Does Coffee Grinding Have a Unified Standard for Espresso?

There is no single fixed grind size that works for every semi-automatic espresso machine. A complaint about Manner's in-store grinding service raised the question again: customers asked staff to grind beans, then found their home machine could not pull a normal shot, suspecting the powder was too fine. Neither Manner's online support nor store staff could point to a unified grinding standard, because grind is adjusted to the bean and the day.

Coffee practitioners say the first task each morning is dialing in grind size according to that day's beans and weather. Some shops adjust several times within a single day when beans are very fresh or conditions shift. Different grinder brands also behave differently, so a setting that works on one machine may choke another, which is why a fixed standard is impractical.

Recently, a complaint about Manner's coffee grinding service sparked heated discussion on social media. A customer reported that after buying coffee beans in-store and asking staff to grind them, they found their semi-automatic espresso machine could not extract espresso properly when they got home, suspecting the grind was too fine. When the customer asked whether Manner had a unified grinding standard for its grinding service, neither online customer service nor store employees could give a clear answer. This incident raises an age-old topic in the coffee community: is there really a so-called standard grind size for coffee powder used in semi-automatic espresso machines? Multiple industry practitioners and veteran enthusiasts have shared their views, and the boundaries of chain brands' grinding services have once again drawn attention.

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Recently, a complaint post about Manner's coffee grinding service on social media sparked heated discussion among many netizens.

The poster said they went to a Manner offline store to buy coffee beans and asked the store to grind them. When the customer used the coffee powder to make coffee at home, they found their semi-automatic espresso machine could not extract espresso normally as usual, believing this was because the staff had ground the powder too fine, so they contacted customer service for a solution.

During communication, the customer asked whether Manner's grinding service had a unified grind size standard, but neither online customer service nor store employees could give a definitive answer when asked about this, leaving the consumer extremely confused.

Regarding the poster's experience, many experienced coffee enthusiasts and baristas chimed in, explaining that for coffee powder used in semi-automatic espresso machines, there is actually no so-called grinding standard.

Coffee practitioners say that the first thing they do after opening shop each day is adjust the grind size based on the condition of that day's coffee beans, weather conditions, etc., to ensure that day's extracted espresso meets the store's serving standards. If the weather is bad, or the coffee beans are too fresh, some stores may adjust the grind size multiple times within a day, rather than sticking to a fixed value.

Additionally, different brands of grinders have different grind scale standards, and different brands of semi-automatic espresso machines have different requirements for coffee powder fineness. Under the influence of various factors, baristas say frankly that the grinding services provided by merchants are actually very difficult to establish a unified grind size standard based on the purpose of the coffee powder, as the poster suggested.

Manner employees also left comments under the post. Some said that although the brand provides grinding services for customers, there is no relevant training for employees on coffee grinding, nor clear grinding standards given.

They said that to avoid grinding powder that isn't what the customer wants, sometimes they first grind a small batch to let the customer confirm the fineness level, and after adjusting to a satisfactory value, proceed with the grinding service. However, if the store is busy, such detailed service may not be possible, and instead they rely on the barista's personal experience to adjust the grind size, so there are occasional mishaps.

Considering that consumers buying coffee beans may not have grinding equipment, chain brands like Starbucks and Manner both offer grinding services to users.

However, unlike Manner which accepts all requests, Starbucks, out of considerations for food safety and other factors, only grinds coffee beans of its own brand, so more customers choose to ask Manner staff to help them process coffee beans bought offline or online.

Some experienced customers suggest that netizens trying Manner's grinding service for the first time can ask Manner employees to try several different grind settings based on their own coffee machine. But more coffee enthusiasts believe that if you're worried about mishaps with grinding services, it's better to buy a grinder and adjust it yourself — this way you can get the right grind size, enjoy coffee you're satisfied with through experimentation, and experience the fun of doing it yourself.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.