Coffee Grinders - A Brief Guide

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Many people prefer to buy coffee beans and grind them at home.  This allows you to get a fresher cup of coffee, and also to control how the beans are ground.  Control over the fineness of the ground coffee is important because different brewing methods, and different coffee machines, require different size grounds.  Someone who always uses the same method of brewing and the same coffee maker will not find it important to have as good a grinder.

There are two basic types of coffee grinders: burr and blade.  The blade grinder simply uses a steel blade to chop up the beans.  It is inexpensive and imprecise.  The burr grinder crushes the beans between a grinding wheel and a fixed surface.  It is more expensive, but allows for much more control over the fineness of the coffee. 

While using the blade grinder, heat from the electric motor may cause some of the aroma and flavor to be lost from the beans.  The only control for fineness is how long the blender is left running.  Blade grinders are an excellent choice for someone who only drinks coffee occasionally.

If you are a coffee connoisseur you may want to spend the extra money and get a burr grinder.  The burr grinder helps to protect the flavor and essential oils of the beans because there is no heat during the grinding.

A burr mill is a grinder that crushes the beans between a grinding wheel and a fixed surface.  There are two types of burr mills:  wheel and conical.  The wheel burr mill spins very fast and can be noisy and messy, but is less expensive.  The conical burr grinder is quieter and not as messy.  Also, it can be used with oily or flavored coffees and it won’t clog up.

Before buying a coffee grinder, other factors to consider are: how often one wants to grind the coffee; and how much control over the fineness of the coffee is wanted.  Some grinders have a large bean capacity and could easily grind coffee for the whole week, while others are small and may only grind enough for one pot.  Using a coffee grinder also allows for more control of the coarseness.  Some machines offer little or no control over the coarseness, but higher-end machines may have as many as 30 different settings.

For maximum freshness, coffee should be ground no longer than two minutes before brewing.  A burr of blade grinder can allow you that freedom.