Coffee Grinder Reviews

There are a lot of home coffee grinders to choose from and at times it can be confusing. Finding the right grinder for your needs isn't that difficult once you educate yourself about the different types and figure out how much you have to spend.

First, what kind of coffee do you like to drink? If you are a die-hard drip brewer you will want one of the many home coffee grinders that are capable of medium or coarse grinds. Drip brewing involves adding hot water to the grounds and allowing some soaking time as the water drips through the bottom of the basket and into the coffee pot. Thus, the grounds do not have to be fine but they do need to be fairly consistent.

If you prefer using a French press, consistency is even more important. A "dust and boulders" approach to grinding will just not do for a good cup of coffee from a French press. Unless the grind is consistent you will have sludge in your cup, which is quite unpleasant when you reach the bottom! Likewise, espresso should not have such sludge in the bottom.

The overlying theme here seems to be the consistency of the grind. Home coffee grinders are not always capable of consistency so you must pay attention to the type of grinder you choose. Drip brewing is for coarse to medium grinds and the grounds should be fairly uniform in size. Using a blade grinder for drip brewing is better than buying pre-ground coffee but not by much. While blade grinders are the most common type of home coffee grinders, they don't actually grind the coffee-they chop up the beans and the heat from the motor scorches the flavorful oils. Unless you are on a very tight budget, a blade grinder has no place in your kitchen!

Burr grinders, on the other hand, truly grind the beans and by choosing one with a lower horsepower motor you will get a process that does not scorch your beans and rob them of flavor. More common and a bit less expensive burr grinder is the wheel burr grinder, which grinds the beans between a specially engineered wheel and a hard surface. It can be adjusted for any grind from coarse to extra fine. Wheel burr grinders are excellent for drip brews, French press and even espresso.

The king of home coffee grinders, though, is the conical burr grinder. Conical burr home coffee grinders operate at slower speeds than blade or wheel burr grinders and can produce more consistent grinds. These usually are more expensive than other types of grinders but the quality is worth it.

Finally, you may want to consider a manual grinder. This type of grinder is regaining popularity as people seek quieter, simpler ways of life. You can get a good manual coffee grinder for less than $50 and most of them are wheel burr or conical burr grinders. If you can pick up a good functioning vintage grinder, all the better!

You have a lot of choices in home coffee grinders, depending on your needs and your budget. Whichever you choose, you will have a better cup of coffee!