Coffee Data Science

Photographing Coffee Grounds for Grind Distribution Analysis

An SOP for those curious

The aim is to photograph the coffee grounds in the best environment. The aim is to reduce all variables to make the particle analysis easier.

Prepare the Environment

1. Turn off most overhead light
2. Close window blinds
3. Place a 8.5 x 11 piece paper on a flat surface
4. Get your camera ready, and turn the flash on

All images by author

Prepare the Coffee Grounds

1. Grind 3 or 4 beans

2. Start with a small pinch of coffee

3. Sprinkle around from a foot above the piece of paper

4. Use a fine brush to tap lightly on the grounds to help separate the finer particles from the coarser

Take Pictures

1. Open camera or camera app
2. Turn on flash

Left: Without Flash, Right: With Flash

1. Level the phone one foot or so above the page so that the entire page is visible in the field of view
2. Take some pictures
3. Bonus: Turn on one of the zoom lens from the same height and take a picture.

With these steps, you can get some good images of your coffee grinds, and then it can be easier to do particle analysis.

If you like, follow me on Twitter and YouTube where I post videos of espresso shots on different machines and espresso related stuff. You can also find me on LinkedIn. You can also follow me on Medium.

Further readings of mine:

Collection of Espresso Articles

A Collection of Work and School Stories

Personal Stories and Concerns

LEGO Story Splash Page

Photography Splash Page

Measuring Coffee Grind Particle Distribution using Image Processing

Espresso Filters: An Analysis

Espresso Filter Baskets: Visualized

Modeling Coffee Grinders

Espresso Filter Comparison: Pesado vs VST

Espresso Baskets (VST): Ridged vs Ridgeless

IMS Superfine vs VST: A Small Sample Espresso Filter Comparison

Espresso Simulation: First Steps in Computer Models

Kruve: Further Analysis on the State of the Art

Kruve Coffee Sifter: An Analysis

Espresso Basket Rumble: Robot vs Pullman vs Decent