Anyone who loves coffee is going to want to grind their beans themselves at some point. That’s because freshly ground coffee beans provide the coffee drinker with the best flavor, end of the story. However, you don’t have to be a coffee expert to enjoy freshly ground beans, all you need is a good grinder and a can-do attitude, and you too can be on your way to better coffee.
We think that some people don’t grind their beans because they mistakenly believe that the process is hard or time-consuming. Well, we’re here to tell all of our readers that nothing could be further from the truth. Grinding your own coffee beans doesn’t have to be difficult. That’s why we put together this article: To prove that anyone can grind their coffee beans and enjoy a superior tasting coffee.
Step One: Choose A Grinder
The first step to grinding coffee beans for yourself is to choose a grinder. There are plenty of different grinders available, and these include not only blade grinders, but also burr grinders, and conical burr grinders, too. Let’s take a closer look at each of these grinders to find out what might be the most appropriate one for your needs.
Blade Grinders
These grinders are considered to be low-tier models, and as a result, they are often cheaper than other types of grinders. The main problem with blade grinders is that they mangle coffee beans horribly. This results in a very uneven grind. An uneven grind means that some of the coffee grounds are too coarse, while some others are too fine. An uneven grind leads to some bad coffee, so be sure to avoid these types of grinders. After all, they’re only good for chopping up herbs and spices and should never be used for coffee.
Burr Grinders
For grinding your coffee, you should think of using nothing less than a burr grinder. These models do a great job of grinding up coffee beans and they produce grounds that are uniform all around. If there’s one minor flaw that can be found in burr grinders, it’s the fact that their motors tend to run a bit hot. This means that if you run them for too long, then you can conceivably end up scorching your coffee beans. However, with a little bit of care, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Conical Burr Grinders
Conical burr grinders are considered by coffee experts all around the world to be the best grinders that a person can use. That’s because they not only produce a very even grind—much in the same way as ordinary burr grinders do—but their motor tends to stay hot while their grinding, which means no more scorched beans. These grinders also tend to be the most well-made ones available, and although they cost more than either blade or burr grinders, they should last you a very long time.
Handheld Manual Or Electric Grinders
The next thing that you’re going to want to consider when buying a grinder is whether you need a manual handheld one or an electric one. Personally, we think both of these models can be useful, but the consumer should be aware that manual ones require more elbow grease, so they might not be suitable for some people who have difficulty using their hands.
Step Two: Grind Properly For Your Brewing Method
Now that you have the proper grinder in hand, it’s time to put that tool to practical use and grind yourself up some coffee beans. Most grinders come with instructions that tell the consumer how to load and operate their coffee grinder, so all that’s left for us to explain the differences between the different grind sizes, so you can choose what’s appropriate for your favorite brewing method.
The Different Types Of Coffee Grinds:
Extra-Coarse Ground Coffee
- Consistency: Similar To Peppercorns
- Useful For: Cold Brewed Coffee
Coarse Ground Coffee
- Consistency: Similar To Sea Salt
- Useful For: Cupping, French Press Coffee
Medium-Coarse Ground Coffee
- Consistency: Similar To Coarse Sand
- Useful For: For Some Specialty Coffee Makers (i.e. Chemex Brewers)
Medium Ground Coffee
- Consistency: Similar To Sand
- Useful For: Drip Coffee Makers
Fine Ground Coffee
- Consistency: A Little Finer Than Table Salt
- Useful For: Moka Pots, Espresso Makers, & Stovetop Espresso Pots
Extra-Fine Ground Coffee
- Consistency: Similar To Flour
- Useful For: Turkish Ibrik Brewers
Grinding your own coffee beans isn’t a difficult process if the consumer takes the time to pay attention to the coarseness of the grinds and they don’t try to rush the process. Most of the high-end grinders are equipped with coarseness settings that make grinding extremely easy, so there’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t grind their coffee beans. It does produce a superior coffee as compared against store-bought coffee grinds.
