Ah, the world of coffee grinders. Which one should you choose? In my pursuit of great coffee I have purchased several different grinders over the years. Please let me share my knowledge and experience with you. There are 3 types of grinders available; a blade grinder, an inexpensive burr grinder and a high priced burr grinder.
The first type of grinder is called a blade grinder. This is the least expensive grinder on the market. It is a great way to start if you are not sure you want to invest into coffee brewing equipment or if the budget does not allow for a big investment at this time. When looking at a blade grinder do not get roped in by the extras that drive up the price. This type of grinder is very basic and works best if kept basic. The blade grinder works very well for a drip brewer like Mr. Coffee. The costs are in the 10-20 dollar range. The important thing is to NOT over grind the beans. If you run the grinder for too long the beans become too fine and they will actually plug up the coffee filter causing what I promise you to be a big mess.
If you want or use a different type of coffee brewer like a French press or a moka pot, then you will need to purchase a burr grinder. This type of grinder gives you the ability to adjust how coarse or fine you want your coffee to be ground. The less expensive burr grinders use a high speed motor to turn the burrs. This does two things. First, it heats up the bean (which actually destroys some of the flavor in the coffee). Second, it will create a great deal of static electricity in the ground coffee which means the grounds will scatter all over the place and be quite messy. These types of grinders usually run in the 30-60 dollar range.
The high priced grinders typically run in the 100-300 dollar range. For this price however, you get a more powerful motor that runs at a much lower speed thereby creating less heat and less static electricity. In turn, this creates a better cup of coffee and less mess. In my own home kitchen, I use a Kitchenaid Pro Line Series Burr grinder. In my opinion, it is the best “for home use” grinders on the market. I got mine through Ebay at a good price.
