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You can call it the morning energizer or the late-night company; coffee is indeed a rejuvenating and senses awakening beverage. The caffeine content in the coffee stimulates our nervous system helps us stay in our senses. Whether you are having a hard time getting out of the bed or finding it difficult to get through the day, a cup of piping hot coffee can set everything straight.
Living in our urban palaces, we are highly used to our instant coffees that pour out from the machine or the brewed ones we prepare at home. We hardly want to know about the goodness of ground coffee.
We are more acquainted with the brewed coffee than the ground coffee. So, this article is dedicated to ground coffee and everything you need to know about it. If you are an avid coffee lover, then delve in deep and explore more about this earthy and exotic coffee product.
What Is Ground Coffee?
Ground coffee is what you get after brewing coffee. It comprises solid particles and makes the residue. The ground coffee is prepared with coffee beans. As flour comes from wheat and maize comes from corn, ground coffee comes from the brewed coffee. You can use ground coffee, similar to a tea bag. Just take a hot water cup and let the ground coffee steep in it for a few minutes and strain it before drinking. The final coffee we drink is brewed coffee.
There are different sizes available for the ground coffee according to the type of coffee you intend to make. It is essential to understand the ground coffee is not instant coffee. Though it might look the same and have a similar smell, there is a big difference between the two. So making espresso with ground coffee would be an utter failure.
What are the Different Coffee Grind Sizes?
You can find plenty of grind sizes for the coffee, and each has a distinctive scheme. For instance, specific coffees like Turkish coffee will use a particular size mainly because of the tradition and not the functionality. The consistencies will vary from small (powder) to coarse ground. The ground size will depend on how you are going to use it for. Also, it is essential to note that the grind size will influence the taste of your coffee.
Here are the different coffee grind sizes that you will get to see-:
- Very fine and powdery
- Medium fine that is best for filter coffee and mocha
- The medium size that will be still good for the filter
- Medium coarse, which is ideal for the pour-over
- Coarse used in the French press and cold brewing.
Fresh Ground and Pre-Ground: Which is Better?
As the name suggests, fresh ground is the freshly ground coffee, whereas the pre-ground is coffee you ground and use later. Evidently, the fresh ground coffee will imbibe more flavor and aroma than the pre-ground coffee.
Though coffee bags will mention the roasting level and date on their packaging, many coffee bags don’t come with a date of grounding. Hence, it is important to check the date on the packaging in order to ensure whether the coffee is fresh or pre-ground.
A general thumb rule to detect is that pre-ground will come in a tightly and vacuum-sealed packaging in order to keep the flavors intact when you open it. So, evidently, the pre-ground will lose its flavor profile if you do not have a proper storage ritual. Use an airtight container to store the pre-ground coffee. But, going for the fresh ground coffee is always a better and smarter choice.
What’s So Special About Coffee Bloom?
Coffee bloom is something you can only get with ground coffee. It is a beautiful aesthetic reaction your coffee gives in the form of foam when you add hot water with ground coffee. This happens because coffee tends to expand and release CO2. Interacting with hot water and natural fats of coffee, it produces that creamy froth called coffee bloom. Everyone loves to see that coffee bloom in their cup of coffee.
Apart from the aesthetic appeal, the coffee bloom is also a good sign that your ground coffee is fresh as it can be. You can witness coffee bloom in the pour-over and French press because the other brewing methods will not show the coffee but only the brew. The best way to get the most attractive and healthy coffee bloom is to use freshly ground coffee.
Is It Necessary To Grind Your Own Coffee?
Grinding coffee is the most satisfying process that will give you the best experience of relishing a cup of coffee. If you have ample time on your side, it is best to grind your coffee. Instead of using a pre-ground that might lose the flavor profile over time, you must freshly grind the coffee to use it instantly. Having said that, grinding coffee requires not only time but also your willpower.
Grinding coffee every morning does not sound like the best scenario. It is a time-consuming and strenuous task if you are not really into grinding. If you rather like to sleep in your bed than grind your own coffee, then it is better to buy pre-ground coffee, as you will get fed up easily with grinding.
On the brighter side, you are a stickler for making your coffee as best as possible; you must make efforts to grind your coffee. You can grind it before going to bed and keep it in an airtight container. So, you can get fresh coffee every morning. There are manual grinders and electric grinders available in the market. The latter is quite popular as it comes with different speed levels to get different sizes of grind.
Also, some espresso machines come with coffee grinding features. But it is best not to go with such espresso machines with grinding features. When these machines grind the coffee, some amount of heat transfers and the leftover coffee dust will get mixed up. All this can disrupt the flavor profile of your coffee. Regular cleaning after every use can help in maintaining the quality of the ground coffee.
There are basically two major types of grinders, the blade, and the burr. A blade grinder can be an ideal option to get the finest grind you need. But, it won’t be suitable for the large quantity grinds. A burr grinder will come with two burrs or stones that will help in crushing the coffee beans in the exact size you want.
Coffee Grounds and Plants
Not only to energize your senses, but coffee grounds can also help in nurturing the plants. Ground coffee comprises a bunch of minerals and vitamins that promote the growth of plants. You can simply add a layer of ground coffee in the soil of potted plants to increase the plants’ growth. However, it is important to note the caffeine content and only use the required amount of coffee in the soil.
Is Ground Coffee Reusable?
It is evident that freshly ground coffee is the best you can get. So, reusing the ground coffee is not the best option to get a good cup of coffee. It will only make your coffee muddy and simply a cup of brown water that will horribly disappoint you. You must understand that reusing ground coffee is not similar to reusing the tea leaves. You can use the leftover ground coffee as compost, body scrub, or simply add them into handmade candles or soaps for a nice fragrance.
Conclusion
Ground coffee is everything that coffee lovers would want; the foam, the goodness, and moreover, the exotic flavor. The above-mentioned ultimate guide has covered a majority of the aspects of ground coffee that will help you learn more about this coffee marvel.
So get some coffee beans, find a good grinder, and make a perfect cup of coffee for yourself.