Grinder

A coffee grinder is used to grind the roasted coffee beans to make coffee. The grind level can often be adjusted to create a particular grind for the appropriate brewing method. We will discuss this topic further.

The adjustment of the coffee grinder often comes down to very small steps, especially when brewing espresso. This is to ensure that the brewed coffee meets the requirements for an espresso.

Blade grinder

Different coffee grinders are available for different purposes. For example, do you want a simple one to make filter coffee or French press coffee? Then a blade grinder will soon suffice. These are cheaper grinders equipped with a set of blades that chop the coffee as it were. With this coffee grinder, the coffee beans fly around and are chopped randomly, resulting in a less uniform grinding result.

Burr grinder

A burr grinder uses two separate grinding discs (burrs) that rotate at a high rate. The coffee beans are pushed through these burrs, grinding them. By positioning the burrs closer together or further apart, the grind level of the coffee can be determined. Since all coffee beans are pushed through these burrs, the grinding result is very uniform and thus very suitable for the preparation of espresso coffee, for example. In many cases, the burrs are made of steel or ceramic. Steel burrs are cheaper but do not last as long. Ceramic burrs are more expensive to buy but will last longer if used properly.

The operation of a burr grinder is simple; using a knob, grinding can be done in two ways. Grind-on-demand means that coffee is ground as long as the button is pressed. There are also grinders that come with an adjustable timer. When the button is pressed once, the machine will grind for as long as it is set on the timer. There are also grinders that by controlling the weight can grind a certain amount of coffee at the push of a button.

Manual grinder

A hand grinder does not rely on electricity to ensure consistent grinding results. They always use burrs instead of blades. The operation of a hand grinder compared to an electric one is not much different. The main difference is that you don’t operate a button or timer, but have to rotate the burrs by hand by operating the lever.

Any questions or would you like to find out more about roasting and coffee? Check out our knowledge base.

Updated on 19-07-2021