Coffee Grinders
Coffee grinders come in all shapes, forms, and sizes from small blade choppers to enormous roller mills that can grind hundreds of pounds an hour. Home grinders come in hand operated and electric
The main thing to remember is grind right before brewing. Don’t grind a bunch of coffee and don’t buy pre-ground coffee. Once you break the bean and grind it, the gases and flavors start to leave so you want to go directly from the grinder into the brewer and add water immediately
It does not matter what grinder you use as long as it gives a consistent grind at the size you are looking for. No big chunks and no dust, just ground coffee at a consistent size.
Coffee grinders come in 2 basic burr types, flat and conical.Conical grind faster so can be smaller. Flat burrs are usually more consistent.
Blade Grinders: These are the most economical and the ones you always find in thrift stores as they are typically someone’s first grinder and they donate them once they realize they need something better. The drawbacks with blade grinders are lack of consistency and heat, both of which are not good for making coffee. Though not preferred, they are far better than buying pre-ground coffee. If you already own one, use it. Don’t grind too fine as the coffee will get hot which will degrade the flavor.
Espresso Grinders: Espresso is a single cup coffee beverage made with an espresso machine using high pressure water and very finely ground coffee. The grind level and consistency are very important and require grinders that are precise and consistent.
Since the quantity of coffee required is rather small (12-18 grams), Hand grinders are very popular as they are inexpensive when compared to electric machines that can cost into the thousands of dollars.
