# Help: DeLonghi KG79 grind setting for different brewing method



## Cheeseface (Jan 9, 2019)

Good morning coffee lovers,

I am new to the forum and also a beginner for coffee making.

Most likely, I've been doing thing wrong (cringe moments for experienced people, I presume!) so I'd like to ask for wisdom and advice from the forum users.

I would like to ask for advice on grind set up on DeLonghi KG79 for different brewing methods

My current set-up is this (and I want to learn with these before I upgrade to something more serious):



*Coffee 1* - Lidl Bellarom Gold 100% Arabica ground coffee


*Coffee 2* - Bulk-buy Fairtrade whole coffee beans


*Grinder* - DeLonghi KG79


*Brewing method 1* - Bialetti Moka Express stovetop (3 cup)


*Brewing method 2* - Bodum Original Chambord cafetiere (3 cup)


*Brewing method 3* - Magimix Nespresso U & Milk coffee pod espresso (I use Sealpod refillable pod with my own coffee)


This is what I've been doing:



*KG79* - I usually have it on the "finest" grind setting as I've been told that for stovetop. I tried the "hack" to make it finer, but it struggled to grind at all so I reverted back to default.


*Bialetti stovetop* - Brews okay with "finest" grind, but a bit bitter and not much crema. A bit of sludge at the bottom of the cup, but I'm not bothered.


*Bodum cafetiere* - I got this for Christmas. The "finest" grind clogs up the filter and pressing is very hard. LOTS of sludge in both the cup and cafetiere.


*Magimix coffee pod* - Doesn't work with the "finest" grind. The machine struggles and only extracts in drops, not consistent streams.


In comparison to KG79 grinded coffee, Lidl's pre-grounded coffee works quite nicely with all brewing method. So, I'm assuming my set up on KG79 is "too fine" for all three brewing method.

Comparing the grind size between KG79 and Lidl is a bit hard for my novice eyes, but it seems that Lidl coffee is a bit more coarse. But I have no idea how "coarse" I need to change the set up on KG79.

One could simply tell me "well, just buy Lidl coffee and don't bother with KG79." Very true. KG79 was a present from my wife, whom I very much love, and she spent a lot of time researching to get me the best grinder we could afford at the time, so...

So, my questions are:


What are the general consensus on grind size for stovetop, cafettier, and coffee pod machine?

Given the availability of KG79 (and also it's limitation as a burr grinder), which grind setting is recommended for each brewing method?


I realise my questions can open up a whole can of worms, but I'm very much thankful for your expertise in educating a novice on grind settings so I can appreciate coffee more.

Many thanks and happy brewing!


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## Cheeseface (Jan 9, 2019)

OK, an update.

*Bialetti stovetop*

I just watched the YouTube clip below. I've always done what "Italians" do (as mentioned by the abundance of comments left on the page) and I never heard of this method! But I tried and yup, bitterness is gone and that subtle burnt smell in the air when it starts to gurgle is gone. Is this the current consensus for how to make a coffee on stovetop?:






*KG79*

*
*A quick read around on coffee grind size tells me that I must have been grinding the coffee beans too fine for all methods of brewing. I will try the middle setting (medium fine) next time I grind and see if that makes any difference (and compare with Lidl ground coffee for grind size).

The experiment continues...


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