Quick reference: espresso generally starts fine; the linked Moka Express guidance starts medium-fine; drip commonly starts medium; CHEMEX starts medium-coarse; French press commonly starts coarse. V60 and AeroPress can also start medium-fine in the specific recipes below. These labels overlap: they are starting categories, not measurements or a universal grinder scale.
This page compares brewing methods. For the moka workflow, use the moka grind troubleshooting worksheet. For equipment choices, see the exact-model grinder guide. The moka-focused grind chart explains where a moka pot fits on the relative scale.
By Art de Vivre Coffee · Updated
Coffee grind chart by brewer
| Brewer | Starting category | What to match before adjusting |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Fine | Baratza espresso workflow: keep the selected dose and yield recipe together. Basket, machine and grinder matter. |
| Moka Express | Medium-fine; gritty rather than powdery | Bialetti use and care: loose basket fill, water below the valve and gentle heat. No tamping. |
| V60 | Medium-fine for this recipe | Hario V60 recipe: 15 g coffee with 250 ml water. Do not transfer its timing to every dripper or batch. |
| AeroPress | Medium-fine for a regular brew | AeroPress grind guidance: the chosen recipe and cap affect the starting point. Espresso-style variations differ. |
| Drip coffee | Medium as a broad reference | AeroPress comparison scale places drip here; the actual drip brewer’s manual and filter take priority. |
| CHEMEX | Medium-coarse | CHEMEX FAQ: check filter placement and the spout air channel as well as the grind when drainage slows. |
| French press | Coarse as a common starting point | Hario French press recipe: use a consistent immersion recipe and press gently; grind alone does not determine sediment or taste. |
Read this chart from finer to coarser only as an approximate ordering. A bag labelled “espresso” may describe a roast, a brewing intention or a grind. Check the actual package and your brewer’s instructions. Food textures such as salt or sand are memory aids; they do not calibrate burrs or verify particle size.
Use a recipe before using a timer
A brew time has meaning only when its recipe and start point are recorded. Baratza illustrates espresso with 18 g in, 36 g out and a 25–32 second window. That is one example, not a requirement for every double shot. Hario’s linked 15 g/250 ml V60 recipe describes an approximately 2.5 minute process. A larger dose, different filter or pouring routine changes the comparison.
A moka pot’s warm-up is different from an espresso shot or pour-over drawdown. Record when heating begins and when coffee first appears separately. Do not keep heating a stalled pot to reach a timer target. Follow the maker’s operating and stopping instructions. The moka use guide covers preparation; the pot-size calculator is a planning aid, not permission to overfill or tamp.
Why grinder numbers cannot be converted
Start with the manual for the exact model and its stated zero or reference point. Do not infer a setting by taking a percentage of the dial: a 10-step grinder, a 40-step grinder and a stepless grinder do not share a linear scale. Check the model suffix, burr version and the maker’s adjustment procedure before copying an online number.
For example, Baratza’s espresso instructions describe Encore ESP and Encore ESP Pro separately. Hario’s guide asks users to record clicks or turns from a reference point for the actual hand grinder. Those are model-specific records, not a cross-brand chart. This page therefore does not assign unsupported moka numbers to Encore or Mini Mill variants.
| Record | Write down | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Exact model and burr/version if known | Avoid confusing similarly named grinders. |
| Reference | Maker-approved reference point and adjustment direction | A click count is incomplete without its origin. |
| Recipe | Brewer, filter, coffee dose, water and temperature/heat | Keep the comparison conditions the same. |
| Result | Setting, observed flow, timing start point and taste | A change should answer one question. |
| Next brew | One small, manual-permitted adjustment | Use your own repeatable result instead of a borrowed number. |
Troubleshoot the whole brew
| Observation | Check first | Possible next step |
|---|---|---|
| Slow pour-over drainage | Filter placement, air channel, batch and pouring | If those are unchanged and the cup is unsatisfactory, compare a small coarser adjustment. |
| Thin or sharp coffee | Dose, water, roast and the recipe; note flow too | A small finer adjustment may be a useful test after the setup is consistent. |
| Harsh or drying coffee | Recipe, temperature/heat and equipment cleanliness | Compare one controlled change; do not assume the grind is the only cause. |
| Moka valve venting, leakage or stalled flow | Stop heating and let the pot cool completely | Inspect according to the manual; do not force flow with more heat or open a hot pot. |
A burr grinder gives you a repeatable adjustment control. A blade grinder does not provide the same indexed setting; if that is what you own, avoid pretending a grinding duration is a calibrated scale. A suitable pre-ground product can be a simpler comparison than changing several variables at once.
Coffee grind chart questions
Is there one grind setting for every brewer?
No. Use the exact brewer recipe and grinder manual together. A dial number describes that grinder; it does not specify a transferable particle size. Save the model, reference point and recipe with any setting you record.
Why do V60 and CHEMEX have different starting grinds?
They are different filter brewers. Hario’s linked V60 recipe starts medium-fine; CHEMEX recommends medium-coarse. Follow the recipe for the actual brewer, filter and batch instead of treating all pour overs as one row.
Does a bitter cup prove the grind is too fine?
No. Treat taste as a clue alongside the recipe, dose, water, roast, temperature, pouring and equipment condition. Change one variable at a time when brewing is functioning normally. Mechanical faults need attention before another taste experiment.
Can I copy an Encore ESP Pro setting to an Encore?
No. Encore, Encore ESP and Encore ESP Pro have different adjustment systems. Baratza’s espresso guide discusses each model separately. A setting from one is not a moka setting or a conversion table for another.
Does pre-ground coffee stop working after 15 minutes?
This guide does not assign a universal expiry time after grinding. A suitable pre-ground product is a practical option when you do not have a grinder. Match the package to the brewer and follow its storage instructions; grinding before brewing gives you direct control over the setting.
Sources and how to use this guide
- Bialetti Moka Express: model-specific use and care
- Bialetti Moka Express instruction/warning sheet (PDF hosted by Amazon)
- Baratza: dialing in espresso and model-specific adjustment
- Hario UK: a specific V60 brewing recipe
- Hario UK: grinder reference points and French press example
- AeroPress: grind categories and recipe variations
- CHEMEX: recommended grind and filter/drainage checks
Manufacturer guidance supports the stated examples. The comparison record and diagnostic checklist are editorial tools, not laboratory measurements or hands-on grinder rankings. Sources reviewed October 8, 2026.