Finding the right grind setting
The grind decides how fast the water runs through the coffee. Start near the fine end, time the shot and move one setting at a time.
Sep 1, 2026 · 2 min read
Of everything you can change, the grind changes your espresso the most. Fine coffee slows the water down, coarse coffee lets it run through fast. You are looking for the setting where 18 g of coffee gives you 36 g of espresso in 25 to 30 seconds.
Where to start
The Nove grinder has 40 settings. For espresso, start near the fine end and adjust from there. Any grinder with an espresso setting works, but it needs small steps between settings, because a small change in grind makes a big change in the shot.
Read the shot, then move one setting
- Under 25 seconds and sour: the grind is too coarse. Go one setting finer.
- Over 30 seconds and bitter: the grind is too fine. Go one setting coarser.
- Between 25 and 30 seconds: taste it. If it tastes good, leave it there.
When to change it again
Check the setting when you open a new bag of beans, since every coffee grinds a little differently. Beans also change as they age, so you may go a setting finer towards the end of a bag. Grind just before each shot, since ground coffee goes stale in a few days. See the grinder.
Written by The barista, co-founder of Nove
