Summary
The finer roasted coffee is ground, the larger the surface area is and the more volatile aroma compounds are released. Once these aroma compounds come into contact with oxygen, they quickly evaporate – for example, espresso coffee loses approx. 60% of its volatile aroma compounds within 15 minutes after grinding.

As the aroma belongs in the cup and not in the air, it is important to grind the beans just before preparation. When grinding coffee for storage in grinders with dosers, a certain amount of coffee is ground and kept in the doser. At peak times, the ground coffee can then be dispensed quickly and easily into the portafilter. However, this type of grinding only makes sense for very high throughput – otherwise the ground coffee remains in the storage containers too long and again loses its aroma.

Another method is grind-on-demand, where the coffee is dispensed straight into the portafilter just before preparation.  This type of direct grinding preserves maximum aroma and ensures the same quality for each customer, shot for shot.

Content
1. Doser grinders with storage grinding 
    - Doser grinders - pros and cons

2. Grind-on-demand grinders with fresh grinding
    - Fresh grinding - pros and cons

3. Sources and literature

For more information about the topic, you can download the whitepaper.

The quality of coffee drinks depends primarily on the quality of the raw materials, i.e. coffee beans. Secondly, the correct grinding and preparation also play an important role.

Grinding the roasted coffee beans is the basic requirement for preparing coffee drinks; it increases the surface area of the beans that come into contact with water. In every roasted coffee bean, there are approximately 1,000 different aromas and flavours. Through the milling of the grinding process, the cell structure in the coffee bean is broken up. Flavour, colour and aromatic substances are released and can be dissolved more easily and quickly upon contact with water.

Depending on the grind - coarse or very fine - the surface of the coffee changes, and many different flavours become soluble. Volatile aromas are immediately released; they combine with oxygen and provide the intense coffee smell during grinding. Studies have shown that ground coffee loses approximately 60% of its aroma after 15 minutes. Therefore, coffee should be freshly ground whenever possible.

Contents
1. The roasted coffee bean and its ingredients
2. Why grind coffee?
3. Different grinders
4. The perfect grind for every preparation
5. Goodbye, Aroma?
6. Sources and literature

For more information about the topic, you can download the whitepaper.