If you’re the proud owner of a JavaPresse manual coffee grinder, you’re on the right path towards rich and delicious coffee. Being able to grind your coffee when and how you want is a game-changer, which I am sure you are already finding out for yourself.
In this blog, I’m going to share with you how to change the grind setting on your grinder. Knowing how to do this empowers you a few different ways.
- It enables you to use any coffee brewer you want by giving you full control over the size of your coffee grounds. Different brewing methods require different grind sizes, but that won’t ever be an issue for you again.
- It makes switching back and forth between grind settings for different coffee brewers a breeze. Use three different brewers back to back without any confusion.
- It allows you to “dial in” your coffee’s flavor by giving you the power to make small adjustments to the size of your coffee grounds. You can control the extraction of your coffee grounds with lots of precision.
So grab your grinder from the counter and let’s take a look at it together.
Read: Why Your Grinder Is The Most Important Piece of Coffee Gear
How The Burrs And Grind Setting Adjuster Work Together
If you remove the grind catcher and set it aside you’ll be able to see the burrs that make the magic happen. Our burrs are made of two parts: a stationary outer burr and a conical inner burr.
The outer burr is held in place by the grinder casing, but the inner burr is movable. By spinning the adjustment knob, you move the inner burr up and down the rod that runs through the center of the grinder. This determines how close the burrs are to each other, which also determines your grind size.
- The closer the burrs, the smaller the grinding area, and the finer the grind setting.
- The further the burrs, the larger the grinding area, and the coarser the grind setting.
When you’re looking down at the burrs, spinning the adjustment knob clockwise tightens the burrs and fines the grind. Spinning it counterclockwise loosens the burrs and coarsens the grind size.
If you’ve been using your manual coffee grinder for a while and notice that the burrs don’t switch settings as smoothly or the clicks aren’t as defined and loud, it may be time for a quick cleaning.
Cleaning your grinder doesn’t just keep the slowly built-up oils from tainting your coffee’s flavor. It also gets grounds out of the spring, out from between the burrs, and out from between the adjustment knob, which really helps with having clear, defined grind setting clicks.
The burrs of a dirty grinder don’t always close completely either, which throws off your count of grind setting clicks. Getting those grounds out of there resets the clicks so that they grind coffee just like they did when you first received the grinder.
Read: The Easy Guide To Cleaning Your Manual Coffee Grinder
Common Grind Settings For Brewing Methods
To adjust the grind size, I always start by tightening the burrs all the way until the adjustment knob won’t turn anymore. Don’t go crazy with it - simply stop when there is a considerable amount of resistance.
From here, turn the adjustment knob counterclockwise to create space between the two burrs. Count the clicks to measure how far apart the burrs are and determine the grind setting.
Since every type of coffee brewer functions slightly different than the next, they all thrive with a slightly different grind size. We have some grind size guidelines that you can follow to get started with your own coffee brewers, but feel free to play around a bit to find the perfect setting for your brewer and your preferences.
- Coarse (13-18 Clicks) - French Press, Cold Brew, Percolator, Coffee Cupping
- Medium Coarse (10-12 Clicks) - Chemex, Drip Coffee Makers, Vacuum Pots
- Medium (7-9 Clicks) - Pour Over Brewers (Including Ours), Aeropress
- Medium-Fine (4-6 Clicks) - Moka Pots, Pour Over Brewers, Aeropress
- Fine (1-3 Clicks) - Espresso, Turkish
Remember that, while we find these settings work well, they aren’t 100% objectively the best settings for a type of coffee maker. These are starting points. Play with the grind size to find the setting that’s right for you!
Read: How To Pair Your Coffee Brewer With Its Perfect Grind Size
If you’re primarily brewing with one coffee maker, feel free to find your favorite grind setting and leave it. Those burrs won’t change distance while your back is turned.
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If you have any other questions about grind settings and working your JavaPresse coffee grinder, check out our Grinding 101 education area. Otherwise, you are ready to be the master of your coffee’s grind size.
