Burr Coffee Grinder – If you’re a coffee aficionado, chances are you’re already grinding your own beans, but are you using the best grinder for your machine – and, more importantly, for your taste buds? If you’re serious about making great-tasting coffee or espresso using a fine, consistent blend, you may want to invest in a burr grinder.
Similar to a pepper mill, burr grinders operate by grinding coffee between a movable grinding wheel and a non-moving surface. There are two types of burr grinders available:
- Flat Burr Grinders: These have a fast spinning wheel, and tend to be noisy, messy, and prone to clogging.
- Conical Burr Grinders: With a cone-shaped burr, these spin at far slower speeds, making them less messy and noisy than their flat burr counterparts. Also, because conical burr grinders rotate more slowly and with less friction, they’re less prone to heat build-up, which can transfer to the beans and compromise the coffee’s flavor.
While a flat burr grinder costs around $50, expect to pay at least $90 for a quality conical grinder, with the most advanced models costing as much as $700. Regardless of the price or style, all burr grinders will produce static, which can create quite a mess. To minimize this, look for burr grinders with glass rather than plastic components.
Turn to consumer ratings and reviews for guidance in finding the best burr grinder to suit your lifestyle, machine, and taste requirements. While price is a consideration, the investment is modest when compared to the luxury of having years of perfectly ground coffee.