Grind for k-cups

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
User avatar
jwill911
Posts: 55
Joined: 13 years ago

#1: Post by jwill911 »

I don't have a k-cup brewing machine but my father-in-law does so my wife asked me to roast something special for her dad. I'm more than happy to to so but I'm not sure how to grind for k-cups. I can guess it would be more or less an espresso grind. If I had such a machine I could dial it in, at this point it would only be a SWAG.

Anyone out there have a k-cup brewer that could give me a lead on this?

Thanks,
John
Alameda, CA

jbviau
Supporter ★
Posts: 2133
Joined: 14 years ago

#2: Post by jbviau »

You don't want to go espresso-fine. A touch finer than drip should work well in whatever refillable gadget he's got. Of course, the easiest would be to just open up a k-cup and look, but I take it that's not an option?
"It's not anecdotal evidence, it's artisanal data." -Matt Yglesias

Advertisement
User avatar
another_jim
Team HB
Posts: 13871
Joined: 19 years ago

#3: Post by another_jim »

I toured the Green Mountain plant where many of the K cups are produced. The grind is fine, but coarse enough not to clump, even on darker roasts, so that it transports easily in tubes. I would say it's a "restrictor basket" grind, about half way between espresso and drip. I also think it may be a little coarser than the grind used in mocha pots, where darker roasts can clump too.
Jim Schulman

User avatar
the_trystero
Posts: 918
Joined: 13 years ago

#4: Post by the_trystero »

My boss loves the Keurig, so we have a couple machines here at work, and way too much horrible coffee in k-cups, so I just popped one open.

The grind for this Green Mountain Sumatran is pretty much as Joshua suggests, much finer than typical pre-ground drip coffee, but not quite close to espresso. Gritty fine sand.

I'm happy to open another brand if you like. Oh, wait, out of curiosity I opened a Tully's house blend and it's pretty much the same grind.

And John, you know you'll have to get one of the refillable k-cups if he doesn't have one, right?

HTH.
"A screaming comes across the sky..." - Thomas Pynchon

User avatar
jwill911 (original poster)
Posts: 55
Joined: 13 years ago

#5: Post by jwill911 (original poster) »

Thanks for all the replies. I give it a shot with my best guess based on this feedback and wait for what my father-in-law says.

jw