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ENGLISH
The flavor of coffee depends on a variety of factors, including the quality, freshness,
and roast of the beans, the purity of the brew water, the cleanliness of the brewing
equipment, and the brewing temperature. The fineness and consistency of the grind
is also critical.
Coffee that is ground too fine for a particular brewing process – using a fine espresso
grind in a drip coffee maker, for example – will result in the brew water over-extracting
the oils and aromatic compounds in the coffee, yielding a brew that is extremely
pungent and bitter. Conversely, coffee that is too coarsely ground for a particular
process will result in the under-extraction of the oils and essences, resulting in a very
thin and weak flavor. If the correct grind is used, adding more coffee simply makes a
brew stronger without making it excessively bitter.
The consistency of the grind is also an important factor in the flavor of coffee – and
absolutely critical when making great espresso. If the grounds are uniform, equal
amounts of soluble compounds will be extracted from each. If the grounds vary
in size, some will be over-extracted and some will be under-extracted, leading to
extremely poor quality. It's not surprising that a precision grind is mandatory for good
espresso, which is brewed with near-boiling water under 9 bars (130 lbs. [59 kg])
of pressure.
Coffee grind quality is directly related to the
type of grinder used. High speed grinders with
small burr sets are usually not able to produce
the fineness or consistency required for the best
espresso. They also excessively heat the beans
while grinding, resulting in lost flavor and aroma.
The KitchenAid
®
PRO LINE™ Burr Coffee
Mill uses a pair of large, commercial-
style, flat cutting burrs to grind coffee
with precision. Frictional heating is
minimized with a gear reduction
system that slows burr rotation, and
uniformity is enhanced with a helical-
gear that transports beans to the burrs
at a controlled rate. The result is a
superb grind that makes your coffee and
espresso the best it can be.
hOw thE GRInD
aFFECts FLavOR