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Coffee Grinder

Coffee grinders, believe it or not, can make a real difference to the quality and taste of your morning cuppa’. Choosing the right kind of coffee grinder is just as important as the coffee beans you choose, making the difference between that bitter, over-extracted or even burnt taste and that wonderful aroma which helps us to get going in the mornings.

So is it safe to buy coffee beans and ground them yourself, or are you just better off taking the cowards choice and buying the pre-ground variety, leaving nothing to chance. Well, that really depends on how much you love your coffee, because for the real coffee lovers who are fussy about having the freshest, most flavorsome coffee possible,  there is really no competition.

Coffee grinders also give you the freedom to adjust the coarseness of your ground coffee. Believe it or not, different styles of coffee machines do need different coarseness of coffee for best results.

• Coarsely Ground Coffee Beans – grind them up coarsely if you have a percolator or cafetiere
• Medium Ground Coffee Beans – are suitable for one of those flat bottomed filter coffee machines
• Fine Ground Coffee Beans – are brilliant for the perfect cuppa for cone filter type coffee machines
• Extra Fine Ground Coffee Beans – espresso machines will make the best coffee with finely ground coffee beans, but finely ground beans mind you – not dust! There’s a difference.

Buying a Coffee Grinder

So I hope you’ve realized by now, that just because you’ve decided to “wake up and smell the coffee” and treat yourself to your very own coffee grinder, it’s simply not a case of heading down to the store and picking up the cheapest model. Although there’s also no need to give your credit card a hammering for the most expensive on the market either, you do need to bear one or two things in mind when buying a coffee grinder. Think about:

• Coffee Grinder Types – Burr or Blade – blade styles are generally a cheaper option, but don’t offer as much control over the coarseness of the coffee beans.
• Coffee Grinders Coarseness Control – if you only ever use one method for brewing your coffee, this won’t really be an issue, just buy the type of coffee grinder which matches your needs. You have to judge the coarseness of your coffee beans by eye in some coffee grinders, some will offer you 3 or 4 levels of coarseness, and some of the all singing, all dancing coffee grinders have as many as 30 settings – now that’s getting a little OTT don’t you think? I challenge anyone to taste the difference between coffee beans ground to level 27, and level 28!
• The Power of your Coffee Grinder – this isn’t just about using less electricity, it’s about how powerful the motor is in your coffee grinder, because the less powerful motors are more likely to burn out or jam if you use them very often.
• The Capacity of your Coffee Grinder – it’s not advisable to grind up your coffee beans too far in advance of intending to use them, that’s not how to make the freshest coffee, but the capacity of your coffee grinder is an important consideration if you have a house full of coffee addicts or do like to ground up a few days worth in one go.

Coffee Grinders come in various models, shapes, sizes and styles – and now that I’ve given you one or two things to think about, it’s time to choose your favorite. Don’t buy the first one you come across, really do your homework and look at lots of different types, you’ll also find that the prices vary quite considerably. Take a look online, that’s always a good place to start, because not only will you be able to find out about the best deals, but you’ll also be able to read customers reviews (the good bits and the bad) on sites like Amazon, then you really will know what you’re letting yourself in for before you part with any cash.