Whole Beans vs Ground Coffee: Which Grind Should You Buy?
You have found a coffee you like the sound of. Then the dropdown hits you with nine options: Whole Beans, Chemex, Commercial, Domestic, Filter, Plunger, Stovetop, Turkish and V60. This guide sorts it out in two minutes.
Start here: do you own a grinder?
Yes: buy whole beans. Coffee starts losing aroma soon after it is ground, so grinding right before you brew gives you the best cup every time. Whole beans also let you switch brew methods without buying a new bag.
No: no problem. Pick the grind that matches how you make coffee and we grind it for you, fresh, before it ships. Keep the bag sealed tight, away from heat and light, and aim to finish it within a few weeks of opening.
Match the grind to your brew method
- Plunger (French press): coarse. A long steep needs bigger particles, or the cup turns muddy and bitter.
- Chemex: medium-coarse. The thick Chemex paper filter slows the flow, so a slightly coarser grind keeps it balanced.
- Filter: medium. For drip machines and batch brewers.
- V60: medium-fine. Built for pour-over, giving a clean, bright cup.
- Stovetop (moka pot): fine, but not as fine as espresso. Strong, rich and classic.
- Domestic: espresso grind for home espresso machines.
- Commercial: espresso grind for café-style commercial machines.
- Turkish: powder-fine, for traditional Turkish coffee.
How to tell if your grind is wrong
Sour, thin or weak: the water ran through too fast. Go finer.
Bitter, harsh or drying: the water sat too long. Go coarser.
If you are buying ground coffee and something tastes off, check you picked the grind for your method before blaming the beans.
Which size bag?
Every blend comes in 250g, 500g and 1kg. One or two coffees a day, a 250g or 500g bag keeps things fresh. Running a household of coffee drinkers or a work kitchen, the 1kg bag is the better buy.
Not sure which blend to start with?
Like it bold and chocolatey, try Solid Ground. Want caramel and hazelnut to start the day, go First Light. After something different, the flavoured blends taste like dessert with none of the sugar crash.
Every bag is roasted fresh in small batches and dispatched in 1-2 days. Veteran owned.