Grinding roasted coffee beans is the first step in releasing their flavor for the brewing process, cutting up or crushing the beans to expose the maximum surface area from which hot water can extract the essence of the coffee.

For making espresso, coffee beans must be ground more finely than for most brewing methods. Why? Because the espresso brewing process happens so quickly (hence its name) that a greater than usual amount of surface area must be exposed to the water to maximize extraction; and the brewing process occurs under such high pressure that the ground espresso coffee must be tamped down firmly and compacted, so that the water doesn’t pass through it even more quickly than necessary.

Grinding Espresso Correctly
The correct espresso grind is sometimes mistakenly described as a fine powder. In fact, properly ground espresso coffee, while still finer than the coffee grind you would use for drip filter coffee, should nonetheless feel ever-so-slightly granular to the touch, and you should be able to see that it’s slightly granular at arm’s length when you’re spooning it into the espresso filter. Think of the ideal grind as being similar to that of cornmeal.

How do you achieve the proper espresso grind? Grinding espresso isn’t difficult, and you can do so using the same kinds of coffee grinders you would use to prepare regular coffee.

You can do it with a blade-type coffee grinder by processing the beans for 25 to 30 seconds. However, for an even more consistent result that doesn’t require you to set a timer or keep an eye on the clock while grinding, use a burr-type coffee grinder, which actually crushes the coffee beans between two coarse-surfaced metal disks. A dial on the grinder lets you set the desired fineness of grind, moving the grinding surfaces closer together or farther apart. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the proper espresso coffee setting, and in moments you’ll have ready to brew espresso-grind coffee.