Choosing a Grinder Type
Home grinders allow coffee drinkers to quickly grind their coffee before preparing it to create the most flavorful cup each time. The two most common types of home grinders are blade grinders and burr grinders. Basic blade grinders start at about $30, while the burr grinders generally cost between $100 and $500.
These two types of coffee grinders perform the task of grinding coffee in very different ways and with different outcomes. Burr grinders, in contrast to blade grinders, more efficiently grind coffee beans to create the precise level of grind needed for the method of coffee preparation chosen. Regardless of the type of grinder you use, however, grinding your coffee at home will lead to a better tasting cup of coffee.
Blade and Burr Grinders: Descriptions
- The blade grinder has two metal blades that whirl around at a very high speed in a receptacle and chop the coffee beans into small pieces. The longer you press down the "on" button, the longer the blades grind the coffee. The ground coffee is then spooned or shaken into the coffee maker or filter. A small grinder brush or paintbrush can be used to get all of the ground coffee out of the grinder.
- The burr grinder has two corrugated metal grinding plates or, in the case of the conical burr grinder, a corrugated metal cone that fits inside of another hollow corrugated metal cone. One of the burrs turns while the other is stationary. When you grind your coffee, the beans, which are placed in the holding compartment at the top, fall down between the plates or cones and are ground. The distance between the grinding surfaces determines the fineness of the grind. The ground coffee collects in a container below, where it is then ready for use. The grinder stays on for as long as you set the timer.
Blade and Burr Grinders: A Comparison
Burr grinders are easier to use than blade grinders and yield superior results. Blade grinders are far less consistent in the ground coffee they produce than are burr grinders. The beans in blade grinders tend to grind unevenly, and the length of time the beans are ground is likely to vary from use to use.
Blade grinders do not do a very good job with the finer grinds needed for making espresso or Turkish coffee. Burr grinders, on the other hand, have a large number of fineness settings so that you can accurately adjust the grind size and get the same grind with each use. They do well with all of the grind settings between fine and coarse. Burr grinders are the bigger investment, but they pay greater dividends in ease of use and in leading to consistently great tasting coffee.
Contact Us
For questions or comments about grinding at home, please contact us. Typically, we respond within 24 hours or less. You may also contact us using the following information:
Highland Coffees
3350 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 336-9773
Last Updated: July 1, 2023
