Medium Coarse Coffee: When to Use It and How to Get It Right

I spent way too long early in my coffee journey ignoring grind size. I would grind everything the same way regardless of brew method and wonder why my French press tasted different from my pour-over, even using the same beans. The answer, as I eventually learned, was grind size. And medium coarse is one of the most useful settings that most people overlook.

Medium coarse falls right between the standard medium grind (what you get in pre-ground coffee bags) and a full coarse grind (chunky, like sea salt). Think of it as rough sand, maybe kosher salt. It is a versatile grind size that works well with several popular brewing methods, and getting it dialed in correctly makes a noticeable difference in your cup.

What Medium Coarse Actually Looks Like

Grind size descriptions can be confusing because there is no universal standard. Every grinder uses different numbers or labels. But here are some concrete reference points for medium coarse.

Visual comparison: Medium coarse grounds should look similar to coarse sand or rough sea salt. The individual particles are clearly visible and distinct, not clumping together like finer grinds tend to do.

Touch test: Rub the grounds between your fingers. You should feel individual granules with some texture. If it feels smooth or powdery, you are too fine. If it feels like small pebbles with no fines at all, you are too coarse.

On a Baratza Encore: Settings 20 to 25 (out of 40) put you in medium coarse territory. On a Comandante hand grinder, roughly 25 to 28 clicks. On a Fellow Ode, around 4 to 6 on the dial.

These numbers vary by grinder, so use them as starting points and adjust based on taste.

Which Brew Methods Use Medium Coarse

Medium coarse grind works best with immersion and slow-drip methods that need a balance between surface area exposure and extraction time.

Chemex

The Chemex is where medium coarse really shines. The thick Chemex filters slow the flow rate compared to standard V60 filters, so a finer grind would lead to over-extraction and bitterness. Medium coarse allows water to pass through at the right pace, producing the clean, bright cup the Chemex is known for.

My typical Chemex recipe uses 42 grams of medium coarse coffee to 700 grams of water, with a total brew time around 4 to 5 minutes. If it runs longer than 5 minutes, I go slightly coarser. Under 4 minutes, slightly finer.

French Press

French press traditionally calls for a coarse grind, but I have found that going slightly finer, into medium coarse territory, actually produces a better cup in most cases. Pure coarse grinds can under-extract, leaving the coffee tasting flat and one-dimensional. Medium coarse gives you more flavor development while still keeping the fines low enough to avoid a muddy, silty cup.

The key with French press is steep time. At medium coarse, 4 minutes is usually ideal. If you use a full coarse grind, you might need 5 to 6 minutes to extract enough flavor.

Cafe Solo / Clever Dripper

Both of these hybrid brewing devices (part immersion, part filtration) benefit from medium coarse grinds. The immersion phase allows longer contact time between water and grounds, while the filtration step catches any fines. Medium coarse gives you the best of both worlds.

Cold Brew

Cold brew is often made with coarse grounds, but medium coarse works well if you shorten the steep time. With coarse grounds, most recipes call for 12 to 24 hours of steeping. At medium coarse, I get good extraction in 10 to 14 hours. The resulting cold brew has more flavor complexity without turning harsh or over-extracted.

Medium Coarse vs. Other Grind Sizes

Understanding where medium coarse fits in the full spectrum helps you know when to use it and when to reach for something else.

Finer Than Medium Coarse

Medium is the standard drip coffee grind. It looks like regular sand and works for auto-drip machines and standard pour-over cones like the V60 or Kalita Wave. If your medium coarse coffee tastes weak or watery, try moving one step finer into medium territory.

Medium fine is for Aeropress (standard method) and Moka pot brewing. Moving to this range from medium coarse would be a two-step jump on most grinders.

Coarser Than Medium Coarse

Coarse is the classic French press grind, resembling sea salt or breadcrumbs. If your medium coarse French press coffee tastes bitter, back off to full coarse. The larger particles extract more slowly, which reduces bitterness.

Extra coarse is for cold brew purists who steep for 18 to 24 hours. At this size, grounds look like cracked peppercorns.

For a grinder that handles all of these settings well, check out our best coarse coffee grinder roundup.

How to Dial In Medium Coarse

Getting the exact right medium coarse setting for your specific beans, water, and brew method takes a bit of trial and error. Here is the process I follow.

Start in the Middle

Set your grinder to what you think is medium coarse based on the visual references above. Brew one cup with your normal recipe.

Taste and Adjust

If the coffee tastes bitter, dry, or astringent, the grind is too fine and the coffee is over-extracting. Go one or two clicks coarser.

If the coffee tastes sour, thin, or lacks sweetness, the grind is too coarse and the coffee is under-extracting. Go one or two clicks finer.

If the coffee tastes balanced, sweet, and flavorful, you are in the right zone. Write down the setting so you can replicate it.

Change One Variable at a Time

Only adjust grind size. Do not simultaneously change your water temperature, dose, or brew time, or you will not know which change fixed the problem. Grind size is the single most powerful variable you can control, so start there.

Bean-Specific Adjustments

Different beans grind differently at the same setting. Lighter roasts are denser and harder, producing fewer fines at any given setting. Darker roasts are more brittle and produce more fine particles. When you switch to a new bag of coffee, expect to adjust your grind by a click or two.

Common Mistakes with Medium Coarse Grinding

Using a Blade Grinder

Blade grinders cannot produce a consistent medium coarse grind. They chop beans randomly, creating a wide range of particle sizes in every batch. The fine particles over-extract while the large chunks under-extract, and the result tastes muddy and confused. A burr grinder, even an inexpensive one, gives you dramatically better results. Our best coffee grinder for coarse grind roundup has options at every price point.

Not Adjusting for Freshness

Coffee that is 2 days off roast grinds differently than coffee that is 3 weeks off roast. Very fresh coffee releases more CO2, which affects extraction. As beans age, they become more brittle and may need a slightly coarser setting to avoid over-extraction. Pay attention to roast dates and adjust accordingly.

Eyeballing Instead of Weighing

At medium coarse, small changes in dose make a big difference in flavor. A 2-gram difference in your dose (say, 30 grams vs. 32 grams) changes the coffee-to-water ratio enough to shift the taste from balanced to bitter. Use a scale every time.

FAQ

What number is medium coarse on my grinder?

It varies by manufacturer. On a Baratza Encore, settings 20 to 25. On a Timemore C2, about 20 to 24 clicks. On a Breville Smart Grinder Pro, around settings 30 to 35. Check your grinder's manual for a grind size chart, and use the visual reference of rough sand or kosher salt to confirm you are in the right range.

Can I use medium coarse for drip coffee?

Standard auto-drip machines work best with a medium grind. Medium coarse will under-extract in most drip brewers because the water passes through too quickly. The exception is flat-bottom basket brewers with slower flow rates, where medium coarse can work well.

Is medium coarse the same as coarse?

No. Medium coarse is noticeably finer than coarse. The particles are smaller and more uniform, with more surface area exposed to water. This means faster extraction and more flavor development in a shorter brew time. Coarse looks like sea salt or breadcrumbs. Medium coarse looks like rough sand.

How do I know if my grind is too coarse or too fine?

Taste your coffee. Sour, weak, and watery means too coarse (under-extracted). Bitter, dry, and harsh means too fine (over-extracted). A well-extracted cup at the right grind size tastes sweet, balanced, and full-flavored with no unpleasant sharpness on either end.

Putting It All Together

Medium coarse is one of those grind sizes that does not get enough attention. It sits in a useful middle ground that works beautifully for Chemex, French press (with a shorter steep), Clever Dripper, and cold brew. The key to getting it right is using a burr grinder, starting from a visual reference point, and adjusting based on taste rather than guessing. Once you find the sweet spot for your favorite brew method, write down the setting and your recipe. Consistency is what turns a good cup into a great one.