Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: The best coffee grinders are your ticket to the best brewed-at-home coffee. You could venture through the forests of Ethiopia, harvesting Geisha beans yourself and spend years honing the perfect pour-over technique, but without a good grinder, that fancy coffee is going to taste like flat coffee-flavored La Croix.
Jenna Gotthelf—Counter Culture Coffee's national wholesale education manager, who has competed in over a dozen US Coffee Champs Brewers Cup and Barista competitions, up to the national level—explains the power of a good grinder thusly: “We can't just drop whole bean coffee in water and expect anything to happen. We need to smash coffee into smaller piecesso water can accessall the things we want to get out of it, like flavor and caffeine.” The better your coffee grinder is, Gotthelf says, the better you’re able to access all of that good stuff for coffee brewing.
The reasons for this are pretty simple: When you grind coffee, you increase the surface area that's exposed to oxygen. Grinding your beans right before brewing gives the oxygen in that air less time to react with and remove all the wonderful flavor-producing chemicals you actually want to taste. Hence, taking the extra step to grind beans before you make coffee, rather than buying pre-ground coffee, improves your coffee's taste.
Gotthelf and Josey Markiewicz—the senior director of coffee quality and education at La Colombe Coffee Roasters—both compare a good coffee grinder to a high-quality knife. “If you use a butter knife to cut a steak, you are going to have to work harder than if you were to use a higher quality steak knife. Sure, that steak will slice but the job is easier with better tools,” Gotthelf says.
The Best Coffee Grinders, at a Glance
Those beans won't grind themselves. Kickstart your coffee routine right here with our top pick coffee grinders.
The Best Coffee Grinder, Overall: Baratza Encore, $150
The Best Budget Coffee Grinder: Oxo Brew, $100
The Best Flat Burr Grinder Under $300: Eureka Mignon Filtro, $249
The Best All-in-One Coffee Grinder: Fellow Opus, $195
The Best Beginner Coffee Grinder: Breville Smart Grinder Pro, $200
The Best Coffee Grinder for Espresso: Baratza Sette 270, $400
The Best Hand Grinder: Porlex Mini Hand Grinder, $68
What makes a good coffee grinder?
Even a mediocre grinder will produce coffee that tastes leagues better than the pre-ground stuff. But as we've spent time putting a wide range of coffee grinders through the wringer, we’ve learned that a truly exceptional grinder does more than just get you great coffee. A great grinder is easy for your pre-coffee brain to set up, use, and clean; a great grinder doesn't take up too much precious countertop space; and a great grinder isn't so loud that it wakes up every person, pet, and critter in your home.
At minimum, an acceptable home coffee grinder allows you to control the size of your coffee grounds. That way, regardless of whether you’re in the mood to brew with your Chemex or barely awake enough to push the buttons on your automatic drip coffee maker, you can use the grinder to get coffee suitable for the job (yes, different brewing systems require variable grind coarseness).
The very best coffee grinders do more than just provide a consistent grind. Like the very best coffee makers, the best grinders are extremely easy to use. You shouldn’t have to do much more than just put in your coffee, flip a switch, wait a bit, and then take out your grounds. Actually adjusting the grind size should be easy too, so that you have the option to toggle between a fine, medium, and coarse grind depending on the type of coffee you’ve decided to make. Ideally, your coffee grinder should also be light and relatively small, but not so light that it rocks around spewing grounds everywhere every time it runs.
What's the difference between blade grinders and burr grinders?
Almost everyone’s first coffee grinder purchase is a blade grinder, usually bought because paying $20 sounds a lot better than paying $150. But if you’re someone who’s really serious about the quality of your cup of joe—and customizing the grind size based on whether you’re making a French press coffee or using an Aeropress—the only grinders worth considering will employ a pair of abrasive ceramic or stainless steel burrs to crush your beans to a consistent size. The size of your grounds, finer or coarser, depends on how far apart you set the burrs.
Cheaper grinders that use blades tend to slice up coffee beans indiscriminately usually result in a mixture of coffee that is both far too fine and not really ground at all. No coffee drinker deserves this, which is why for electric grinders, we pretty much exclusively recommend burr models here.
Within the burr family, there exist two main types of grinders: Ones that use flat burrs and others that use conical burrs. Gotthelf explains that conical burrs are cone shaped, where a moving cone-shaped burr sits inside a stationaryouter ring that forms the second burr. “Gravity scoots coffee through the burrs where beans are crushed into smaller or larger particles depending on the distance betweenthese burrs,” she adds.
The best flat burr machines will produce coffee of a more consistent grind size than the best conical burr machine—it’s also why they tend to run a lot more expensive. But because of how they’re designed, with two equally sized burrs that sit on top of each other as they run (one fixed, while the other spins), flat burrs produce a lot more friction and heat than conical burrs. They also produce a unimodal grind size, Gotthelf says, which lends itself to more even extraction and better flavor.
Creating a machine that can handle this is pretty expensive, and since the actual difference in grind consistency is fairly marginal, few companies have spent a lot of time trying to incorporate flat burrs into more affordable machines. While you can find them in high-end home grinders, they are most commonly found in commercial grade equipment, Gotthelf says, adding, “I don't think the average coffee drinker needs to own a pricier flat burr grinder.”
Do I need a hand coffee grinder?
For people who are venturing away from an outlet and into the woods, say, but don’t want to settle for flavorless instant coffee, there are manual burr mills. The best manual coffee grinders rely on elbow grease to create consistent coffee grinds. A lot of people think of a manual grinder as a smart way to save money on an electric burr grinder, perhaps something that will give them a stronger appreciation for the cup they end up with. But a week into waking up to a completely unnecessary forearm workout, you might start wondering about the sustainability of the practice.
There are, however, plenty of reasons to own a hand grinder. “I think hand grinders are a great option, especially if you are traveling or going somewhere without electricity,” Gotthelf says. “They’re great for camping and are also good if you want to work out for your coffee.”
How do you clean a coffee grinder?
Grinders need to be cleaned fairly frequently, since oil and grind residue can seep into the burrs and affect the longevity of your machine. Many grinders come with brushes to sweep away grind particles. Otherwise, Markiewicz recommends using a dry paintbrush as an alternative, along with sweeping out the burrs with a vacuumattachment or a shot of compressed air. The only method Gotthelf cautions against is running rice through your grinder to clean it out.
Frequency of cleaning will also differ depending on the type of coffee you’re brewing. If you primarily enjoy darker roasted coffees, Gotthelf notes you’ll want to clean your grinder more often. “Dark roast coffees have more oils on the surface thatwill gunk up your burrs,” she says, but recommends Urnex’s Grindz—a solution you can run through your grinder every now and again to keep it clean.
If your grinder requires a deep clean, it'll usually require taking it apart. Markiewicz recommends doing a deep clean quarterly: “Unplug the unit, disassemble, and wipe down the burrs,” before carefully re-assembling.
How we tested
Keeping in mind factors like ease of use, efficiency, and easy cleaning, we also considered features like built-in scales and timers (which are helpful in a café setting when pulling consecutive shots) as nice-to-haves, but not essential for most home brewers. The purpose of these features is to help ensure the amount of coffee you use in each brew stays consistent. Considering that most coffee recipes provide weight-based ratios, the timers have somewhat limited use unless you never plan to make adjustments to your routine. And we’ve found that built-in scales are almost never as easy to use as the extremely cheap scale that you probably already have in your kitchen for baking.
Note: Most of the coffee grinders in this list are intended for people who are brewing a relatively small amount of coffee a day (at max a pot or two) and not primarily making espresso. Espresso beans require an extremely fine grind that most home grinders struggle to achieve with any level of consistency. Considering how difficult it is to make espresso at home, especially without investing almost a grand into an espresso machine, we don’t think this should be an issue for most people. Leave it to your barista! But if you are an espresso aficionado who’s looking for a machine that can handle extremely fine grinds, we have a couple of upgrade picks that’ll do you proud. Regardless of how you take your morning cup—and whether you make it with a pour-over dripper, french press, cold brew maker, or AeroPress—the best coffee grinders will ensure it tastes a heck of a lot better. Here, our top picks.
The Best Overall Coffee Grinder: Baratza Encore
Baratza Encore conical burr coffee grinder
$150.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: 10.6 ounces
Grind settings: 40
Blade style: Conical burrs
The Baratza Encore is the perfect all-around home coffee grinder for a couple reasons. For a machine that costs $150, it produces remarkably consistent grinds at a relatively wide range of grind particle sizes. And it works pretty quickly too. Unless it’s working at its most fine grind settings, the Encore works faster and quieter than most other grinders we’ve tried, and adjusting those settings is as simple as twisting the top funnel. Turning it on is just as easy, requiring users to push and hold a button on the front or turn a switch on the side.
Admittedly, that switch has a bit of an odd design, but we think it actually serves to make using the Encore more user-friendly. Instead of a conventional on/off rocker switch, the Encore has an on/off/on/off wheel. Whichever direction you turn it, the grinder gets going. We’ve also found that the Encore doesn’t spew out a lot of chaff—or that pencil shaving-like debris that comes from grinding beans—to clean up, likely thanks to how snugly its hopper fits below the funnel. And when you want to actually deep clean it, all you have to do is hand wash the removable funnel and hopper, and hit the burrs with a brush and vacuum. Even after years of use, the Encore still works just as well as it did right after unboxing. And thanks to how easy Baratza makes it to service and replace parts of its machines, on top of its one-year warranty, we’re confident that even if something did go wrong, it wouldn’t be too hard or too expensive to fix.
It’s also a favorite for coffee nuts like Gotthelf and Markiewicz, who both recommend Baratza products for their range and quality, but especially favor the Encore model. Gotthelf says she recommendsthis grinder more than any other because it’s straightforward, easy to use, and offers cute customizable add-ons (among them, are colorful knobs for the on/off button, and an Aeropress holder). “Also, Baratza grinders in general are small so they don't take up a lot of counter space,” she adds.
The Best Budget Coffee Grinder: Oxo Brew
Oxo Brew conical burr coffee grinder
$100.00, Williams Sonoma
Hopper capacity: 12 ounces
Grind settings: 38
Blade style: Conical burrs
Oxo makes some of the best coffee makers we’ve tested, so it’s no surprise it makes an excellent electric burr grinder as well, especially because it's so easy to use. Unlike the Baratza Encore, the Oxo grinder has a built-in timer, and as we mentioned earlier, this doesn’t provide a particularly accurate way to measure out how much coffee you need. The best way to use the Oxo is to leave the timer at its max setting (30 seconds) and weigh your beans before adding them to the funnel. Then, grinding is as easy as pushing a button. Arguably, this makes the Oxo Brew easier to use than the Baratza, but we’ve found that grounds from the Baratza machine are noticeably more consistent. The difference isn’t massive, but it’s noticeable, especially for any brew method that requires more finely ground coffee, like an Aeropress with a kettle. If you're not a coffee geek, the difference is negligible. The Oxo is just as easy to clean as the Baratza, and considering Oxo's sterling customer service reputation, should be nearly as easy to service. There’s no better grinder available for $100.
The Best Flat Burr Grinder Under $300: Eureka Mignon Filtro
$249.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: 10 ounces
Grind settings: Stepless
Blade style: Flat burrs
The Baratza Encore and the Oxo Conical Brew coffee grinders both use conical burrs, which are common on machines around this price point. The Eureka Mignon Filtro employs a flat burr at a pretty reasonable price. Calling an over-$200 gadget affordable might seem like a stretch, but until recently, you had to spend twice as much to get the advantages of flat burrs, namely more uniform coffee grounds.
The matte black machine from Eureka is built impeccably, and just as easy to take apart, clean, and service as the ones from Baratza and Oxo. But unlike those two grinders, the Eureka offers an infinitely adjustable grind setting—while the Baratza makes you choose an option between increments of 1 and 30, the Eureka just offers a wheel without demarcated settings. That means that you can use the Eureka to make extremely precise adjustments to your grind size, whether you’re teeing up a pour-over or a finer espresso grind. Regardless of how you brew, your coffee will taste cleaner and more flavorful.
The Best All-in-One Coffee Grinder: Fellow Opus
$195.00, Fellow
Hopper capacity: 3.9 ounces
Grind settings: 41
Blade style: Conical burrs
Fellow's latest coffee grinder is one that does what had seemingly been impossible: grinding coffee beans for both brewed coffee and espresso. The problem with all of the coffee grinders we're talking about here is that they're not able to grind fine enough (other than the Baratza Sette 270, which is designed specifically for espresso and no other coffee-brewing method) to get a good shot. The Opus manages to grind uniform grounds whether you're looking for something coarse, like for cold brew, or fine for your strongest espresso. There's very little cleanup or mess, either, because Fellow was able to reduce the static that occurs while the beans go through the burrs, so you'll find it supremely satisfying to return the grounds cup into the magnetic holding spot.
With 41 grind settings at your disposal, there's a swath of options for dialing in your grind size and you can even zero in on the grind setting further by utilizing the microadjustment ring under the hopper for hitting that sweet spot. You can read more about our experience with the Opus, but we'll say it simply: This is a great coffee grinder if you're making coffee through a variety of methods and love to swap out your beans often.
The Best Beginner Coffee Grinder: Breville Smart Grinder Pro
$200.00, Williams Sonoma
Hopper capacity: 16 ounces
Grind settings: 60
Blade style: Conical burrs
For a company that specializes in beginner-friendly coffee machines, it makes sense that the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is wonderfully simple to use, and takes lots of the guesswork out of your daily coffee routine. We appreciated that the stylishly streamlined design took up a relatively small space in our tiny apartment, and that it was quiet enough to use every morning without making a racket. It's also very easy to set up and use: Adjust the dial on the side to choose between a generous 60 grind settings, then program in the number of cups you're drinking, and the machine will automatically adjust its timer. If you're a creature of habit, the Breville also remembers your pre-saved settings so you don't have to reset it every time. It comes with an optional grounds container with a sealable lid that aligns well enough to funnel the grounds without making a mess, though you can also grind directly into a filter or an espresso portafilter. Most importantly, the grinder is beautifully consistent, no matter whether you're dialing it down to a super fine espresso setting or up to a coarser grind, and easy to take apart and clean.
Even so, it's frustrating that the Smart Grinder Pro uses presets, which doses out grounds based on the number of cups of coffee or shots of espresso you're making. It makes it all the harder to toggle between various types of brews and kinds of roasts, since different roasts clock in at different weights. Fussier coffee drinkers can fiddle with the time increments or reprogram individual cup settings based on weights, but we'd suggest this machine primarily for someone who is sticking to the same daily routine and doesn't have the time or energy to mess with scales.
The Best Coffee Grinder for Espresso: Baratza Sette 270
Baratza Sette 270 espresso grinder
$400.00, Seattle Coffee Gear
Hopper capacity: 10 ounces
Grind settings: 270
Blade style: Conical burrs
The best espresso grinder is the Baratza Sette. It is extremely easy to set up and use, offers a lot of adjustability thanks to its step-less wheel (like the Eureka Mignon), and is built to be supremely sturdy. It has a pretty steep price tag, but it’s super versatile. Also, its slim profile makes it easy to squeeze into an already-cramped countertop. If you’re interested in diving into the wild world of espresso, it’s the best place to start.
The Best Hand Grinder: Porlex Mini Hand Grinder
$68.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: .7 ounces
Grind settings: 12
Blade style: Conical burrs
The Porlex Mini, the best manual coffee grinder we’ve tried, fits into the AeroPress coffee dripper, which makes taking it on camping trips a whole lot easier. Unlike other drippers, adjusting the grind on the Porlex is pretty easy, and the handle is relatively comfortable to use. The tight-fitting lid also prevents coffee from popcorning out of the grinder while you're grinding, which is a nuisance that lesser-quality hand grinders suffer from. The Porlex is still a forearm workout to get enough beans to make a cup or two, but if you’re only doing it every once in a while, it does actually make you more appreciative of the coffee you drink.
6 More Coffee Grinders We Like
Baratza Virtuoso+ conical burr coffee grinder
$250.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: 10.6 ounces
Grind settings: 40
Blade style: Conical burrs
If you’re looking for something that can handle grinding a large volume of coffee to espresso sizes, you’ll have to spend more money than $300. But if you only plan to make espresso drinks occasionally, the Virtuoso+ produces coffee that’s pretty consistent for anything from pour-overs (medium-fine) to cold brew (very coarse). Unlike its younger sibling, the Encore, you can use the Virtuoso’s built-in timer, adjustable to the 10th of a second, to dose your beans pretty accurately. Plus, you get to become a guy who knows about ideal grind times—though as we've mentioned, the best way to dose out your coffee is just to weigh it out.
The one downside of the screen is that it makes the Virtuoso looks significantly dorkier than something like the blacked out Eureka Mignon. It’s also slightly clunkier in appearance than the streamlined Breville, and the Breville seems to produce more consistent grinds.
Moccamaster KM5 Burr Coffee Grinder
$339.00, Nordstrom
Hopper capacity: 8.8 ounces
Grind settings: Stepless
Blade style: Flat burrs
For almost six decades, the Dutch coffee nerds over at Moccamaster have been cooking up some of the best and the best-looking coffee makers around (certainly some of our favorites). While the brand just entered the coffee grinder category, and we're surprised it took this long, we'll go ahead and say it was worth the wait. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but we love the stepless control knob for getting infinitesimal with your grind settings and the static-resistant spout that'll keep your mess to a mininum. The KM5 has a European Coffee Brewing Centre certification, which basically means the pros love this thing—and you will too.
Bodum bistro electric burr coffee grinder
$143.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: 7.75 ounces
Grind settings: 12
Blade style: Conical burrs
Bodum's Bistro burr grinder is a great option if you want something squat that doesn't look like a big hulking machine in your kitchen. It comes in a stately black (with cheeky red contrast buttons), and also in shades of red and tan if you prefer something poppier pulverizing your beans. We liked the consistency of the grinds (from choppier to finer grounds), but felt that there were less clunky and more precise ways to program that size range from other grinders than the method this one employs—shifting the ticker on the hopper for the beans over. It is very easy to take apart this thing to clean which is something worth noting, user-friendly for beginners, and it's reasonably affordable, too. There's even a version of the grinder with a plastic cup for catching grounds that's much cheaper, but the glass is nicer if you're looking to cut down on static cling.
$300.00, Fellow
Hopper capacity: 3.5 ounces
Grind settings: 31
Blade style: Flat burrs
The Fellow Ode, from the maker’s of Instagram’s favorite gooseneck kettle, is another of Markiewicz’s favorites. Like the Eureka Mignon, it combines super accurate flat burrs with a blacked-out, space-age design. But unlike the Eureka or the Baratza Encore, the Fellow Ode spews chaff all over the place. It’s also got a longer design that takes up to a lot of countertop space. And, thanks to its metal construction and static electricity, tons of grounds get stuck inside its removable hopper when you try to dump them out. The company says it’s working on these issues in a new version, which we’re excited to try. It should be said however: No coffee grinder will look cooler on your countertop.
$35.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: 3.5 ounces
Grind settings: 16
Blade style: Conical burrs
Again, a manual coffee grinder is not really a sustainable budget solution to your every day grinding needs. But if you want one that’s cheaper than the Porlex, the Hario Coffee Mill is a decent option with ceramic burrs. Its bulbous design and the fact that the grinder attaches to a hopper you can carry around is nifty, but it makes the Hario a lot less comfortable to use than the Porlex. The silicone lid doesn't manage to prevent coffee beans from popping out in the middle of grinding, and the entire thing is sort of awkward to hold. Though for half the price of the Porlex, that’s probably an acceptable compromise for most people.
Cuisinart Supreme Grind coffee grinder
$60.00, Amazon
Hopper capacity: 8 ounces
Grind settings: 18
Blade style: Conical burrs
Cuisinart's grinder is far from perfect, but at its price, it's easy to forget its flaws. It has an 18-position grind selector, which doesn't offer the greatest range of grind settings, but there is a timer, which some folks will be interested in. Coffee grounds don't come out as uniform as more expensive models, but if you're trying to make great coffee at a budget, this will tide you over until you've got the funds to upgrade to something better.
Originally Appeared on GQ
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FAQs
Does a better grinder make better coffee? ›
A great grinder will transform your coffee experience from the inside out. Your coffee will be more flavorful and delicious. You'll be able to determine your coffee's flavor and strength. You'll be able to brew coffee that rivals your favorite coffee shop.
Does an expensive coffee grinder make a difference? ›An expensive grinder will have higher-quality burrs that can produce a finer, more consistent grind than cheaper models. This means you'll be able to enjoy an optimal flavor from your coffee since there won't be any large chunks or powdery particles in the mix. This applies to coffee methods that NEED fine grounds.
Does coffee grinder quality matter? ›The freshness, size and quality of grind have a significant effect on how a coffee will taste. As soon as a coffee bean is ground, the flavour will start to dull down as the coffee particles come into contact with air. Freshly ground coffee smells amazing too.
Does grind size affect coffee? ›Choosing the Right Grind Size
In general, if you brew coffee that is ground too coarse, the coffee can be under-extracted (weak), and less flavorful. If your coffee is ground too fine, however, the coffee can be over-extracted and bitter. Small changes in grind size can drastically affect the taste of your final brew.
It's not coarse coffee, and it's not espresso grind; Medium grind coffee is the sweet spot in the middle where a great many brewing methods coincide, making this grind the most popular there is.
Is a burr grinder better than a blade grinder? ›Most coffee lovers will tell you that a burr grinder is far superior when it comes to grind size and flavor. While more expensive than a blade grinder, burr mills are widely recognized for their consistency, quality, and overall uniformity.
Which is better flat or conical burr grinder? ›Generally speaking, flat burrs are more consistent and more expensive. Depending on the model, they can also be noisy and, unless there is good ventilation, heat up quickly. In contrast, most conical burrs are quieter, cooler, and cheaper, but less consistent.
What is the lifespan of a coffee grinder? ›While a good quality coffee grinder can generally last between 7 and 10 years, some factors can reduce its life expectancy. These factors may include frequent and heavy use, lack of proper maintenance and cleaning, or the unavailability of replacement parts.
Is it cheaper to buy coffee beans or grinds? ›Whole bean coffee often costs more than ground coffee for one simple reason: it's a better coffee. Whole bean coffees tend to come from better crops and be more recently roasted than pre-ground selections. In short, whole bean coffee makes a better cup of coffee — and the difference is worth paying for.
How often do you need to replace a coffee grinder? ›We recommend changing your filter coffee grinder's burrs every six months, regardless of volume.
What is the common problem of coffee grinder? ›
What Can Go Wrong with a Coffee Grinder? Coffee grinders are relatively simple. The most common problem is that they get clogged up with grounds which slows down the motor. In addition, the electrical cord can short out, the thermal limiter can burn out, or the motor shaft can stop rotating.
Should you buy a separate coffee grinder? ›Accurately adjusting your grind size can transform a coffee from overpowering and bitter to smooth and sweet. This is why it's important to use a separate coffee grinder with intricate grind settings. Coffee makers with built-in grinders typically offer very few grind sizes.
How often should you grind coffee beans? ›You don't need to grind your coffee beans every time to enjoy a distinct, rich, and fresh coffee flavor. The trick when you buy pre-ground coffee is to follow best practices and store it to keep the oils and aromatics firmly sealed inside the container. Ground coffee is freshest two to three weeks after you open it.
Is a bigger burr size coffee grinder better? ›As burr size increases, so too does the size of the grinder itself. Bas says: “Generally speaking, the larger the burrs, the better the performance. “Grinders with larger burrs are more stable, quicker, and more efficient, and generally require fewer grind adjustments.”
How do I choose a grind? ›It depends on your brewing method and your personal taste preferences! In general, the longer the grounds will be in contact with your water, the coarser the grind should be; the faster the brewing method, the finer the grind. However, there are no “absolutes” and what matters most is how your coffee tastes to YOU!
How do I know if my grinder is good? ›A good grinder should be made of durable material. The metal grinders are recommended by they are long-lasting. Grinders made of wood are not as effective because they might contain varnish. It can mix with the product you are grinding, affecting its quality—the durability level of the material you choose matters.
What grind size is bitter? ›Is your coffee too bitter? Make sure your machine uses a coarser grind. You do this by setting a larger grind size. Go from level 5 to 6, for example.
Does a finer grind make coffee more bitter? ›2. You're using the wrong grind size. Grinding coffee beans changes how the flavor compounds dissolve, which means that if it's too coarsely ground you risk under-extraction, and in turn a flat or perhaps a sour tasting coffee. But if they're too finely ground, you risk an over-extracted, bitter coffee.
Is it better to have a bigger or smaller grind size? ›A finer grind size will produce smaller particles that have a higher surface area, causing your coffee grind particles to extract quicker. This means that with a finer grind, you need less time in contact with water than a coarser grind when brewing coffee.
What grind does Starbucks use? ›Fine grind.
It's always important to make sure that you are using a number of coffee grounds that are appropriate for the brewing method you are using.
What grind size for regular coffee? ›
Medium: A medium grind setting is what many coffee shops will use for a regular cup of drip coffee. Its consistency is very similar to sea salt. Medium Fine: The medium fine grind size is a happy medium between the sizes needed for drip coffee and espresso. Most people will use this size for a pour over coffee.
What is the most expensive coffee grind? ›Kopi Luwak Coffee, Sustainably Sourced, World's Most Expensive Coffee, Ground, Fresh Roasted, 16-ounces.
What are 3 types of grinders? ›Three of the most common types of grinders are angle grinders, surface grinders, and die grinders.
What is the most common grinder blade size? ›Grinder's come in lots of different disc sizes, but the most common sizes are 115mm (4 ½”) and 230mm (9”). You can purchase different discs/heads/wheels depending on the task you want to complete - just make sure they're the right size for your grinder!
Does Starbucks use burr grinders? ›Starbucks And Coffee Grinders
Starbucks believes that “a good grind is the first step to an exceptional brew,” so they use a machine with a conical burr grinder that results in a better grind than the aggressive blade grinders.
A conical burr is easier to clean, produces consistent flavor without as much cleaning, and wastes less grounds. A direct consequence of the flat burr grinder's shape is that some grounds will become trapped in the grinder (4).
How do I know if my burr grinder is dull? ›The easiest way to tell if your coffee grinder blades are dull is to run your finger on one of the blades. Before doing this, always ensure you unplugged the grinder. If the blades feel sharp and seem to have defined edges, you don't need to sharpen them.
Do burr grinders get dull? ›While grinder manufacturers may claim that their burrs can grind hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilos of coffee, the truth is that, after they are seasoned, burrs wear out gradually over time — there's not a specific point where you can say the burrs are worn out.
Should you clean coffee grinder after every use? ›Coffee grinders need a good wash every now and then too. As coffee beans are ground, they deposit oils and microscopic particles onto the burrs. Both of these deposits can negatively impact later brews as stale particles and rancid oils collect on new coffee beans and travel into your final mug.
Should I wash my coffee grinder everyday? ›If you use your coffee grinder every day, a quick cleaning every week is recommended. If oils from the beans are not removed regularly, they will become rancid and produce a bad odor and taste.
Can you leave ground coffee in grinder? ›
It is always best not to store ground coffee. Whenever possible, grind your coffee just before you brew it. Ensure that the type of grind you use is suitable for your brewing system. If beans are too fine or too coarse you will not generate maximize flavour.
How much coffee will 12 oz of beans make? ›How many cups of coffee can you get from a 12-ounce bag? On average, a 12oz bag should brew around 17-21 cups of coffee.
How many coffee beans for a cup of coffee? ›For one 6-ounce cup of coffee, about the same capacity as a teacup, the ideal amount is generally considered to be 0.38 ounces or 10.6 grams of ground coffee beans. This equates to roughly 2 tablespoons of ground coffee.
What's the difference between ground coffee and coffee beans? ›Coffee beans go through a very long process from seed to plant, and plant to fresh coffee bean. Once the bean is ground up, it starts to age rapidly. The main difference between pre-ground and whole-bean coffee is freshness, flavor and scent.
What happens if you don't clean coffee grinder? ›Over time, coffee dust will infiltrate every nook and cranny of a grinder, and oils will coat the hopper, burrs and grind chamber. If not cleaned out, fine particles can overwork a motor and cause it to fail, and oils can go rancid and ruin future brews.
Can you put coffee through a grinder twice? ›These results are in line with what might be expected: grinding the same coffee twice produces more fines, necessitating a coarser grind setting to get the same shot time, and lowering extraction — supposedly because of increased channelling. However, the taste results didn't match this picture at all.
Can coffee grinders grow mold? ›Coffee makers are hotbeds for mold growth. An NSF International study revealed that 50% of households had mold and yeast in their coffee machine's water reservoir, and nearly 1 in 10 had traces of coliform bacteria! That level of filth may be surprising to coffee lovers everywhere, but it's not wholly unexpected.
Why are blade coffee grinders bad? ›So why are blade grinders bad? When you use a blade grinder, the blades slice your beans up indiscriminately. Some beans might hit the blades more often than others, resulting in unevenly sized particles. Uneven sizes make for an uneven flavour extraction, so your coffee won't taste the way it should.
Is a cheap coffee grinder worth it? ›Amazingly, inexpensive manual grinders can achieve espresso fineness better than electric grinders three or four times the price. It'll take an extra bit of elbow grease to grind the coffee so fine, but it'll truly be as fine as it needs to be.
Why buy an expensive coffee grinder? ›An expensive grinder will have higher-quality burrs that can produce a finer, more consistent grind than cheaper models. This means you'll be able to enjoy an optimal flavor from your coffee since there won't be any large chunks or powdery particles in the mix. This applies to coffee methods that NEED fine grounds.
Is grinding coffee better than ground coffee? ›
Grinding your own coffee gives you a whole new level of flavors that are unlike the conventional pre-ground coffee. Grinding allows you to extract the soluble compounds within the coffee beans effectively so that you get a distinct taste and aroma in each cup you make.
Should you spray coffee beans before grinding? ›The main reason people are encouraged to spray coffee beans prior to grinding is because this reduces the amount of static. Therefore you have less coffee grounds sticking to the side of your portafilter/grinder so you use all of the grounds whilst creating less mess.
How many beans do I grind for 4 cups of coffee? ›How much coffee for four cups of coffee? Using the Golden Ratio, we know that if one cup takes 8.3g of coffee grounds, then 4 cups would need 33.2g. (The full calculation is that 5fl oz x 4 cups = 20fl oz which equates to 600ml, and 600/18 gives 33g).
How many beans do I grind for 2 cups of coffee? ›You'll need around two teaspoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of coffee. This is approximately 0.38 oz. or 10.6 g of whole coffee beans. If you're preparing more than one cup, simply double the recipe by the number of cups you'll need.
Is coffee grinder more important than machine? ›What many people don't realise is a good grinder is just as important, if not more important than a good coffee machine. A good grinder will give you a consistent, even grind that doesn't clump together, allowing for beautiful extraction every single time. You NEED a coffee grinder!
Does a burr grinder really make a difference? ›Using a burr grinder will significantly improve your coffee's quality. Since burrs grind with pressure rather than through chopping the beans, they result in fewer tiny fragments, or fines, than a blade grinder.
Do you have to clean coffee grinder every time? ›Generally, coffee grinders should be cleaned every two weeks. However, this can vary depending on the type of beans and how frequently you use your coffee grinder.
What is the most important tool for better coffee? ›Most professional baristas will tell you that your grinder is the most important tool in your caffeine toolbox. Without the right grind size and a consistent grind, even the most expensive brewer on the market won't be able to make your coffee taste great.
Which is better blade or burr coffee grinders? ›Most coffee lovers will tell you that a burr grinder is far superior when it comes to grind size and flavor. While more expensive than a blade grinder, burr mills are widely recognized for their consistency, quality, and overall uniformity.
What happens if you put ground coffee in a burr grinder? ›Regrinding Coffee Grounds Will Clog Your Grinder
The grounds won't flow through your grinder like whole beans do, and the result won't be espresso grounds.
How long do burrs last in a grinder? ›
We recommend changing your filter coffee grinder's burrs every six months, regardless of volume.