Grinders and Extraction

Extraction is the process of water removing the soluble material from the coffee grounds to give you your finished beverage. If you don’t extract enough soluble material, your coffee will be weak, watery, sour, vegetal, and/or underwhelming. This kind of brew is commonly referred to as “underextracted.” If you extract “too much” (this is in parenthesis for a reason - keep reading) soluble material, your coffee will be harsh, bitter, and/or astringent (mouth-drying). This kind of brew is commonly referred to as “overextracted.” If you extract the right amount of soluble material, your brew will be balanced, sweet, smooth, and full of origin character (perhaps fruity, perhaps floral, perhaps savory, etc).