Hey guys, today I am here with a very unique topic to discuss with you.
A lot of the folks I talk in my daily routine are often confused between the two words.
And those words are “coffee grounds” and “coffee grinds”.
Some people use them alternatively while some use them in the different context altogether.
But in my experience, a lot of coffee lovers usually do not understand the minute differences between the coffee grinds and coffee grounds.
So, the main confusion is when we talk about remaining coffee granules after you brew your coffee; should we call that stuff as coffee grinds or coffee grounds.
If you ask me, then my short answer would be “Coffee Grounds” only.
Because there is a big grammatical difference between the two words.
If you look these two words in the dictionary, then you will understand that coffee grind is known as different levels of grinding of coffee beans such as medium, fine or coarse grind.
On the other side, coffee grounds simply mean the remainder or dregs that includes the residual solid particles of coffee beans after we brew the actual coffee.
So, grammatically and context wise, there is considerable differences between these two words.
Therefore, whenever you want to talk about coffee grounds then make sure you use the term “Coffee Grounds” only and not the “Coffee Grinds”.
To further understand the difference between these terms and to eliminate your confusion, I highly recommend you to read this entire article till the end.
Table of Contents
- FAQ Related to the Differences Between Coffee Grinds and Coffee Grounds
- Coffee Grind or Coffee Grinds – What is the Correct Term?
- Popular Coffee Grind Sizes That You Should Know
- So, When Should You Use the Term “Coffee Grounds”?
- Conclusion
FAQ Related to the Differences Between Coffee Grinds and Coffee Grounds
Coffee Grind or Coffee Grinds – What is the Correct Term?
Basically, you need to understand the fact that there is no such term as “coffee grinds” as far as English grammar is concerned.
It is actually a mispronunciation of the word “Coffee Grind”.
Here, the real context of coffee grind or the true meaning of the coffee grind is known as the degree of fineness or the texture of your coffee beans.
The texture of your coffee beans could be either medium level, fine level or coarse level.
Coffee grinds terminology is therefore not really accurate in this sense.
It is best you call the fineness of your coffee beans as the “coffee grind” and not the “coffee grinds”.
Popular Coffee Grind Sizes That You Should Know
Now, whenever you talk about coffee grind; it means you are talking about the fineness or the actual size or dimensions of coffee beans.
These dimensions or sizes are different for different coffee brewing methods.
Some of the popular coffee brewing methods and coffee grind sizes for them are provided as follows.
| Coffee Brewing Method | Coffee Grind Fineness |
| Pour Over Coffee | Fine Grind |
| Drip Coffee | Medium Grind |
| Cold Brew Coffee | Medium Grind |
| French Press Coffee | Coarse Grind |
| Aeropress Coffee | Coarse Grind |
Depending on the coffee brewing method, the grind size or fineness varies.
Now, you must be asking why there are three levels of coffee grind that are being used while making different types of coffee.
The real reason behind it is the difference in terms of the taste and flavor of your coffee.
If the surface area of your coffee beans is very small, then very few number of coffee beans actually dissolve in the water.
The real taste and flavor of your coffee changes immensely depending on how much coffee beans actually dissolve in the water.
The coarse and medium coffee grind takes more time to brew your daily coffee.
On the other side, fine coffee grind takes very little time to dissolve in the water and therefore, it is being used in making pour over coffee.
Coarsely ground coffee beans are used to make French Press and Aeropress coffee.
And medium coffee grind is used in making drip coffee as well as cold brew coffee.
So, When Should You Use the Term “Coffee Grounds”?
According to Wikipedia definition, the coffee grounds are the end result of brewing your coffee beans.
They are also known as “used coffee beans”.
The definition “dregs remaining after brewing your coffee” is also used to describe the term “coffee grounds”.
But if you ask my opinion then I would say that in a layman’s language, you can simply call it as a substance that is remained in the form of coffee granules after you brew your coffee.
It is very simple to understand, am I right?
Coffee Grind is the level of fineness of your coffee beans and the Coffee Grounds is the stuff that you get in the form of solid coffee granules after brewing your coffee.
Coffee Grounds are very useful in gardening because they can be used as a natural compost for your plants.
Therefore, whenever you talk about using remainder coffee granules after you brew your coffee in your garden, you should clearly call it as “coffee grounds” and not “coffee grinds”.
Conclusion
In the end, I just want to say that I hope by reading this article till the end, you certainly have cleared your confusion by now.
Now onwards, whenever someone asks you that he or she wants to prepare either pour over coffee or French press coffee, then tell them about coffee grind sizes and not about coffee grounds.
And if someone asks you about composting coffee beans in the garden, then you must remember that he/she is talking about “coffee grounds” and not about “coffee grinds”.
References:
https://ask.metafilter.com/197916/Grinds-or-Grounds
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-coffee-grounds-and-coffee-grinds