Proper Brew Time

The coffee flavoring compounds contained in ground coffee are not all readily available or soluble in water.  The larger the ground coffee particles the longer it will take for the water to infuse the particle, dissolve the coffee flavorings and exit into the finished brew.  The table below is a good starting point for determining how long the brew time should be based on the size of the ground particle size.

The grind designations have been standardized in the US to three categories, Fine, Drip and Regular.  Since the brewing process can involve other factors such as water temperature and turbulence that can greatly effect the brew time these times are guidelines and therefore rather broad.  If for example a regular grind coffee is brewed in a French press and hot water is poured over it and allowed to steep the brew time would be much longer than if the mixture was vigorously stirred.  How the water interacts with the ground coffee is important and will determine the time needed to extract the proper amount of coffee flavorings.  See the coffee brewing example for a better understanding of the overall brewing process and the parameters that affect the quality of the finished brew.

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