A Better Way to Grind Coffee?
A recent paper published in Matter magazine on December 6, 2023 has caught our and the coffee world’s attention. It describes that adding some water, just a few spritzes for personal use, to your beans before grinding can lead to less coffee grinds being wasted and a more consistent and even flow when pulling espresso shots. The paper is linked here and is not behind a paywall at the time of this blog post.
The paper details how static builds up inside your grinder. One type of static is due to the coffee’s contact with the burrs, and the other type of static is due to the coffee’s contact to the grinder and other beans. The authors argue that the static would lead to some coffee grinds flying away, as well as creating “boulders”. The paper proposes adding some water, which would reduce the amount of charge built up inside the grinder, allowing the coffee grinds to not become charged.
James Hoffmann, a coffee expert and a World Barista Champion, goes through the main highlights in his video. He discusses some of his concerns and questions relating to the paper.
Have you noticed any differences in terms of taste when adding water to your coffee before grinding? We’d love to hear your experiences. Please let us know what you thought on our Contact Us Form.