How to Choose a Coffee Grinder

How to Choose a Coffee Grinder

Coffee comes in different types and tastes. Some might love espresso while others love drip-style coffee or a cup of Turkish coffee. Everybody loves coffee, but not the same kind of it. Here comes the importance of a coffee grinding machine, and you need to know how to choose a coffee grinder.

However, a grinder doesn’t only play a significant role in getting desired grounds but also has an impact on the taste of it. The flavour and the taste make all the differences, resulting in various types of coffee.

Since the market is flooded with different types of it, choosing the best coffee grinder can be a challenging task for you. Therefore, I am going to put forth some common indicators that could help you pick among the grinders. Let’s get started.

How to Choose a Coffee Grinder: Thoroughly Described

How to Choose a Coffee Grinder: Thoroughly Described
How to Choose a Coffee Grinder: Thoroughly Described

A top-notch grinder will provide excellent ground for delicate cups of coffee. In addition to that, it will offer long-lasting performance. Without further ado, let’s learn about the crucial factors in choosing a good coffee grinder.

Types of Coffee Grinders: Blade vs Burr

There are various types of coffee grinding machines, but the most distinguishable feature is whether the grinder crushes the beans or slices them. The ones that use a blade split the coffee beans. Burr grinders, however, crush the beans to fine or coarse grounds. Here is more about the grinders.

Blade Grinders

As we discussed earlier, the blade grinders hit and strike the coffee beans, making them apart into pieces. The size of the grounds depends on the timing. The sooner you stop the machine, the coarser beans you find.

But the problem is, you won’t get the same size for every bean. Some of them would be finer than the others, whereas some of them would be boulders.

Everybody knows that when it comes to coffee, the size of the grounds matters a lot. Despite the drawbacks, many select a blade grinder when the budget is a concern.

Burr Grinders

Burr grinders are more precise than blade grinders. Since they crush coffee beans, instead of hitting and slicing them, you would get better results in terms of the size of the grounds. Despite their speciality in precision, you may still get fines and boulders at the same time. But a grinder with two burrs does a better job than the ones with a blade.

The Difference: Flat vs Conical  

Burrs come in two types, one is flat, and the other is conical. Choose wisely when you need to.

Flat Burrs

These burrs are cheaper than their counterparts, but they aren’t as durable as conical burrs. Flat burrs have a mechanism that causes the beans to go towards the burr teeth.  To get fine ground, you let the discs come closer together. When you want coarse grounds, you keep them apart.

Conical Burrs

Conical burrs are more precise because you can adjust them by degrees. They last more than flat burrs. Where a flat burr has to be replaced after grinding about 600 kilos of beans, a conical burr can be used even after grinding more than 800 kilos of beans.

Burr Materials: Steel vs Ceramic

Burrs are generally made of either steel or ceramic. Which one will you choose then? Making a choice may be difficult. Yet, a brief discussion on thermal conductivity could solve the mystery in terms of finding your go-to option.

Both steel and ceramic are thermal conductors, which means both can conduct heat. However, steel is a great thermal conductor. It heats up and cools down quicker than many other materials. Being less of a thermal conductor, ceramic shows exactly the opposite manner. It heats up and cools down slowly.

Ceramic burrs are a little bit costlier than steel burrs. Despite being fragile, ceramic ones tend to last longer. But any presence of stone in the hopper could lead to destruction.

Coffee Grinders: Manual vs Electric

Coffee grinders have one more distinguishable feature. You have the luxury of choosing between a manual and an electric coffee grinder.

A manual grinder can do everything that an electric grinder does. But the difference is, that a manual one is likely to take more time and effort than another. Many prefer a manual grinder when they want to make Turkish coffee. But, if you want more convenience, you can simply go for an electric one.

Conclusion

Coffee lovers try different types of coffee, be it espresso or Turkish Style. A good coffee grinder could help in the process of making a good cup of coffee.

This article has focused on the key features of grinders. Now that you know how to choose a coffee grinder, you can pick a coffee grinder, depending on your budget and coffee habits. Remember, you may compromise on the budget, but not on the taste of your coffee.

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