For the already-dialled crowd

Read this as a guide, not a rulebook. Burr geometry and alignment change your fines. Dripper shape and filter paper change flow. Water chemistry sets the baseline. Hold your house ratio, move grind in half-clicks, then adjust pour rate or bloom before bigger swings. Aim for a flat bed, a clean finish, and layered sweetness. On pressurised baskets, go slightly coarser and lift the dose. On 58 mm, keep distribution tight and let time guide the shot.

Quick start

If you are grinding specialty coffee at home with a Wilfa Svart (Classic, Plus, Aroma), these are starting points. The marks on the hopper are hints. Begin here and tweak by taste.

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“Consistently tasty brews often come from using a little less coffee and grinding a touch coarser.” — Christopher H. Hendon, Associate Professor of Chemistry (Computational Materials Chemistry) at the University of Oregon; and a noted coffee-science researcher.

How to use this guide

• Make one change at a time.
• If the cup is sour or fast, grind finer.
• If it is bitter or flat, grind coarser.
• Fresh beans, filtered water, and a scale beat guesswork.

Grind presets (Wilfa Svart)

Aeropress

• Setting: just finer than the “AeroPress” mark (about 2–3 clicks finer).
• Why: short contact time needs a tighter grind for sweetness.
• Recipe to try: 14 g coffee, 200 g water, 2:00 total.

V60 / Pour-over

• 01 (250 ml): on the “AeroPress” mark or a click coarser.
• 02 (500 ml): midway between AeroPress and Filter.
• 03 (700–750 ml): just inside “Filter.”
• Tip: larger brews need a touch coarser to keep the flow steady.
• Recipe: 15 g : 250 g (01) • 30 g : 500 g (02).

Clever Dripper

• Setting: between AeroPress and Filter (closer to AeroPress).
• Recipe: 22 g : 360 g, 3:00 steep, then drain.

French Press / Cafetière

• Setting: around the middle of “Filter,” not max-coarse.
• Recipe: 30 g : 500 g, 4:00 steep, stir, plunge gently.

Automatic Brewer (Moccamaster, Wilfa Classic+, etc.)

• Setting: coarse—near the end of “Filter.”
• Note: machines drip slower than hand pours; go coarser for clarity.

Moka Pot / Stovetop

• Setting: between AeroPress and Espresso-Home.
• Tip: if it sputters or tastes harsh, go a click coarser.

Espresso — Home (Sage/Breville, pressurised baskets)

• Setting: fine, but a notch coarser than café espresso.
• Target:* 25–30 s for ~36 g out from 18 g in.

Espresso — Pro (58 mm, non-pressurised, La Marzocco, etc.)

• Setting: as fine as the Wilfa allows while still feeding.
• Note: Wilfa isn’t a true espresso grinder; use in a pinch only.

Cold Brew

• Setting: as coarse as you can go (past Filter end).
• Recipe: 1:8 ratio, 14–16 hours in the fridge, then dilute to taste.

Ratios that work

• Filter & Auto: 1:16
• AeroPress: 1:14–1:15
• French Press: 1:16
• Moka: 1:10–1:12
• Cold Brew concentrate: 1:8

Neighbourhood beans cheat sheet

• Neighbourhood Blend (espresso): start Espresso-Home, adjust by taste.
• Norvil Pérez (Peru, Natural): fruit-forward, start V60 02 setting (midway).
• Ozolotepec EA Decaf (Mexico, Washed): clean and sweet—start V60 01 (AeroPress mark +1 click).

Need a hand?

These settings get you 80% of the way. Your water, kettle, and patience do the rest. If you’re stuck, pop into Neighbourhood Graça or Santos with your grinder questions, we’ll taste, tweak, and send you home dialled in.

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