Sifting Ground Coffee? Is It Worth It & How To Do It
Sifting coffee is a niche interest in the coffee world. It’s the act of sifting out microfines in your coffee grounds to achieve an even, uniform grind size for your brew. While microfines are an unavoidable byproduct of grinding coffee, minimizing them can lead to a more balanced, smooth, and flavorful cup.
Why Sifting benefits your coffee
As we mentioned above, microfines in your coffee are inevitable. Even when you buy pre-ground coffee, you will end up with some microfines. This is why some coffee enthusiasts and professionals go to lengths such as sifting their grounds or investing in high-quality grinders that produce fewer fines.
A little bit in your coffee is fine, but too much can affect the quality of your brew, especially for brewing methods that require a coarser ground. Sifting offers a solution, allowing you to filter out the microfines and improve your coffee’s overall taste and consistency.
Let’s have a closer look at how microfines can affect your coffee.
Over-Extraction
A quick coffee science 101: Microfines have a larger surface area relative to their size, therefore, they extract flavors more quickly than larger particles. During brewing, these microfines can over-extract, leading to bitter or harsh flavors in your coffee. It can also pull out the bitter compounds and undesirable tannins.
Inconsistent Flow Rate
Microfines can clog filters, particularly in methods like pour-over, Aeropress, or espresso. This can slow down the brewing process and lead to uneven extraction. When water struggles to flow through the coffee bed uniformly, some areas may become over-extracted while others are under-extracted, resulting in an unbalanced cup.
Mud-Like Sediment
In methods like cold brew or French press, microfines can pass through the filter, ending up in your cup as a muddy sediment. This sediment can contribute to a gritty texture and bitter aftertaste. This can be unpleasant and detracts from the overall drinking experience.
Lack of Clarity
Microfines can obscure the more nuanced flavors of your coffee. Instead of a clean and bright cup where individual flavor notes shine, you might end up with a less defined flavor profile. This is particularly undesirable in specialty coffee, where clarity and balance are often prized.
Enhanced Acidity
Because microfines over-extract quickly, they can also increase the perceived acidity of the coffee. While some acidity is desirable, an excess can make the coffee taste sour or overly sharp.
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By sifting your ground coffee, you can easily separate the microfines from the coarser grounds. That way you’ll have a clean, uniform ground for your coffee, resulting from a well-balanced extraction.
How does the Shelbru Sifter work
The Shelbru Sifter is a simple tool to add to your coffee arsenal. It is designed to help you finetune the grind size you need for various coffee brewing methods.
The product itself is very simple. The Sifter comes with a borosilicate glass jar (400ml in capacity), a lid, and two filters (800μm and 500μm).
The 800μm filter is for coarse grind: great for cold brew, French press, or percolators.
The 500μm filter is for medium to medium grind: great for pour over, aeropress, or drip coffee.
Step-by-Step Guide to Sifting Coffee Grounds with the Shelbru Sifter
- Grind your coffee beans: Use your grinder to grind the beans to your usual size, depending on your brewing method.
- Sift the grounds: Place the grounds in the Sifter jar. Place the filter (whichever one corresponds to your brewing method) and the lid. Hold the Sifter upside down (lid facing down) and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds. You will end up with the unwanted microfines in the lid.
- Brew and enjoy: Use what’s left in the jar for your coffee–whether that’s pourover, French press, or cold brew. You’ll notice the difference in taste and clarity.
Is Sifting Coffee Grounds Time-Consuming or Wasteful?
Question 1: “Doesn’t sifting take too long?”
It might sound like sifting coffee adds extra time to your morning routine, but with our Sifter, the process is quick and easy. A few shakes, and you're left with perfectly consistent grounds ready to brew.
Question 1: “Will I waste coffee?”
You might ask us - “isn't sifting coffee wasteful?”
We hear you, and don’t worry! Typically you would lose only about 1 to 2 grams of coffee per usage. If you like to brew your coffee with accuracy, we recommend grinding a couple of grams more than usual.
For example, if you want to make a pourover with 50g of coffee, grind about 51g to 52g of coffee beans.
Also, those leftovers don’t have to go to waste. You can compost coffee grounds or make them into fun DIY projects.
Conclusion: Why Sifting Coffee Grounds is Worth it
Sifting coffee grounds may seem like an extra step, but the results speak for themselves. Whether you’re brewing pour-over, cold brew, or French press, sifting ensures consistent grounds, even extraction, and an all-around better cup of coffee. Plus, with the Shelbru Sifter, the process is simple and efficient. Overall, we think it’s worth incorporating into your coffee routine!
Ready to elevate your coffee? Start sifting today with the Shelbru Sifter—and say goodbye to uneven extractions and bitter coffee forever.
