Coffee tends to oxidize and lose flavor when exposed to air. If you consider this effect on ground coffee, you can imagine the increased surface area greatly speeds up this phenomenon. In whole beans, where the surface area is considerably less, the process is much slower. One way to combat oxidation is to grind your own beans at home. You can have fresh ground coffee and grind only the amount you need for each pot.
Coffee grinders are usually one of three types – burr, blade, or crusher. Crusher types are typically more labor intensive and often produce and uneven sized final product. Therefore, if you have a choice, don’t pick a crusher.
Blade grinders don’t really grind coffee beans. They tend to chop them up. The spinning blade slices the beans over and over again until the desired ground size is reached. Often, however, the grains are too large and of an inconsistent size.
The results of varying granule sizes produced from blade and crushing devices give you a varying release of flavor during the brew cycle.
This brings us to the burr grinder. Burr grinders contain a set of plates with teethe on them that grind the beans to a consistent size. Good burr grinders also allow you to adjust the size and speed of the grinding process.
Conical burr grinders are often considered the best. They spin as slow as 500rpm which allows great control and little heat buildup.
Other attributes to consider in a good coffee grinder include good construction, ease of cleaning, and lower noise. In addition, some grinders come with a timer to allow for consistency from batch to batch. Some also have clear viewing areas so you can monitor the granule size during the process.
As you search for a good coffee grinder, prepare to spend a little more for a good model. If you do, you’ll be well rewarded with consistent, fresh coffee each day.
