A COMPLETE GUIDES OF COFFEE GRINDER TYPES

A COMPLETE GUIDES OF COFFEE GRINDER TYPES - Many of us invest in expensive coffee-brewing equipment, but don’t realize that one of the easiest ways to vastly improve the quality of the coffee we make and to achieve the correct texture, is to grind fresh coffee beans with a good grinder.

On the other hand, with a coffee grinder you can brew coffee with a variety of methods. Each tool or method has its own degree of roughness or smoothness. Only through a coffee grinder you can find the coffee ground level that fits with the method or even to suit your taste.

THE RIGHT COFFEE GRINDER

There is a difference between grinders for espresso and grinders for filter-style brews, so make sure you buy one designed for your preferred method. However, there are some key choices that affect both types of coffee grinders. Grinders with blades are most commonly available and usually run for as long as you hold down the “on” button. Even if you are using a timer to measure how long to grind for and how fine to go, you will find it hard to replicate accurately the size of ground coffee particles from one cup to another, especially if you vary the amount of coffee each time. Blade grinders also lead to a lot of grit at the bottom of your cup, particularly if you brew with a French press. An advantage is that they are generally quite affordable.

BLADE COFFE GRINDER

If you would like to step it up a notch, invest a little more money in a grinder with “burrs,” conical or flat (see below), that will crush the beans into particles of a more uniform size and allow for more even extractions. Some grinders have “stepped” adjustments that lock into set grind sizes; others are “stepless” and allow you to adjust in tiny increments.

BURRS COFFEE GRINDER

Burr grinders do not have to be expensive, especially if they are the manual, hand-cranked variety. However, if you want to spend a bit more or plan to grind large quantities of coffee each day, choose an electric one. They often have a timer function that you can use as a way of dosing how much coffee you grind. Keep in mind that the coarser a grinder is set, the less time it takes to grind through a 1oz (30g) dose of beans, and the finer it is set, the longer it takes to grind the same amount.

CONICAL BURRS COFFE GRINDER

These burrs are more resilient than flat ones, but they need replacing after you have ground around 1,650–2,000lb (750 – 1,000kg) coffee.

CONICAL BURRS

FLAT BURRS COFFEE GRINDER

Grinders with flat burrs are usually cheaper but need replacing after you have ground around 550 – 1,300lb (250 – 600kg) of coffee.

FLAT BURRS

FILTER-STYLE COFFEE GRINDERS

These grinders are cheaper than espresso grinders. They can be adjustable, but will not normally grind fine enough for espresso. They also rarely have a dosing, or measuring, mechanism.

As explained opposite, avoid buying the ones that use whirling blades to chop the coffee into pieces, as these are hard to control and often create fine dust that will over-extract, as well as several large chunks of bean that will barely extract at all. This can result in an imbalance in flavor that even good beans and correct brewing can’t fix.

ESPRESSO-STYLE COFFEE GRINDERS

Engineered to grind very finely, espresso grinders are adjustable in small increments, and often portion out coffee for each dose. They are heavier than filter-style grinders, with solid motors and a higher price point, but they are an essential investment if you want to produce really good espresso at home.

WHICH COFFEE GRIND FOR WHICH METHOD?

IBRIK COFFEE POT

The texture for making Turkish coffee in an ibrik should be almost powdery so that the maximum flavor gets extracted in the brewing process. Most grinders won’t grind fine enough for this - you need a special hand grinder for this purpose.

ESPRESSO MACHINE

Espresso is the least-forgiving brew method, and as such the grounds’ particle size must be just the right fine grind, allowing a balanced shot to be extracted.