Espresso grind size

Use the tool below to find the right grind settings for espresso on your coffee grinder — read on for more tips on espresso grind size.

Note: Moka pots are sometimes referred to as stove-top espresso makers, if you have a moka pot, you should use our moka pot grind size tool instead.

Coffee grind size chart

Interested in settings for other brew methods? Check out our extensive tool here.

Written by

 

Yoji and Nathaniel

Published

 

23 Feb 2025

Updated

 

23 Feb 2025

The best grind size for espresso

The grind size for espresso should have a consistency between a rough powder and fine sand — between 180-380 microns (μm).

This fine, narrow boundary between the upper and lower grind size is due to the high pressures required to create a good cup of espresso.

Too fine and the grounds will block the portafilter. Too coarse and your machine won't be able to generate enough pressure to make espresso — leaving you with a watery brew.

How to grind coffee for espresso

To produce an espresso grind size, you'll need a burr grinder. Unlike blade grinders, burr grinders produce a more consistent particle distribution over a wider range of grind sizes – this is especially important for a brew method like espresso.

We recommend a hand or electric burr grinder. Electric grinders are much faster and easier to use, while manual/hand grinders are more portable and are generally more affordable.

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What pre-ground coffee should I use for an espresso machine?

You should use freshly ground coffee to get the best results when making espresso, but you can still get a good tasting espresso from pre-ground coffee too.

Make sure the grind size of the packet you're buying matches the recommended size for espresso. If the pack doesn't explicitly say that it is for espresso then don't buy it. It will probably have a picture of an espresso machine/portafilter on it.

The best coffee to water ratio for espresso

We recommend a coffee to water ratio of 1:2 for a moka pot, but your ratio can be anywhere between 1:1.5 for a strong coffee and 1:2.5 for a weaker coffee.

Coffee to water ratio calculator

Use this tool to find the best coffee to water ratio for your espresso.

What should I do if my espresso tastes too bitter?

1. Increase grind size — Overly bitter coffee can be because of over-extraction. Changing your grinder settings to a coarser grind size lowers the surface area of your grounds — this reduces the contact of the water with bitter tasting compounds.
2. Reduce brewing time — The longer you brew your grounds the more bitter compounds will end up in your espresso. If you've already changed the grind size to a coarser grind you'll find the water more easily passes through the coffee. So the time it takes to make your espresso will already be reduced.
3. Reduce temperature — 93°C / 199°F is the typical temperature for brewing espresso. If your espresso machine is brewing at a higher temperature it may be worth reducing the temperature as a higher temperature speeds up the extraction; dissolving bitter compounds sooner.
4. Clean your espresso machine — Having dirty old dregs of coffee in your espresso machine can create a bitter flavour. Make sure you keep your espresso machine nice and clean.

What should I do if my espresso is too sour?

Most of the compounds that make an espresso sour are dissolved at the beginning of the brewing process. Here's how to get a balanced flavour:

1. Decrease grind size — Having smaller coffee particles increases the surface area of your grounds. This creates more contact with the water so more desirable flavours will be extracted.
2. Increase brewing time — A smaller grind size will make it harder for water to pass through your grounds increasing the brewing time, so make sure you keep that in mind before changing both at the same time. Increasing the brew time of your espresso allows for more compounds from your coffee to dissolve into your espresso giving balancing out the sour flavours.
3. Increase temperature — Espresso is typically brewed at 93°C / 199°F, so if you're espresso is still sour after changing the grind size and brewing time, it could be that your water isn't hot enough.

What should I do if my espresso is too watery?

Use more coffee — Sounds obvious, but if your coffee is all water and no coffee, use more coffee. Different beans and roasts will require more or less coffee to get the effect your desire.

What should I do if my espresso is too strong?

Use less coffee — using a little less coffee could get you the results you desire, this will dissolve fewer solids into your brew and make it easier for water to pass through.

Espresso being too strong is often confused with bitterness — a overly strong espresso is often too bitter, but it can be too sour.

Changing other factors such as grind size will also change the strength of your coffee. We recommend changing the amount of coffee first as grind size will effect other factors like flavour.

Coffee Tasting Cards for Dialling-in Espresso

The perfect way to keep track of your espresso routine.

Does tamping pressure matter?

No, it doesn't. Espresso machines exert such a huge amount of pressure on the coffee that any gaps and pockets of air are pushed out instantaneously. Not tamping at all however will result in a bad cup, as the coffee bed won't be flat, but there's no need to put your whole body weight on the tamper either. A firm push with the hand is all you need.

What really matters is that the coffee is evenly distributed in the basket before and during tamping, and that the coffee bed is as level as possible. This will allow water to travel through the grounds evenly, allowing for better extraction.

Espresso grind size settings table

Below is a table of all the coffee grinders in our database and the settings you should set them to make an espresso.