Favoured by baristas, residence brewers, and opponents, single-dose grinding is a standard apply in specialty espresso. The approach means that you can grind one dose at a time, preserving freshness and making it simpler to modify between completely different coffees.

Historically, most business and residential grinders – for espresso and filter – have giant hoppers designed to carry larger portions of espresso. That is particularly vital for cafés, the place baristas don’t have ample time for single-dose grinding, significantly for espresso. Topping up hoppers helps enhance workflow and pace of service.

However because the apply has change into extra well-liked, grinder producers have observed. An growing variety of skilled and prosumer fashions embrace smaller hoppers, designed particularly for single-dosing, and extra superior options that minimise retention, enhancing extraction consistency and flavour.

To study extra about how single-dose grinding is altering, I spoke to Donghwan Gu, the roastery supervisor at CBSC Worldwide Co. Ltd, who works with Eureka grinders. 

You might also like our article on why grinder consistency is vital for excellent espresso.

Why single-dose grinding turned so well-liked

Single-dose grinding is commonplace for filter brewing, permitting espresso retailers to supply extra menu choices. Typically talking, espresso retailers provide between two and three espresso choices (together with a decaf espresso) and can doubtless have an everyday rotation of filter and pour over choices.

By dosing espresso individually and utilizing a single-dose grinder, cafés can enhance the variety of filter coffees on their menus.

However a full espresso grinder hopper is a standard sight in lots of cafés. 

Each time they’ve the possibility, baristas fill hoppers with espresso beans. The explanations are twofold: a well-stocked hopper permits baristas to work sooner, and the burden of the espresso beans permits the grinder to dispense doses extra shortly and precisely.

In recent times, nevertheless, baristas have come to know the advantages of single-dose grinding for each filter and espresso. As a result of just one dose is added to the hopper at a time, the danger of oxidation is considerably decreased, preserving the unstable compounds in espresso and enhancing flavours within the cup.

“Exact measurement of espresso beans additionally reduces waste, ensures constant extraction, and minimises contamination when experimenting with or utilizing different espresso beans,” says seasoned competitor and the 2023 Korean Barista Champion Donghwan Gu. He’s the roastery supervisor at CBSC Worldwide Co. Ltd, a espresso consulting service in Goyang, South Korea.

“This makes single-dose grinding ideally suited for exploring new flavours and is extremely advantageous in as we speak’s espresso market, the place high quality and environmental effectivity are paramount,” he provides.

Supporting innovation

Like many different tendencies in specialty espresso, competitions helped standardise single-dose grinding. The approach is believed to have change into well-liked after a competitor repurposed an outdated grinder in order that they might single-dose their espresso. Nicely-known World Barista Championship opponents like Matt Perger and Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood additionally helped popularise it.

“Competitions present alternatives to share and study skilled expertise and practices,” Donghwan says. “I’ve used completely different grind sizes for a single espresso earlier than to showcase its full vary of flavours, reaching glorious outcomes by way of single-dose grinding.”

As baristas and residential brewers more and more search to experiment with a variety of types and processing strategies to expertise new flavours, single-dose grinding has emerged as a helpful approach to modify between completely different coffees extra effectively. As a substitute of emptying the hopper each time they need to grind and brew a brand new espresso, baristas merely add a single dose to the grinder – permitting them to vary grind measurement extra shortly and exactly.

How grinder producers have tailored to the development

Each residence brewers {and professional} baristas are more and more targeted on optimising espresso extraction, requiring exact management over an ever-growing vary of variables. Nevertheless, to attain uniform dosing, they should put money into high-performing grinders that scale back retention.

That is very true for single-dose grinding. Baristas want correct, constant doses, guaranteeing that their grinder retains as few espresso grounds as potential. In any other case, the apply shortly turns into negligible.

With its rising reputation, grinder producers have began to incorporate single-dose options of their product choices.

At World of Espresso Copenhagen in June 2024, premium Italian espresso gear firm Eureka, for instance, launched the Mignon Single Dose Professional, Mignon Zero 65 All Objective, and Zeus One, that are handmade in Florence within the firm’s lately expanded manufacturing facility.

These grinders, with particular cutting-edge technical options, such because the Zero-Retention grind chamber, assist customers obtain constant, exact dosing. Baristas also can connect the single-dose hopper to scale back the motion of the beans throughout grinding.

“Over the previous few years, in response to growing consideration on single-dose grinding, Eureka has invested in technical options to scale back grind retention, each in its business and residential fashions,” Donghwan tells me. 

Grinder retention has various implications for espresso extraction. Over time, as outdated, stale espresso grounds construct up, they’ll contaminate and impede extraction – doubtlessly growing off-flavours within the cup.

“Eureka was the primary firm to introduce the Blow-Up System, which permits baristas to wash the within of the grinding chamber,” Donghwan provides. “Through the years, the model began to develop particular, extra superior merchandise that additional scale back espresso retention. 

“The Mignon Single-Dose (SD) Professional options an inclined grinding chamber and chute and a ‘blind’ higher burr, which has no screw holes to attain the bottom retention potential.”

Grinder design has a huge effect on retention

Given how important it’s to minimise, or ideally get rid of, grind retention throughout single-dose grinding, producers have change into extra strategic with their inner designs.

The Eureka Mignon SD Professional encompasses a 15° inclined chamber and chute, which reduces retention by as much as 70% in comparison with earlier fashions. Mixed with the brand new bigger King Measurement grind dial with an built-in revolution counter, baristas can effectively modify the grind measurement for a variety of brewing strategies.

The Zeus grinder, in the meantime, consists of the Zero-Retention grind chamber system, designed to get rid of espresso retention and enhance dose consistency. Though grind retention will doubtless by no means be zero, lowering ranges to a minimal ensures that each single dose of espresso is contemporary and exact in measurement, regardless of which grinder you utilize.

Moreover, advances in expertise have made it potential for grinder producers to supply extra sturdy and stronger burrs, similar to Eureka’s Black Diamond burr set, that additional scale back retention and enhance gear longevity. The burrs may also be added as an improve to the model’s grinders, accommodating for a wider vary of brewing strategies.

Room to experiment

As espresso extraction turns into more and more scientific, honing in on and controlling specific variables to attain the specified outcomes, single-dose grinding is about to change into much more well-liked. 

“The evolution of single-dose grinding will centre on the enlargement of nuanced flavour profiles, sustainability, and personalised person preferences,” Donghwan tells me. “This mixed concentrate on expertise and artistry may give rise to a fascinating new espresso tradition.”

Already a well-established apply for filter brewing, single-dose grinding has the potential to change into extra extensively adopted for espresso, however challenges persist.

Espresso-based drinks are usually the most well-liked menu gadgets at most espresso retailers. This implies single-dose espresso grinding is more likely to impede workflow and decelerate service, particularly throughout busy durations.

Nevertheless, when completed proper, this grinding approach can improve the shopper expertise by opening up new potentialities for espresso flavour and aroma.

“Single dosing permits for extra than simply simple extraction for single origin coffees; it opens the door to modern blends that embrace completely different ratios of espresso to create distinctive flavour combos,” Donghwan explains. “By balancing roast profile with extraction strategies, single-dose grinding means that you can spotlight advanced, distinctive flavour profiles and create customised espresso recipes.”

Figuring out when and the place to make use of single-dose grinding for espresso

Single-dose grinding can unlock new flavour experiences for each filter espresso and espresso, enhancing a café’s menu choices. Nevertheless, baristas must be strategic to attain success with the latter.

For top-volume espresso retailers concerned about single-dose grinding for espresso, a gradual bar idea may work effectively. Investing in premium grinders just like the Eureka ORO Mignon Single Dose Professional, designed for each espresso and filter, permits them to dedicate time and a focus to single dosing for espresso with out disrupting wider service. The grinder’s higher blind burr, anti-chaff funnel, and zero-retention grind chamber additionally assist to scale back waste and enhance effectivity. 

Prospects may be engaged within the course of, as baristas have adequate time to clarify how single-dose grinding works and why they use it – including worth to their café visits.

The advantages of single-dose grinding are evident. It affords baristas and residential brewers the chance to enhance consistency, experiment with completely different coffees, scale back waste, and streamline service. Trying forward, the apply is just set to change into extra well-liked.

Producers have observed the rising development and are integrating extra options of their grinders that facilitate and optimise the method. Over time, we’ll see extra espresso retailers undertake these strategies, opening up new alternatives to showcase the complete spectrum of espresso flavour.

Loved this? Then learn our article on why single-dose grinding turned so well-liked.

Photograph credit: Eureka, @artphotoespresso

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