Regardless of what you’re grinding coffee with at home—whether it’s a burr grinder, blade grinder, or mortar and pestle—your grind size is arguably the most influential variable on how your coffee will taste. That’s why when it comes to dialing in a coffee, grind size is just about the only variable you should need to adjust. You may not know what “dialing in” a coffee is, but I think it’s safe to assume that you know what one tastes like.
- Boulders - large particles of ground coffee
- Fines - micro particles of ground coffee
- Under-extracted - sour or weak flavors (often the result of grinding too coarse)
- Over-extracted - astringent or drying flavors (often the result of grinding too fine)
One Big Dial
If you’ve made it this far, you’re doing great! We’re about to learn how to get to our destination. On the front of the Ode Brew Grinder you won’t find much more than one large black dial because frankly, that’s just about all you need. By turning the dial you are changing the distance between the burrs and altering the size of the ground coffee. A quick aside on burrs: the 64 mm flat burrs in Ode do an exceptional job of producing an even grind size, helping you achieve even-extractions.
Turn the dial to the left towards 1 and your grinds will be more fine. Turn it the opposite way towards 11 and you’ll be moving more coarse. So what’s the perfect grind size? Well, I’ve got some bad news—there isn’t one. You see, each coffee and each brew method are so unique that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all grind size.
That being said, here’s my rule of thumb for dialing in any coffee for any brew method: grind as fine as you can until you perceive astringency (drying sensation in your mouth or unpleasant bitterness) and then dial it back a notch or two. That will be the sweet spot on the grinder for that specific coffee.
About The Author: is a home brewer (just like you!) but he’s on a mission to help more people brew better coffee at home. Alexander and his wife Rebecca call Niagara Falls, Canada home but are almost always on the go. One of their favorite parts of travel is connecting with the local coffee culture in whatever city they find themselves in. When he’s in a cafe you’ll find a cortado in Alexander’s hand, a black filter coffee of any origin when he’s home, and an eclectic cocktail when it’s supper time!
Photography by Alexander Mills
How to Use an Espresso Dial-In Chart
If you love espresso and want to pull a delicious espresso shot, an espresso dial-in chart can help you find exactly the right blend that tastes delicious and gives you a boost. An espresso dial-in chart uses three parameters — dose, yield and brew time — to maximize flavor.The Dose
The dose refers to the number of grams of dry coffee you use to make your shot of espresso. You have to experiment because amounts can change with darker roasts and lighter roasts, different coffee processing methods, blends vs single origins, and so on. Use the chart to find a starting point, and taste-test your way to perfection.The Yield
The yield is the total amount in volume of liquid out after pulling your espresso shot. A higher yield means higher volume but generally less viscous espresso. Again, the chart can give you a starting point, so you get the perfect ratio of water to coffee.The Pull Time (aka “Shot Time”)
Finally, pull time or “shot time” refers to the number of seconds you brew (or “pull”) your espresso. The fineness of the grind produced by your Opus grinder plays a role here as a finer grind pulls a little longer to extract more from the coffee if your espresso tastes a little weak or sour. On the other hand, a coarser grind will help you extract a little less from the coffee if your espresso tastes a bit too heavy or bitter.