Why should you freshly grind coffee?

Grinding coffee fresh was a matter of course for our grandparents. However, over time, the ritual coffee preparation has been simplified (pre-ground coffee, instant coffee, capsule coffee) or outsourced (coffee to go). The immediate preparation and the degree of grinding of the coffee have an enormous influence on the taste. 

 

An unstoppable process

Air and light are among the most natural enemies of roasted coffee. Because the oils contained in the roasted whole coffee beans oxidize with the air, which slowly but steadily loses its aroma. This process can be slowed down by airtight, UV light-protected storage, but not stopped. If you want to store coffee for a longer period (> 3 months),  freezing is even recommended to keep oxidation as low as possible.

 

Loss of flavour due to pre-grinding

Pre-grinding – is the early breaking up of the roasted coffee beans without preparation – accelerates the loss of aroma enormously. The valuable aromas evaporate much faster because the “attack surface” of the air is many times larger than that of the whole bean. Around 30% of the aromas are lost just a few minutes after grinding.

The longer it is stored in the ground state, the stale the coffee tastes. An espresso also loses its crema. That’s why the dosing mills often used in gastronomy should be a relic of the past.

 

The degree of grinding as an additional factor

Another reason why ground coffee should always be freshly ground is the ability to adjust the degree of grinding. This varies depending on the type of preparation (filter coffee, mocha pot, French press, etc.),  coffee (degree of roast, type) or the environment (e.g. humidity). If you buy the coffee already pre-ground, the degree of grinding is often too coarse or too fine for the respective preparation method. This leads to either too few soluble substances being extracted from the coffee  (under-extraction) or too many (over-extraction). This is expressed by a sour or bitter taste.

 

Summarized

Fresh grinding is worthwhile because of the richer taste and the possibility to adjust the degree of grinding. Two enormously important factors for optimal extraction and thus a delicious cup of coffee.

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