Using A Coffee Bean Grinder
When deciding to buy a coffee bean grinder there are two different choices on the market. A blade grinder and a two plate burr grinder. While the burr grinder is more expensive, it produces a better grind than a simple blade grinder does. Blade grinders on the other hand are much more economical and often the first choice for most. Blade grinders are sold at most local stores and are very simple to use, while burr grinders found at more exclusive type of shops. Prior to purchasing a coffee grinder, it is a good idea to check what type of coffee ground your coffee maker works best with.
The difference between a blade grinder and a burr blade grinder are the way they actually grind the coffee beans. A blade grinder slices the beans into smaller and smaller particles while a burr plate grinder actually pulverizes the beans into a more powdery consistency. This makes the grounds to be more consistent and smoother. In order to maximize the effectiveness of a blade grinder, a few jostles to the grinder while grinding can help keep larger pieces of coffee beans from becoming stuck in places that the blades can miss. This is not necessary with a burr grinder which usually have a number of settings that enable the beans to be ground to perfection.
Burr grinders are easy to use with just the press of a button. The button on the blade grinder needs to be depressed intermittently in order to get the beans moving around inside the container. If a coarse grind is preferred, then the button should be pressed up to ten seconds at two second intervals. A medium grind would be ten to fourteen seconds with a two to three second interval and for a medium grind, and keeping the intervals at two to three seconds for up to twenty seconds for a smaller, finer grind. The amounts can be adjusted for personal taste.
A coarse grind is usually the desired consistency called for when using a classic pot, drip and plunger types of coffee makers. A fine grind is what would be used in the making of a cup of espresso. After the coffee is ground, you can usually measure out the scoops of coffee and then put them into the coffee filter. The ratio is usually two to one, one tablespoon of coffee to two cups of water. If making six cups of coffee, then three tablespoons of coffee would be placed into the coffee filter and six cups of water would be poured into the water chamber. If using a burr plate grinder, many come with measurements and there is no need to use a tablespoon prior to pouring the coffee into the coffee maker.
When purchasing whole beans to grind at home, it is important to only grind the amount that will be used. Coffee starts to lose most of its flavor and freshness almost as soon as it is ground. Ground coffee purchased at the local grocery store has usually been left on the shelf for several days prior to purchase, making the coffee lose moisture and flavor. If time is a consideration when deciding to grind beans at home or not, only a couple of additional minutes are added to the coffee making process when grinding fresh beans.
If a fresher, more flavorful cup of coffee is what you are looking for then investing in an inexpensive blade grinder would be a smart move. You will not add much more time to your morning, and will be brewing the freshest pot of coffee possible. If after using a blade grinder for a period of time becomes routine, you may want to look into purchasing the more expensive burr plate grinder. This will allow the maximum great taste with the added convenience of grinding at different levels automatically and eliminating the step of measuring. Either way, once a coffee bean grinder is purchased and used, and freshly ground coffee is tasted, you will probably not go back to store bought ground coffee.
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Tags: coffee, coffee bean grinder, coffee grinder, home accessories, household appliancesAugust 21 2010 | coffee | No Comments »