Although the net-shape molding of composites is generally recommended, molded composites frequently requires cutting or grinding due to the dimensional inaccuracy for precision machine elements. During the composite machining operations such as cutting and grinding, the temperature at the grinding area may increase beyond the allowed limit due to the low thermal conductivity of composites, which might degrade the matrix of composite. Therefore, in this work, the temperature at the grinding point during surface grinding of carbon fiber epoxy composite was measured. The grinding temperature and surface roughness were also measured to investigate the surface grinding characteristics of the composites. The experiments were performed both under dry and wet grinding conditions with respect to cutting speed, feed speed, depth of cut and stacking angle. From the experimental investigation, the optimal conditions for the composite surface grinding were suggested.