The ideal grind for every type of preparation

Every type of coffee preparation requires its own ideal grind in order to optimally extract all the aromas and ingredients.

The right grind for portafilter machine

The right grind is achieved when, with a cup dose of around 7 g of coffee powder and an optimally adjusted pump pressure of approx. 9 bar, around 25 ml of coffee is obtained in around 25 seconds. Optimum extraction results in a dense, hazelnut brown crema.

Tips:

Grind on demand“: Grinding as required for the actual consumption, always fresh and right into the portafilter, allows optimum preservation of the aroma.
Temperature control: The coffee should not be heated to more than 40°C during grinding.
Maintenance: The condition of the grinding discs must be checked on a regular basis and they should be replaced as needed. Blunt grinding discs can be identified by the presence of too many fine dust particles.
To avoid grease residues and a rancid taste, regular cleaning is recommended, including the bean container.
For new grinding machines or after the grinding discs have been replaced, the grind size must be readjusted after several kilos of coffee.

The right grind for mocha machine and Neapolitan coffee maker

For this type of preparation the coffee powder should be slightly coarser than for espresso. The ground espresso blends from Alps Coffee are optimally geared to use in the mocha machine or the Neapolitan coffee maker.

Tip: Do not press the coffee powder down, but just smooth it out.

The right grind for filter coffee

The grind size for filter coffee powder is considerably coarser than it is for espresso. When coffee is brewed in a filter coffee machine, the throughput time is longer and the coffee is usually prepared by the water flowing through without pressure. It is therefore important that the water flows easily through the coffee in order to develop as much aroma as possible.

Tip: A dosage of approx. 60 of coffee powder per liter is recommended

The right grind for fully automatic coffee machines

Special blends are required for the best possible results in fully automatic coffee machines. The blends created by Alps Coffee especially for fully automatic machines are ideal for preparation in such machines. They are suitable for preparation at a low temperature. The grind must be adjusted to achieve the desired result in the cup. The coffee grounds should be dry and compact. This is a sign that the grind is optimally adjusted.

Tips:

It is recommended to adjust the grind, temperature and extraction quantity of fully automatic coffee machines to the coffee blend, both in restaurants and at home, in order to achieve optimum results.
Only fill in as many beans as are needed rather soon.
As there is only one brewing unit in fully automatic machines, separate grinders should be used for one and two cups – as the amount of coffee is different – which is possible with professional appliances. Where this is no option, it is better to carefully adjust the individual cup and prepare the coffees one at a time.
Last but not least, it is important to clean the fully automatic machine regularly and thoroughly. And this does not only apply to the milk system, but also to the brew group.

More practical coffee tips worth exploring

Origin & Cultivation

The coffee plant, a botanical speciality

Coffee plants, which are actually categorised botanically as trees, are grown around the equator between 23° north and 25° south latitude. Cultivation and care are extremely complex, as Coffea is a very sensitive plant that does not tolerate extreme conditions. The coffee plant requires regular rainfall and temperatures of 17 to 23 °C. The trees and bushes in the plantations are initially planted 2 to 4 metres apart and only begin to bear fruit after 3 years. Their height is artificially kept at 2.5 to 3 metres to facilitate care and harvesting; they would otherwise grow to a height of 10 to 15 metres.

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