Guide to Grinders

The quality of your grinder goes a long way toward determining the quality of your espresso. The size of the grind determines how much surface area of the coffee is exposed to the water. In addition, the act of grinding coffee creates heat that can damage the beans and lead to inferior espresso.

So what type of grinder should you use? How you intend to use the coffee beans will in large part determine the type of grinder best for you.

Size of the grind

How fine or coarse you grind your coffee should be determined by the type of espresso/coffee machine you use, how fresh the coffee is, and how it is roasted. Here is a general guide for how you should grind your coffee:

• Home espresso machine: Medium to fine
• Commercial espresso machine: Very fine, almost like powder
• French press: Very Coarse
• Drip coffee: Coarse
• Turkish coffee: Very fine like a powder

There are basically two types of grinders: Burr and Blade.

Burr Grinders

There are two types of burr grinders: flat and conical. Both consist of a stationary burr and a second burr powered by a motor that spins. Beans fall between the two burrs and are ground. You can set the burrs according to the desired coarseness or fineness of grind. Because burr grinders are very consistent and precise, they are highly recommended for espresso, but they can be used for other types of coffee as well.

The difference between the two is that conical burr grinders have two cone-shaped burrs with ridges that crush and grind the coffee. Flat plate burr grinders have two identical rings parallel to one another that are serrated on the sides facing one another. Coffee is ground between them.

Blade Grinders

Blade grinders tend to be less expensive than burr grinders, but unfortunately do not grind consistently enough to ensure high quality coffee drinks. They have a single blade resembling a spinning propeller. Because they lack grind settings that would stop the grinder when the desired size was reached, you need to watch the grind. Blade grinders also tend to heat the coffee. Although they are ok for drip coffee, they are not suitable for espresso or quality coffee drinks. For this reason we do not discuss these grinders in detail.

Grinder speed: High vs. Low

High speed burr grinders give you greater control than blade grinders in setting the grind size. They are also quite consistent and affordable, but they can be noisy and cause some static that could affect the coffee.

Low speed burr grinders are considered the top of the line. They have little or no static charge (this can affect the coffee), little heat, quiet operation, and the motor doesn’t get stuck or clogged when grinding very fine. Low speed grinders fall into two general categories: Gear Reduction and Direct Drive.

Gear reduction grinders

Gear reduction grinders have a high-speed motor attached to a set of gears that reduce the burr speed. It’s kind of like the stick shift on your car. The speed increases as the coffee beans are ground into smaller particles. Although they can be a bit noisier than the direct drive grinders discussed below, they get the job down and the motor doesn’t get bogged down.

Direct drive grinders

The best grinders on the market for home or light commercial use are the high-end direct drive grinders. A low-speed motor connected directly to the burrs ensures that they spin at the same speed, and the low RPM ensures that little heat or static is generated. They’re also very quiet.