How to Use a Coffee Grinder | Wayfair (2024)

There's no doubt you deserve cafe-quality coffee on a daily basis, and using a coffee grinder can help you achieve that. Grinding whole bean coffee instead of using pre-ground coffee opens up a world of coffee possibilities and flavors to enjoy right in your home! Keep reading to learn how to use a coffee grinder and reap the benefits of freshly ground coffee brews.

Whole bean coffee blends offer the best quality for at-home coffee. This is because whole bean coffee holds its freshness and stores better and longer than pre-ground coffee, since it stays in bean form until you're ready to brew! Whole bean options also give you more flexibility in the size and texture of the coffee grounds, since you’re making them yourself – giving you the flexibility to produce either fine or coarse coffee grounds depending on your chosen coffee method (think: drip vs. pour-over vs. espresso).

But whole bean coffee roasts are nothing without the right coffee grinder! Review this next section to determine how to grind coffee beans for your daily caffeine fix.

Tip!

Take a look at for more helpful tips on expanding the shelf-life of your coffee.

The process of grinding coffee beans differs depending on the type of coffee grinder you choose. However, each method is efficient and relatively easy to operate. Review these steps to learn how to grind coffee for success – and caffeine!

1. Choose a Power Method

Coffee grinders are either electric or manual. Electric coffee grinders plug into a standard household outlet and are the easiest to use. Manual coffee grinders typically have a crank or lever you have to turn to grind coffee beans. Manual coffee grinders are especially helpful for when you’re camping or in another setting without electricity.

Tip!

Need more help deciding? Check out our guide on how to Choose the Best Coffee Grinder for You.

2. Choose a Coffee Grinding Method

When it comes down to grinding coffee, electric and manual coffee grinders come with one of two options: blade or burr. Blade coffee grinders have two or more flat blades attached to the bottom of the coffee bean hopper. These models have a transparent cover so you can monitor the bean-grinding process. Blade models also have a power button that activates the blades when you press it, and ceases activity when you release it. This makes it easy to start and stop the grinding process to check the coarseness of the beans.

In contrast, burr coffee grinders typically have a crushing mechanism that grinds up coffee beans between moving pieces of metal. Burr coffee grinders typically come with more settings and two separate hoppers. An overhead hopper filters coffee beans through the grinding mechanism and a separate hopper directly beneath it collects freshly ground coffee for you to enjoy. Some also have settings that allow you to choose how coarse or fine you want the coffee grounds to be. Because of these additional features, coffee grinders with the burr grinder method are typically more expensive than blade models.

Tip!

Check out Blade vs. Burr Coffee Grinder: Which One Is Right for You? to explore these two options even more.

3. Fill the Coffee Grinder Accordingly

Once you have a whole bean coffee roast you want to try, it's time to get started! Most blade or burr coffee grinders have a fill line to indicate the maximum amount of coffee beans they can grind at a time. When learning how to use a coffee grinder, it's important to consider how much coffee grounds you need for your perfect brew size and strength. The majority of coffee grinders have the capacity to grind enough coffee beans at one time for a standard pot of coffee. However, you can always grind more coffee beans to achieve your desired brew size or strength. Reference the coffee grinder instruction manual and the recommended measurements on the coffee bean package to determine the right amount of coffee beans per a set number of cups.

For context, 1 oz. of ground coffee equals 2 tablespoons. Many coffee companies suggest adding 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 fl.oz. of water. Since a standard cup is 8 fl.oz., this means that 1 oz. of coffee grounds makes slightly less than a standard cup. You may add more or less coffee grounds depending on how strong you want your coffee to be. Below are examples and estimations of how many cups of coffee you can get per ounce of coffee grounds.

• 2 oz. of ground coffee equals around 4 tablespoons. As you need 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds per 6 fl.oz. This means 4 tablespoons can make 12 fl.oz. of coffee, or about 1-and-a-half cups.

• 3 oz. of ground coffee equals about 6 tablespoons (2 Tbsp per 6 fl.oz.), which requires 18 fl.oz. of water, making a total of 2 ¼ (8 fl.oz.) cups of coffee.

• 4 oz. of ground coffee is around 8 tablespoons (2 Tbsp per 6 fl.oz.), which requires around 24 fl.oz. of water, making a total of 3 (8 fl.oz.) cups of coffee.

• 5 oz of ground coffee is about 10 tablespoons (2 Tbsp per 6 fl.oz.), which requires about 30 fl.oz. of water, making a total of 3 ¾ (8 fl.oz.) cups of coffee.

• 6 oz. of ground coffee is equal to about 12 tablespoons (2 Tbsp per 6 fl.oz.), which requires 36 fl.oz. of water, making a total of 4 ½ (8 fl.oz.) cups of coffee.

• 7 oz. of ground coffee is the same as 14 tablespoons (2 Tbsp per 6 fl.oz.), which requires 42 fl.oz of water, making a total of 5 ¼ (8 fl.oz.) cups of coffee.

• 8 oz. of ground coffee is around 16 tablespoons (2 Tbsp per 6 fl.oz.), which requires 48 fl.oz. of water, making a total of 6 (8 fl.oz.) cups of coffee.

Once you pour the desired amount of coffee beans into the hopper and secure the lid, you're good to go. As mentioned previously, blade coffee grinders require you to press down on the power button while holding the lid. Release pressure on the power button and give the coffee grinder a shake to evenly distribute the coffee grounds. Repeat this process until you're satisfied with the consistency of the coffee grounds. Then pour the fresh coffee grounds into the coffee maker of your choosing.

For burr coffee grinders, start by pouring the whole bean coffee into the upper hopper of the machine. Using the machine settings, select the setting for the quality of the coffee grounds you want (extra-course, coarse, medium, fine, extra-fine). Some burr coffee grinders have settings for specific types of coffee makers, including espresso, French press, or drip/automatic coffee makers. Then press the start button and let the coffee grinder do the work. Below, we discuss the type of coffee grounds that work best based on the coffee brewing method you prefer.

Cold Brew: Extra-Coarse

Refreshing cold brew coffee uses extra-coarse coffee grounds to help lock in flavor without bitterness. Extra-coarse coffee grounds include large chunks of crushed coffee beans (imagine a rock salt consistency). You can achieve extra-coarse coffee grounds with just a few pulses of a blade coffee grinder or coarse burr grinder setting. Extra-coarse coffee grounds are the perfect pairing for cold brew coffee's lengthy brew time. This is because extra-coarse coffee grounds expel coffee flavors slower, which prevents the brew from getting too strong or bitter, even when left overnight.

French Press or Percolator: Extra-Coarse to Coarse

Wondering how to grind coffee for French press coffee makers or a percolator? The answer is to create coarse coffee grounds. For this level of coffee grounds, you want to make sure that there are chunks of coffee bean present in the mixture after grinding them up. Coarse coffee grounds should have the consistency of sea salt in texture. However, this mixture doesn't have to be as coarse as grounds used for cold brew coffee as French press/percolator coffee requires a shorter brew time.

When using a French press, the coarseness of the coffee grounds ensures that no coffee grounds escape from beneath the mesh when separating the coffee grounds from the brew. Similarly, coarse coffee grounds are less likely to fall out of the filter basket in percolator coffee makers, and the coarseness protects the mixture from becoming bitter when exposed to boiling water.

Tip!

Check out our guides on How to Use a French Press or How to Use a Percolator for the best results.

Automatic (Drip) or Pour-Over: Medium-Fine

Automatic and pour-over coffee makers benefit from the use of medium-fine coffee grounds to produce flavorful coffee brews. Medium-fine coffee grounds don't have chunks of coffee beans like coarser grounds. Instead, they have the consistency and texture of sand or table salt. These coffee grounds easily absorb and expel flavor, which is ideal for using with cloth or paper filters in automatic (drip) and pour-over models.

Tip!

Curious about the pour-over method? Check out How to Make Pour-Over Coffee for Next-Level Taste.

Espresso or Turkish Coffee: Fine to Extra-Fine

When learning how to grind coffee beans for espresso or Turkish coffee, you can't go wrong with creating fine to extra-fine coffee grounds. Coffee grounds of this size should have a powdery, almost flour-like appearance, which makes them easy to use with an espresso portafilter or to add directly into water as seen with Turkish coffee methods. The method and the fine consistency of these coffee grounds makes for a thicker, richer drink, compared to a regular cup of coffee made using coarse coffee grounds.

Tip!

Check out this guide to learn how to make espresso without an espresso machine.

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