Is Burr Coffee Grinder Better than Blade Or Manual Coffee Grinder?

With the increase in popularity of single serve coffee makers which use pre-made k cups or t discs or nespresso capsules, the importance of »do coffee yourself« is rapidly falling.

But, if you appreciate quality and want a cup of fresh gourmet coffee, than you do have to grind your beans. Perhaps it is not obvious, but the most important selection of your equipment ensemble is the coffee grinder.

We easily overlook the grinder and focus on the coffee maker because of its strong visual appeal and numerous options to consider. We have to resist the temptation to save money on the grinder in deference to your espresso machine or other coffee maker selection.Smart shoppers decide on the grinder first and then choose an espresso machine or a coffee maker.

Remember, your coffee maker or espresso machine will not reach its full potential unless the coffee grinding is done correctly by a high quality grinder. There are three different types of coffee grinders on the market: electric burr grinder, electric blade grinder and manual burr grinder.

All have some advantages and disadvantages. You will need to decide which one is right for you based on how you are planning to use it.

Burr coffee grinder

Burr coffee grinder is the best type of coffee grinder that you can get. By burr grinder the coffee is ground in a uniform manner. Here grinders crush the beans between a moving grinding wheel and a non-moving surface. The positioning on the burr is what regulates the ground size, which allows for a more consistent grind.

If we want to make espresso coffee, than burr coffee grinder is actually the only choice we have.

There are two types of burr grinders on the market:

• wheel burr

• conical burr

The wheel grinder spins wheel very fast. It is cheaper of the two and normally produces more noise.

Conical burr grinder is the champion of grinders.

By conical burr grinder the burr spins slower. It is less messy and produces less noise. Although you have to pay more for conical grinder, you will make it up when grinding oily or flavored coffees.

Blade coffee grinder

Blade grinders use a metal blade to chop up the beans. They are less expensive than burr grinders and produce uneven grinds from powder to chunks that can cause clogging problems when making espresso or French press coffee.

Another downfall, is that if you are grinding your coffee beans to long, the coffee can get a burned like taste.

Hand grinder

Here you grind your coffee beans with your hands without the help of electricity. This is the way our grandparents did it.

Hand grinders usually look nice as they are made from wood. You can buy many very nice looking hand grinders. But they are not sold in big numbers. Mostly because I cant imagine grinding big amount of coffee with one of the hand grinders. But they can be very useful if there is no electricity or if you are out skiing and your lodge has no power due to some weather problems.

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Perhaps it is not obvious, but the most important selection of your equipment ensemble is the coffee grinder. We easily overlook the grinder and focus on the coffee maker because of its strong visual appeal and numerous options to consider.

From Burr Coffee Grinder to How to Make Coffee