Coffee Grinders

By Keenan Payne | minute read

Coffee grinders are an essential part of the coffee making process. Unfortunately for us, delicious coffee cannot be made from whole coffee beans, so at some point, we must grind coffee beans into smaller pieces for brewing. Your history of buying and brewing coffee is likely going to inform your current understanding of coffee grinders. Whether you have experience grinding coffee beans at home, or you are most familiar with purchasing pre-ground coffee from the store, this article should hopefully give you a little more context around coffee grinders. We will explore the different types of coffee grinders that exist, why they are essential, and how the coffee grinder that you choose can affect the coffee that you brew.

This article is not meant to be an exhaustive explanation or history on the subject of coffee grinders. It is only my current working knowledge on the subject. Please refer to our contribution page if you have any feedback on the content in the article or changes that you think should be updated.

How do you acquire ground coffee?

Pre-ground coffee

The simplest way of acquiring ground coffee for your home brewing is purchasing pre-ground coffee at the store. These are bags of coffee beans that have already been ground by the manufacturer and are ready for purchase and use by the consumer. It is the most convenient way to purchase and brew coffee but also has the most downsides.

Pros

  • The coffee pre-ground to a size that will likely work okay with an electric dripper
  • There is no need to purchase a coffee grinder for yourself or use the coffee grinder at the store

Cons

  • When coffee is in contact with oxygen, the beans start to oxidize. Oxidation causes the coffee beans to lose a lot of the delicious flavor that the coffee has. Storing whole coffee beans and grinding right before you brew helps prevent this.
  • You likely don't know when the coffee was initially ground, so you do not have a good understanding of how fresh the coffee you are buying is.
  • You cannot change the grind size to suit your method of brewing (coarser if you are using something like a french press, finer if you are using a pour-over method such as the Hario v60).

In-store coffee grinders

If you do not own a coffee grinder but prefer purchasing whole coffee beans, then you are likely familiar with the coffee grinder in your local store or cafe. Using an in-store grinder is a common method for grinding coffee beans for those without a grinder at home.

If you are having a cafe grind up your coffee beans before using them, odds are you will be able to brew marginally better coffee than by using the coffee grinder in your local supermarket. Why is this the case? Because the coffee grinder in your local supermarket likely never gets cleaned while a coffee grinder at a good cafe should be cleaned regularly.

While providing a better result than purchasing pre-ground coffee, using a coffee grinder in a store or cafe still has similar downsides as purchasing pre-ground coffee; the coffee is prone to oxidation which promotes flavor loss and shorter shelf life, and you do not get to control grind sizes for different brewing methods.

Pros

  • You get the convenience of purchasing whole coffee beans and having them ground which likely means your coffee will taste better and have a longer shelf life.
  • Because you are grinding the coffee yourself, you can adjust the grind size of the beans for your preferred brewing method.

Cons

  • Because your coffee has likely been ground to one size, you do not have as much flexibility for changing your brewing method
  • Because you are grinding all of your coffee at once, your ground coffee will still suffer from the effects of oxidation and will likely lose some of its flavors and not taste as good as if you were grinding it right before brewing. It will also have a shorter shelf life.
  • You do not know how frequently the coffee grinder you are using has been cleaned. Coffee grinders do not expel all grounds, and as grounds start to build up in the grinder, coffee that has remained and turned rancid can make its way into your ground coffee. Rancid coffee can create unexpected and often unpleasant flavors in your coffee.

Home coffee grinder

Owning a coffee grinder and grinding coffee yourself is usually the best way to get the most flavor, longevity, and versatility out of your coffee. Because you are grinding the coffee at home, you have a better understanding of how clean your grinder is, you can grind it to your desired size, and you can grind it right before making your coffee. Each of these can help your brewed coffee taste better, and allow your coffee beans to have a longer shelf life.

But beware, not all coffee grinders are created equal, and I would advise against running to your nearest store and purchasing the first coffee grinder that you can afford. Home coffee grinders come in many shapes and styles, and some styles may provide you with lower-quality coffee than merely having your coffee ground for you at a cafe. We will delve deeper into this topic further in the article, but know that while grinding at coffee at home will likely yield better results you need to be willing to invest in a grinder that will provide those results.

Pros

  • Your coffee beans suffer less from oxidation, and as a result, your coffee tastes better and has a longer shelf life.
  • You can grind your coffee beans for the preferred brewing method of your choice.
  • If you regularly clean your coffee grinder, you can be sure that rancid coffee grounds are not building up and will not affect your coffee.

Cons

  • Investing in a decent home coffee grinder requires at least $50 to $100. If you want something that will yield better results than an in-store grinder or pre-ground coffee, you cannot purchase the cheapest grinder.
  • There is more maintenance required if you want to keep your coffee grinder clean and prevent coffee grounds from building up.
  • Making coffee will take a bit more time because you have to grind your coffee beans right before brewing.

Types of coffee grinders

Alt text
Photo by Nathan Dumlao

Blade grinder

A blade coffee grinder is a grinder where the coffee beans and the blade that grinds the beans share the same space. Coffee is generally poured into the coffee grinder on top of a blade that sits at the bottom. There is usually a button that is pressed that spins the blade which grinds the coffee. It is the most straightforward grinder to operate because the only option is to push down which spins the blade. There is no speed adjustment or grind size selection.

Although blade grinders are the most affordable option, they also produce the lowest quality coffee out of all home grinders. They are even capable of producing worse coffee than just purchasing your coffee pre-ground or using an in-store grinder 😱.

The problem with blade grinders arises from where the blade is located and how the coffee is being ground. Unless someone is moving the grinder while it is spinning, smaller grounds can build up underneath the blade which causes coffee to grind inconsistently. Coffee that is closer to the blade will be finer than coffee further away. This inconsistent size distribution can make it harder to brew delicious coffee, and the inconsistency makes it difficult to brew the same coffee day after day.

Additionally, because a motor is powering the blade underneath, the blade can heat up which can affect your coffee grounds. Too much heat and you may notice coffee grounds that produce bitter or unpleasant flavors.

People have figured out a few ways to get more consistent results out of blade grinders. Some people shake their coffee grinder while it is being operated to ensure that coffee is moving and grounds do not stay too close to the blade (similar to how you might shake a mixed drink). Additionally, sieving your coffee grounds might be a worthwhile option that will lead to more consistent size distribution and better-tasting coffee. However, you will be wasting coffee each time that you sieve your grounds because you are removing any grounds that are not a particular size. It is likely a better investment to take the money that you would spend on a blade grinder and a sieving set and put it towards a nice burr grinder that will last a long time and produce more consistent results.

Pros

  • Most affordable option
  • Easy to clean
  • Smaller and more portable than electric burr grinders

Cons

  • Produces uneven size distribution of coffee grounds which can lead to unpleasant tasting coffee and lack of day-to-day consistency when making coffee
  • The motor operating the blade can heat up coffee grinds which can produce bitter or unpleasant flavors

Burr grinder

In a burr grinder, coffee beans are ground by a set of metal or ceramic burrs. A small amount of space separates these burrs, which control the size of your coffee grounds (more space between the burrs creates coarser grounds while less space creates finer grounds). Burr grinders come in both manual and electric options and have a much wider range of quality and options than blade grinders. The cheapest burr grinders will likely produce much better results than any blade grinder.

[insert side-by-side image of hand and electric burr grinder]

Burr grinders are the ideal choice for brewing great coffee. The biggest improvement is the improved consistency of grounds produced. Because coffee is moving through a set of burrs, the coffee moves at a similar pace and does not stay in one place longer than other coffee beans. Using burrs creates a more consistent size distribution which allows you to brew better coffee. Additionally, because coffee is not sitting on top of a blade which is being powered by a motor underneath, the coffee beans are not suffering from the heat generated by the motor and blade. This allows your coffee to maintain it's various flavors which helps you brew delicious coffee.

The spectrum of quality for burr grinders is also much broader than it is for blade grinders. You can look on Amazon right now for burr grinders and compare it to what you'll see for blade grinders. You will notice many more manufacturers, styles, and permutations of a burr grinder than you will for a blade grinder. I also note that Amazon doesn't carry that many high-quality burr grinders. The best burr grinders usually available through a manufacturers website or a coffee shop (or coffee shop's website). All of this can lead to confusion when searching for the ideal burr grinder.

Owning a nice burr grinder is definitely worth the investment. If you are looking for the single tool that will allow you to make better coffee, it is purchasing and using a burr grinder. You will have coffee that is more delicious, has a longer shelf life, and is easy to replicate for your day-to-day coffee making routine.

Pros

  • There are many options to choose from for both manual and electric burr grinders
  • Produces a more consistent size distribution of grounds
  • Does not heat up as much as a blade grinder which helps coffee maintain its flavors

Cons

  • There are many options to choose from for both manual and electric burr grinders
  • Burr grinders are on average more expensive than a blade grinder, and a nice burr grinder can be much more expensive
  • Requires regular maintenance if you desire clean burrs that do not have grounds built up

Article to-do:

  • Manual vs. electric
    • There are affordable and expensive options for each
    • Manual grinders are more portable
    • Quality of the grinder primarily relies on the quality of the burrs

Selecting a coffee grinder

Blade grinder

At this moment, we do not have any recommendations for purchasing a blade grinder. Many blade grinders are made with similar materials and produce similar quality coffee. You will find blade coffee grinders made by all of the recognizable faces in the coffee industry including Mr. Coffee, Bunn, Krups, KitchenAid, and many more.

Burr grinder

Deciding on the right burr grinder to purchase will be a much more exhausting task than buying a blade grinder. As I mentioned before, there are many different styles of burr grinders, and many companies make different variations on each style. This variation can lead to a lot of confusion when determining where to spend your money as so many companies proclaim to produce the "best grind consistency" for their grinders.

The reason why I know this problem exists is that I have purchased multiple manual and electric burr grinders to aid in my coffee making adventures. I have had to discover the hard way that you can spend $50 or $100 on a burr grinder whose company proclaims itself to be the best only to find out that it produces relatively low-quality coffee.

Because burr grinders are generally split between electric and manual, I am going to break this section up based on each style of burr grinder. This will allow me to provide more context on each style, as well as recommend a few grinders that will help improve your coffee making.

Electric

As you would expect, an electric burr grinder directly plugs into the wall and uses electricity to power a motor that moves the coffee through the set of burrs thus producing ground coffee. This is more convenient than using a manual grinder.

One downside to using an electric grinder is its large size and lack of portability. If you are hoping to have something that is easy to travel with, an electric coffee likely won't fit the bill unless you exclusively take road trips.

Electric coffee grinders come in various sizes, prices, and quality. Generally speaking, the more money you are spending on a coffee grinder, the better quality it is going to be. I also recommend that you read some reviews or watch some videos before purchasing a coffee grinder to ensure you are getting something of high quality.

Recommendations

  • Affordable
    • KitchenAid
    • Krups
    • OXO
  • Expensive
    • Baratza Encore
    • Baratza Virtuoso
    • Baratza Sette30
    • Wilfa

Manual (hand-crank or hand-grind)

Manual burr grinders (also referred to as hand grinders or hand-crank) require somebody to manually move the coffee through the burrs to produce coffee grounds. Most manual burr grinders have a lever somewhere that can be rotated by a person (or multiple if you're brewing a large batch of coffee). This lever is usually located on the top or side of the grinder.

Manual grinders are much more portable than electric grinders, and enable you to take your coffee making on the road. Combined with a simple brewing method such as an Aeropress, you can very easily make delicious coffee no matter where you are.

Manual coffee grinders come in all sizes, prices, and quality. Similar to an electric burr grinder, the more money you spend on a manual grinder will likely result in a higher quality grinder. I also recommend that you read some reviews and watch some videos before purchasing a coffee grinder to ensure you are getting something of high quality.

Recommendations

  • Affordable
    • Hario mini mill
    • Hario Skerton
    • Porlex JP-30
    • Knock Aergrind
    • Rivers
    • JavaPresse
  • Expensive
    • Comandante MK3
    • Knock Feldgrind
    • Kinu
    • Lido 3

Maintenance

If you are going to own a coffee grinder, you will want to keep it clean. Coffee grounds can build-up on both blade and burr grinders, and when this happens, the coffee will start to become rancid which can affect your coffee grinding efforts. If these grounds make their way into your brew, it can create unexpected and often unpleasant flavors and aromas.

Blade grinder

Keeping a blade grinder clean is pretty straight-forward. You will either wash out the area where the beans are ground or wipe it down with a wet rag. Ensure that the blade and the area underneath the blade are clean and free of any debris.

If you are like me and you want things to be clean all of the time, I recommend picking up a brush similar to this so that you can quickly brush out your blade grinder after you use it. Using a brush will help prevent the buildup of coffee grounds and is an easy way to keep your grinder clean.

You should try to clean your blade grinder every one to two weeks.

Burr grinder

Keeping a burr grinder clean requires a little more effort. Whether it is a manual or electric grinder, there will likely be some disassembly needed so you can clean each of the burrs, as well as the area where the burrs lie.

Taking a burr grinder apart requires more effort and varies based on the model of the grinder and company that makes it. Manufacturers usually provide you with instructions in the package and/or online that you can use for cleaning your grinder.

It is recommended to find instructions to follow to ensure you do not break any parts inside of the burr grinder. Additionally, many grinders suggest not submerging the parts but rather, wiping them off with a damp cloth. Please refer to the manufacturer to determine what is appropriate and when in doubt, wipe things off with a damp cloth.

You should try to clean your burr grinder every 2-3 months.

Last updated on