Coffee Grinders

Today, an increasing amount of coffee drinkers are discovering the convenience of not having to run to a store or coffeehouse in order to enjoy a flavorful, fresh cup of Joe. With the purchase of a simple piece of equipment, the taste and feel of a café is easily delivered with the help of a coffee grinder.

What are Coffee Grinders?

A coffee grinder allows individuals to process their own coffee beans. As a result, a rewardingly fresh beverage is produced. Now days, a coffee grinder doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You will also find leading coffee makers and espresso machines on the market that are tapping into the power of providing the built-in luxury of a grinder – creating a wide-range of styles and prices to consider.

The two main categories of coffee grinders available on the market are blade and burr. Both styles come in electric and non electric coffee grinder (manual hand-crank) models, such as the attractive stainless steel and wood Manual Coffee Grinder by Danesco that easily prepares coffee beans for less than $60.

Blade Coffee Grinders

When looking for an inexpensive coffee grinder, one that relies on a metal blade to process beans is recommended. Since a blade is responsible for the coffee beans, a user can easily control the fineness of their coffee by establishing how long the grinder should run. Unfortunately, the outcome can produce unevenness, which can affect the overall quality of the coffee. The heat generated by the blades creates another setback that can cause coffee to taste burnt.

However, blade grinders are the easiest to clean and work well for automatic drip coffee makers. The Krups Fast Touch 203 model is a basic blade grinder that holds 12 tablespoons of beans (equivalent to making around 1½ pots of automatic-drip coffee). This particular selection costs about $20.

What is a Burr Coffee Grinder?

Coffee beans are crushed between a grinding wheel in the same manner as a pepper mill when using a burr grinder, which handles a couple of beans at a time. To regulate the size of grounded beans, an individual will concentrate on the positioning of the burr to create a higher level of consistency. If you own an espresso machine, a burr grinder is ideal to produce the fine grind necessary to enjoy a cup of creamy, strong coffee. Within this category, there are two main types of burr coffee grinders – wheel and conical.

A wheel coffee grinder usually costs less than a conical grinder. However, some people dislike this kind of grinder because it possesses a wheel that moves rather quickly, produces a great deal of noise in the kitchen. Consumers also create more of a mess because of the high-speed rotation. An example of this type of grinder includes the powerful 700 RPM motor of the Ascaso Flat Wheel Espresso & Coffee Grinder that costs around $300.

A conical burr grinder is considered one of the best models on the market. A burr spins at a slower pace than the wheel model – creating an overall quieter and cleaner process. If you drink a lot of flavorful coffees or selections considered oily, a conical model will not clog during processing like other grinders. When looking for an inexpensive conical burr grinder, consider the Capresso 560.01 Infinity (~$90), which grinds slow enough to reduce the buildup of heat and static. Yet, keep in mind that the overall consistency of the grind is not the finest on the market when choosing this inexpensive selection.

Another convenience of some electric coffee grinders comes in the form of a combination unit (coffee maker and grinder). For instance, the Capresso CoffeeTeam Luxe costs about $200 and makes 10 cups of auto-drip coffee with the help of a built-in burr grinder.

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