The first sip of the morning coffee is one of the favorite parts of the day for many people. The taste on the tongue of this bitter-sweet, hot coffee accompanied by the caffeine wakeup effect made coffee the popular drink it is.
Coffee lovers would probably agree that brewing freshly ground coffee has a great effect on its aroma and flavor, much better than brewing a pre-ground coffee.
In this article, we will review what types of coffee grinders exist and what are the criteria for choosing the best one to suit your needs.
What to Take in Consideration when Buying a Coffee Grinder:
Type of Machines Used to Make Coffee
If you are making espresso in an espresso machine, you’ll need a very fine grind size. A macchinetta or french press grind. When choosing a grinder, you’ll need to consider what kind of coffee you’ll make with it. and which machine you will be using . It is important to make sure it is capable of making the grind size you’ll need.
Consistency of Grind
As mentioned in the last paragraph, grind size is important and therefore the consistency of the grind is important. Low-quality grinders or overused ones are usually defined by the uneven grind. If there is a significant variation in grind size, then the grinder machine should be avoided.
The result can be either coffee grind in your french press coffee or espresso that doesn’t taste good.
Usability
The ease of use is important in all products. Manual grinders may take a few minutes to grind, while electric ones it is only a matter of seconds. I will shortly break down the difference between the two.
Material Durability
“I’m not rich enough to buy cheap things”.Proverb- anonymous. When buying low-quality coffee grinders, there is a high chance that you’ll need to replace it very often. This often results in a more expensive endeavour as you need to purchase another one earlier then had you bought quality.. Don’t be quick to buy any grinder. Make sure you understand what it is made (ceramic grinders last more for example) from.
Choosing between types of coffee grinders:
Manual vs Electric Grinder
Manual grinders are slower to grind but much cheaper. A great manual coffee grinder will cost a fifth of a great electric coffee grinder , however, with electric grinders, you’ll get fast results but, as said, they are more expensive.
The decision whether to buy a manual grinder or electric one, basically depends on your budget.
If you have a small budget it is definitely better to buy a good manual machine than a bad electric one.
Blade vs Burr
Coffee grinders with blades look like small food processors. Blurr mechanism is more sophisticated, minimizing variations in grind consistency.
Cheap electric coffee grinders usually have blades and not burrs. It is less recommended for the following reasons:
- The grind size is uneven.
- You can’t make a grind for a specific machine (french press for example), only for espresso, because of the grind size inconsistency.
- You need to grind the coffee for a few minutes to get homogeneous consistency for espresso. This heats the coffee grains which reduces its aroma.
Flat Burr vs Conical Burr
Last decision to make, in case you chose a coffee grinder with a burr mechanism, is choosing between a flat burr and conical burr. Flat burrs use centrifugal force to propel the beans towards the burr teeth. Conical burrs have a cone-shaped ring in a 60-degree angle that sits inside another cone-shaped ring. It is very technical but the difference in design impacts the price of the grinder.
Conical burrs are more difficult to produce but result with a more consistent grind texture. They are also more resistant and last longer.
Conclusion
Coffee is life and good coffee is a good life. Investing a bit in a coffee grinder, even a manual one, if you’re on a budget, can really improve your mornings. Follow the criteria mentioned and you’ll end up with a great grinder at a reasonable cost.