How the burr coffee grinder can give you a better cup of coffee

Let me quote one of my favorite coffee books, The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying (Corby Kummer),

"It is a grinder whose two shredding discs, or burrs, are grooved and can be adjusted to be closer or father apart, depending on how fine or coarse a grind is necessary. Although they are more expensive than propeller (blade) grinders, burr mills work much more slowly and are noisier. Nonetheless, they offer precision and consistency that make all the difference in everyday brewing."

To add to this definition, the coffee beans are crushed slowly with little frictional heating. This, in my opinion, is the best feature of the burr coffee grinder.

Why is little heating important in grinding?

Unlike blade coffee grinders, which may be less expensive and less noisier, the burr coffee grinders give less friction to the coffee beans avoiding that burnt taste.

With the burr coffee grinder, the aroma and the oils of the coffee beans are kept resulting to better coffee.

What about the size of the coffee grounds?

It is also important to note that the size of the crushed coffee beans are important in making a great cup of coffee as you would want all the flavors of each bean to be evenly released. Also, the essential oils could be missing from the finer grounds.

Consistently shaped grinds with every coffee bean is key in bringing out the best out of each coffee bean that is put in your coffee bean grinder.

What if I want a coarse grind and my wife wants a fine grind?

This is what's nice about having a burr grinder as you can have the option to choose between grinds. All you have to do is adjust the positioning of the two shredding burrs. This grinder is really is to use. I'm getting convinced about getting a burr grinder but are there different kinds?

Yes there are actually two kinds of grinders:

Wheel Burr Coffee Grinders- This is the least expensive one of the two burr grinders. These are much noisier as the wheels move very fast. They are also prone to clogging and can be a little messier.

Conical Burr Coffee Grinders- This is the best type of burr grinder. The burr spins much slower which helps preserve the natural bean flavor. It also is less messy and quieter as a result of the slower spins of the burr.

As for the grind, it is easier to control the fineness of the grind - extra (ultra) fine, fine, regular, and coarse. In this type of burr coffee grinder, there is also a built-in timer sets the grind for anywhere between 5 and 60 seconds so you can walk away without having to constantly press a button to continue the grinding process.

The downside of this is that you'd have to pay more for the burr grinder to get better results.

Is the price of the burr worth it?

The conical burr coffee grinders are built to last through the years as they are much tougher and sturdier compared with its competitors.

For coffee connoisseurs, the higher price tag is really worth it as it is an investment for taste, quality and overall pleasure of having great coffee. But for those who aren't, the burr coffee grinders have quite a wide range of prices so you could also enjoy some of the benefits without spending too much.

Where can you buy burr coffee grinders?
There are a lot of websites that sell burr grinders and we would like to suggest Buy.com where you can earn points while you shop.

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