How to choose a coffee grinder?
Coffee is a truly wonderful drink that gives us a huge boost of energy and energy for the whole day. True connoisseurs of this drink are well aware that as little time as possible should pass from grinding the beans to brewing, and then the aroma of coffee will be amazing. In order to make the best coffee from freshly ground beans, you need a coffee grinder. How to choose a coffee grinder so that the process of making the drink is pleasant and the coffee tastes good, we will tell in the article.
to contents ↑Types of coffee grinders
To choose the right coffee grinder for the home, many factors must be considered:
- Type of management.
- Type of grinding.
- Loading volume.
- Financial opportunities.
In order to make it easier for you to make a choice, we will familiarize you with the advantages and disadvantages of each type of coffee grinder.
Which coffee grinder is the best type of control?
There are two main types of devices:
- Electric.
- Manual
to contents ↑Important! Remember that the quality of the prepared drink depends not only and not so much on the equipment used, but on the type of coffee chosen correctly and the method of its preparation. To know all the subtleties, read interesting information from our articles:
Manual option
Manual coffee grinder is good for its antique appearance and good grinding quality. An additional advantage is its low price.
Important! Manual coffee grinders appeared a very long time ago. The millstone is the basis of the mechanism of this invention. It is they who regulate the degree of grinding of grains. In such a coffee grinder, the possibility of overheating of grains is completely excluded, moreover, the device works absolutely silently. The advantages of such devices include a special chamber for ground coffee.
A manual coffee grinder can be adjusted to any degree of grinding, and it is suitable for absolutely all ways of making coffee.
Important! Of the handheld devices, there is also a Turkish coffee grinder, which grinds grains into dust and is intended exclusively for brewing coffee in a Turk. It has a beautiful appearance and is usually made of brass. If you do not just like delicious hot coffee, but with a professional approach to the result of preparing a drink, you will not regret it if you decide to choose a coffee grinder of this type. The main thing is not to save time on brewing a drink in Turk in the future.
To grind grain in such a coffee grinder, you will have to spend some physical effort. The minuses also include considerable time costs for the process. For example, to get raw materials for a cup of coffee, you need 5-10 minutes.
Disadvantages of the manual device:
- It’s not very comfortable to work, as you have to hold the case with one hand and turn the handle with the other.
- During the preparation of fine grinding, the distance between the discs is reduced and the apparatus is difficult to scroll.
- Physical and time costs are required.
A manual coffee grinder is a special thing for lovers and fans of the drink. Such people prefer to make coffee with pleasure, and using a manual coffee grinder, you can enjoy the divine aroma with every movement of the hand.
to contents ↑How to choose an electric coffee grinder for home
There are two types of electrical devices:
- Knife (rotational).
- Millstone.
Advantages and disadvantages of knife coffee grinders
The device is a cylinder inside which there is a motor. On the top of the cylinder is a special container for grains, and at the bottom of the cylinder is a system of rotating knives.
Important! The main mechanism of a rotary coffee grinder consists of knives that rotate at high speed and grind the grains. The longer the grinder operates and grinds the grains, the finer the grinding.
Operation Features:
- Most often, knife devices are turned on by pressing the lid with your hand.
- In order for the coffee grinder to work, you need to hold the lid pressed for a while or make short presses with your hand. And in fact, and in another case, the grains will be ground evenly, so the method of grinding does not matter.
- It is better to load a small number of grains, designed for one-time use, into the device. We do not recommend grinding grain for future use, as coffee loses its flavor and aromatic qualities over time. Therefore, it is so important when choosing a device to think about the load volume.
Important! Knife coffee grinders have a container volume of 25 to 150 grams, and for one serving of a drink, 7 grams of grains are sufficient. Therefore, if two people drink coffee, then you can opt for a device with a bowl of up to 50 grams.
Benefits of knife coffee grinders:
- Ease of use.
- Compact size.
- The ability to grind coffee beans as finely as possible.
- Relatively low price.
The disadvantages of the device:
- The inability to accurately control the degree of grinding.
- Inhomogeneous grinding. Grain particles are obtained in various sizes.
- Grain portion dispenser missing. You must use it yourself to calculate the number of grains needed to prepare the drink.
- Increase in grain temperature during grinding. If you grind the grains for a long time, you can even carbonize them, which will lead to a loss of taste and bitterness of the drink.
- Tanks for beans and ground coffee are combined. This creates inconvenience when collecting the finished powder, as there is a danger of cutting into knives.
- Break millstones more often.
Useful Tips:
- To avoid all the unpleasant consequences, carefully choose a knife coffee grinder, focusing on the power, the location of the knives and the volume of the bowl.
Important! The power of this type of coffee grinder ranges from 80 to 270 watts. The most optimal power is 180 W, but a device with less power can do the job just as well, the only difference is time. More powerful devices overheat grains and carbonize them.
- As for the knives, they should be very close to the bottom of the container in order to grind coffee faster.
- To choose a coffee grinder of excellent quality, pay attention to the body material. Most often there are products with a plastic case, but if possible, choose a stainless steel coffee grinder - their quality and durability will please you.
Features of a millstone electric coffee grinder
The millstones are much more careful about grains and differ from the knife ones in the way of grinding coffee. In a millstone device, grinding of grains is carried out according to the principle of a mill - by means of steel disks. Conical or cylindrical disks (millstones) are made of stainless steel.
Important! The degree of grinding is regulated by increasing or decreasing the distance between the millstones. You choose the quality of grinding yourself using automation.
Device Features:
- Millstone coffee grinders have from 10 to 15 grinding modes. Coffee beans can be ground into coarse grinding and dust. Moreover, in the process of work, the possibility of overheating of coffee is practically excluded.
- The power of the equipment varies from 100 to 1000 watts. The best option is from 250 to 300 watts.
- There are two containers in millstone coffee grinders: one for beans, and the second for ground coffee.It is advisable to choose a device with a large bowl for beans, then you can pour the whole package of coffee there at once, and in the future you just have to choose the amount of ground coffee.
The advantages of millstone devices:
- The volume of the bowl is much larger than in knife models (200-350 grams).
- Designed for large volumes of grinding. Suitable for catering and offices.
- A huge number of additional features.
- The possibility of overheating coffee is excluded.
- The device is fully automated.
- The resulting powder is homogeneous, which allows the use of coffee in any coffee maker.
- Large selection of grinding modes.
- Resistance to wear.
- Greater power than rotary.
- The presence of a separate container for ground coffee.
Cons of the device:
- Complex and voluminous construction.
- High price.
Additional features of electric coffee grinders
To select a coffee grinder, you must first understand the available options of a particular model. Many manufacturers equip equipment with various additional capabilities to attract customers. For example:
- Some models are equipped with double knives to increase the grinding speed.
- Other appliances have a special tilt for the bowl, which provides a more uniform grinding.
- Some manufacturers produce models with the function of “protection against overheating”. Thanks to this option, the device automatically turns off if the motor overheats.
- In modern millstones, it is possible to automatically obtain the required grinding volume for a certain portion of coffee. And in some models, the coffee grinder itself can determine the volume and number of cups of ground coffee.
- Most devices have a special device for winding the cord, which allows you to store the device more compactly.
All these additional features are designed to facilitate the process of grinding coffee and make it enjoyable.
Important! Many modern devices have a power-on lock function if the cover is not closed. The device will not work until the lid is tightly closed.
Useful Tips
To the question: which coffee grinder is better - manual or electric, it’s hard to answer, since the matter is in the user's personal preferences:
- if you are an esthete and you like the process of making coffee, then choose the manual option;
- if time is more valuable to you, then the electric option is preferable.
How to choose a coffee grinder for home?
To choose the right device, you need to pay attention to the main parameters.
Power
The speed of the completion of the grinding process depends on the power. This parameter is of particular importance for rotary devices, because some manufacturers increase the speed of rotation of the knives due to power. But as a result of too high rotation speed, the temperature rises and the grains heat up. And this is unacceptable, as coffee loses its taste.
Important! On the market are models of devices from 80 to 270 watts. Choose a middle ground: 150-180 watts.
The power also depends on the volume - for a small 50 gram coffee grinder, a power of 100 W is quite appropriate. Let the grinding process last longer, but no overheating.
As for millstone devices, their power is always high: 200-300 watts. But at the same time, the rotation speed is small and the grains in such a device do not overheat. The efficiency of the device increases only by increasing the area of the millstones.
Material
Most often, plastic acts as the main material of the device case. The quality of the material is of great importance, especially in rotary devices, since the grains in devices of this type strongly beat against the body during grinding. In addition, rotary appliances vibrate during operation, and all this can lead to cracks.
To avoid this result:
- Although metal coffee grinders made of steel, aluminum or brass have a higher price than plastic models, they are more durable and durable.
- Knives in rotary devices must be strong and sharp.
- The best material option for them is stainless steel.
- As for millstones, ideally millstones should have titanium spraying.
Bowl volume
Approach the choice of volume responsibly, because a large-capacity rotary coffee grinder will not be able to grind a small amount of grains qualitatively, and there is no need to grind for the future, since the coffee grinder is bought specifically for fresh grinding.
How to choose a coffee grinder so that it matches the real needs:
- Looking for a knife coffee grinder for a family of 2-3 people, pay attention to the model with a capacity of 40-60 grams.
- And larger appliances are only suitable for an office or a large family.
- A millstone grinder can also be selected for 200-300 grams.
Security
The most dangerous rotary coffee grinder. When buying such a device, pay attention to the presence of security elements:
- The device should not turn on with the lid open.
- The cover itself must be tightly attached to the body and not open during operation.
- Pay special attention to the protective antennae. Very often they are made of thin plastic, which breaks easily. A device with a broken antennae will not work.
Additional functions
One of the most important features of a modern coffee grinder is the ability to adjust the quality and degree of grinding, because different grain sizes are needed for different methods of preparing a drink. For example:
- Espresso needs medium grinding.
- For the preparation of Turkish coffee - grinding to dust.
Important! In addition, when changing the degree of grinding, the taste of the drink also changes. Of course, you can experiment and choose the best option for yourself, because in modern devices there are a large number of degrees of grain refinement, but for home use there are only three of them. So, the best coffee grinder for the home in terms of quality and degree of grinding is millstone, since settings for the degree of grinding are rarely found in knife devices.
Useful Tips
Always choose a coffee grinder for a special coffee maker:
- for geyser, drip or Turks enough and a knife coffee grinder;
- but only a millstone is suitable for a carob coffee maker.
When choosing a coffee grinder for home use, weigh all the pros and cons of the product, and if you also want to make the process automatic, then pay attention to additional functions of the device:
- The built-in dispenser allows you to accurately determine the required amount of coffee.
- Built-in timer. In electric millstones, there are basically two types of timer: one allows you to set the grinding time in seconds, and the second - in the number of cups for which the drink is prepared. The first option, of course, looks more elegant, but the second is simpler and more understandable. It is easier to simply indicate the number of cups, and let the apparatus itself calculate the number of grains and seconds.
- Overheat protection is mandatory for devices with high power and volume.
- Rubberized legs provide better grip on the table surface, unlike conventional plastic legs.
- Reinforced noise insulation is suitable for early gourmets. Thanks to this function, you will not disturb the sleep of loved ones.
- Auto shut off when clogged. This option is able to save millstones if a piece of wood or a pebble hits them.
Manufacturers and models
It is best to purchase products from manufacturers that specialize in the drink.
Coffee grinder - top rated
If we talk about handheld devices, they have proven themselves well:
- Gipfel KS 833 BP.
- Petergof PH-12721.
Best Home Coffee Grinder: Electric
If you don’t know which company to trust in choosing a machine, check out the list of the best coffee grinders of the year.
Bosch MKM 6000 knife coffee grinder
A great model among knife devices. Most convenient when using small volumes. The model provides high-quality and quick grinding.The working container is made in such a way that after use it can be easily cleaned and washed.
The main characteristics of the coffee grinder:
- Power 180 watts.
- Knives are made of stainless steel.
- The volume of the bowl is 75 grams. The bowl is narrowed downwards, which facilitates grinding.
- The model is endowed with protection when opening the lid.
Scarlett SL-1545
The knife coffee grinder, quickly and qualitatively grinds grains:
- The capacity of the device is 70 g.
- The device has compact dimensions (107x210x107 mm) and an unusual design that will decorate the interior of any kitchen.
- The power of the coffee grinder is 150 W, which means that this model belongs to the group of “powerful” devices.
- It is worth noting the build quality of all elements of the device and the low price.
Mill grinder Krups GVX242
This appliance is a coffee mill with conical millstones. Due to the low grinding rate, the grains do not overheat. The model has a compact size and modern stylish design. In addition, it has a good combination of price and quality.
The main characteristics of the device:
- Power 100 watts.
- 17 degrees of grinding.
- The capacity of 200 grams.
- 2 tanks: for grains and finished product.
DeLonghi KG 89
Professional millstone coffee grinder. This model is considered the most effective in its lineup. Although it is a professional model, it is easy to manage and one of the safest models. The grinding resulting from the operation of the device is ideally uniform. And due to the fact that the design is disassembled, the apparatus is easy to rinse. Therefore, if you are looking for a coffee grinder for your home, this option will be great.
Main characteristics:
- Power 110 watts.
- The volume of the bowl is 120 g.
- Automatic shutdown after grinding is completed.
- 12 degrees of grinding.
Coffee grinder Saturn ST-SM 1033
This coffee grinder is one of the most popular machines. The principle of operation of the device is based on the rapid rotation of the blade. Small size, practicality and low price are the advantages of the model. The power of the device is 180 W, and the volume of the bowl is 50 grams. The model is of excellent quality and long service life.
to contents ↑Stock footage
We hope that the information received has helped you choose the best coffee grinder for your home. However, for a high-quality aromatic drink, not only the best coffee grinder is important, but also high-quality coffee beans, as well as the ability to properly prepare the drink. And then, as a true connoisseur of the divine drink Honore de Balzac said: “After a cup of coffee, thoughts begin to crowd, like battalions on the battlefield!” Have a nice coffee!