso | medium fine coffee grounds |
| - fully automatic | medium fine coffee grounds |
| - filter infusion | coarser coffee grounds |
| - French press coffee | medium fine coffee grounds |
| - Turkish coffee | very fine coffee grounds |
Tip
Basically, set the grinder to the finest grinding level and then work your way forward in small steps until you achieve the ideal result. The above table is intended as a guide. Once you have found and set the desired grinding level, you can set the amount/weight using the time factor in step 2. For a perfect result, try, try and try...
Cleaning & Care of an Espresso Grinder
Coffee contains oils. With every grinding, even minimal residues remain in the grinder. Professionals therefore regularly clean the grinder with a special granulate such as Puly Grind. The granulate is crushed in the grinder during grinding and absorbs coffee residues and oily components. A regularly cleaned grinder significantly extends the replacement intervals for grinding discs and ensures consistent results.
Conclusion
The right coffee grinder is just as important as the right coffee machine or the choice of coffee used. This also applies to hand brewing, cold extraction (cold brew), Turkish mocha, etc. A good grinder can be purchased for around €400 for the ambitious home barista . In the professional sector, prices start at around €1,400. The decisive factor here is which coffee and in what quantity is to be processed daily. This then determines the size of the grinding disc and the resulting heat and noise development.
