Grinding coffee plays one of the key roles in the entire brewing process. The flavor of the coffee largely depends on the way the beans are processed as well as how much time passes between the actual grinding of the coffee and its brewing. And the rest depends on the type of coffee brewer and its various features—whether you go for appliances with integrated grinders like fully-automatic drip coffee makers and elite espresso machines or even manual brewers (percolators, French presses, cezve, dallah, etc) with a separate grinder on the side. Each of these coffee brewers can handle most coffee grind levels but they also perform best with one specific kind. The finer the grinding, the larger the surface area of coffee and water, so the coffee extraction works much faster. And on the contrary, the coarser the grinding, the more time it takes for coffee to brew. There is a simple rule of thumb that might help you determine how to grind coffee for different types of brewing methods—the grinding fineness should decrease when the coffee’s exposure to hot water increases. If the coffee is, say, completely submerged in water and brewed in a French press, then you’d be better off using coarser, larger grounds. On the other side of the spectrum are finer grounds that are perfect for espresso, followed by medium-fine grounds best used for drip coffee makers and drinks like Americano. Many modern coffee makers are equipped with built-in grinders with adjustable grinding settings that could be selected based on the desired beverage and coffee roast. They grind and add the resulting powder into the filter automatically. If you’d rather brew coffee on a stove or with the help of various manual brewers, then you can purchase one of the small stand-alone grinders that almost all coffee machine manufacturers offer in their selection of brewing accessories.