Congratulations! You’ve made the right decision to start using a grinder. However, given the variety of grinders available in the market, which one should you buy? Through this article, I will provide several tips to guide your choice.
Choose a Burr Grinder
The operation of grinders on the market can generally be classified into two types: Burr Grinders and Blade Grinders.
Burr Grinder
- Grinding process is done by the burr.
- Cons: Grinding time is slightly longer.
- Cons: The price is generally a bit more expensive.
- Cons: The burr blades are typically more challenging to clean.
- Pro: The size of the coffee particles produced is more uniform.
- Pro: The level of coarseness is consistent and can be set from the beginning.
- Pro: The taste of the coffee produced is better and more consistent.
Blade Grinder
- Grinding is accomplished by fast chopping using blender blades.
- Pro: Grinding time is slightly faster.
- Pro: The price is usually a bit cheaper.
- Pro: The blades are easier to clean.
- Cons: The coffee particles produced are irregular.
- Cons: The level of coarseness changes according to the grinding duration and the weight of the coffee being grounded.
- Cons: It’s challenging to achieve consistent coffee extraction.
Blade Grinders (like blenders) are indeed more common in the market, but it’s quite challenging to achieve consistency using this grinder. For optimal coffee flavor, we recommend using a burr grinder.
(P.S: The subsequent discussion in this article will only cover burr grinders.)
Electronic or Manual
The choice between electronic vs. manual often comes down to the aspect of portability.
Electronic grinders require a power source and are less-portable. However, they are more convenient to use and can finish grinding in a shorter time. This type of grinder is suitable for those who usually enjoy coffee at home.
Grinding with a manual grinder takes more time and effort. But since they are lightweight, smaller in size, and don’t require electricity, these grinders are easy to carry around. Manual grinders are perfect for those who enjoy camping or brewing coffee with friends in different locations.
Espresso vs. Manual Brew
A detailed discussion about this topic is quite complex and is beyond the scope of this article. What I would like to emphasize is: Manual and Espresso brew require different types of grinders. Manual brew usually requires coarser coffee grounds, so it doesn’t necessitate a specialized grinder. For those looking for their first grinder, I recommend starting with a burr grinder for manual brew due to its more economical price range and its wider options.
In contrast, optimal espresso brewing requires coffee beans with a fineness and uniformity spectrum that can only be achieved by an espresso grinder. These grinders also tend to be quite expensive. An important note for those wanting to try an espresso grinder: Beginner espresso machines (like DeLonghi) usually do not require coffee grounds with espresso-standard fineness. So before making an additional investment, you need to verify whether your machine’s specifications require a specific grinder for espresso.
Conclusion
Whether electronic or manual, espresso or manual brew, you’ve made the right decision to buy a grinder. Besides enhancing the aroma quality, you can now obtain the extraction tailored to your taste and brewing method by adjusting the grinding coarseness. For my opinion on the most useful coffee equipment, you can read it here.
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