Freshly Ground or Pre Ground

The debate on whether one should use fresh beans or pre ground coffee.

Why grind your beans at home?

This is possibly one of the most under rated topics when it comes to brewing coffee at home.

We spend so much time and energy on sourcing the best type of coffee available but then buy a pack of ground coffee and allow it to lay in the cupboard for weeks or even worse months.

Why use whole beans?

Freshness:

 As soon as we grind coffee its starts oxidising, more time in contact with air resulting in aroma loss.

Grind size:

Nope one size does not fit all, this is not socks. Most retail coffee is grounded for specific brewing methods. But personal preference, weather conditions and brewing equipment all play a vital role in the size of your coffee ground size. For a more in depth look at coffee ground sizes read https://mondaymonday.co.za/blogs/news/getting-your-grind-on

Fun Factor:

What could be more fun than filling a room with the quick changing aromas from freshly ground coffee to freshly brewed coffee. Coffee beans have a different smell than freshly grounded coffee. Then the aroma changes again from freshly ground to freshly brewed. With pre-ground coffee you run the risk of using stale coffee.

Why not fresh beans?

For this I will try and stay neutral as pre ground coffee probably have some perks.

 Time:

If you are normally running late and low on energy a quick coffee works best to get you going. And instant coffee is so much less palatable than a quick French press or moka pot. Taking less time to grind and getting the grind perfect save’s you time.

Budget:

Spending money on brewing equipment could become expensive specifically when you start. And instead of spending money on a blade grinder, why not save money and get your local roaster to grind your coffee for you. Try and use this as fresh as possible for the best taste experience. Ask them if they would weigh it out and pack individually if you have a set recipe in mind.

Space:

Traveling with a grinder and AeroPress, Moka pot, French press etc could take up a lot of space. So, letting go of freshly ground coffee for a while is not the worst thing around. This could also be the opportunity to explore and find a coffee roaster in the area you travel to. Again, try and buy only as much as you will need for the next week or two.

In short find what works for you, and from time to time experiment with new coffee’s and grinds.