If you are a coffee aficionado, like most of the others, it’s the coffee beans and the brewing machinery that enjoys most of your attention. But what about the grinders that play a significant role in the coffee-making process? Visit your closest coffee house and ask them about the most important pieces of machinery in their galley and majority of them would agree that it’s the coffee grinder. While beans too, hold an important position, what will you do with the finest of beans if you don’t have the best coffee grinder?
Moreover, you don’t just need a coffee grinder for the sake of it; your coffee grinder should be able to provide you with amazing results as the best of beans when poorly grounded can lead to an average tasting coffee. In short, if you prefer buying quality beans, it is also critical to consider buying the best grinder coffee machine to ensure that the beans receive all the respect that they deserve. If you are in search of a coffee maker grinder or want to know more about them, this post is sure to help you out.
First, let us try to understand how the grinders can affect the outcome of your coffee.
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How can Grinders affect the Taste of Your Coffee?
Coffee grinding is a pretty intense process. You need to take the coffee beans from its can or bag and place them into the bean hopper of your coffee grinder. As soon as you turn on the grinder, its motor and burrs hum to life and starts grounding the coffee beans. Depending on the type and quality of your grinder, the coffee beans will be grounded into varying size of small particles. This process is where the magic happens, and its outcome has a significant impact on the quality of your cup of coffee.
Apart from the size of the coffee particles, it is also important to remember that the temperature of these particles also plays a significant role in the final taste of your coffee. Hard to believe, but while the coffee beans are being ground, they gather heat from the coffee grinders Burr and other surrounding parts and the more the amount of heat the coffee beans gather, the more it will affect the quality of the outcome in a negative way.
Another factor that affects the quality of your coffee is the static charge that is generated in the grinding process. When the coffee beans are ground, they pass through the chute of the grinder and end up in a receptacle. During this process, humidity, quality of the beans, temperature, humidity and the way through which the grounded coffee reaches the receptacle combine to result in a static charge which can actually make your coffee particle to pop out of the collection coffee container of your grinder. While the factors that lead to the creation of this static charge cannot be controlled, you can control the type and quality of coffee grinder that you buy. As a thumb-rule, it’s the coffee grinders that run at high speeds result in a maximum static charge and also add the most amount of heat to your coffee.
Grind Size
The next important thing is the size of the coffee grind. Factors like, the brewing equipment that you use, how the coffee is roasted and the freshness of the beans will allow you to decide how coarse or fine your ground coffee should be. Different espresso and coffee machines extract the aroma and flavor of the coffee in different ways and thus, they need a different size of the coffee grind. The below-mentioned list will inform you about the size of coffee grind that you need for various types of espresso and coffee machines.
- Drip Coffee- Very Coarse
- French Press- Coarse
- Turkish Coffee- Extremely Fine.
- Commercial Espresso Machine- Extremely Fine, just like powder. Moreover, old dry coffee will require a much finer grind as compared to freshly roasted beans.
- Standard Espresso Machine- Medium Fine
Burr Grinder or Blade Grinder?
One of the most common questions among the coffee aficionados is whether they should buy a burr grinder or a blade grinder. Let me try to explain their differences by making you understand their construction.
Coffee grinders with burr feature two abrasive surfaces (burrs). These burrs do the job of grinding the beans. You can adjust the distance between the burrs to get the desired size of the coffee grind. However, not all the burr grinders offer this feature. There are two types of burr coffee grinders– flat burr grinders and conical burr grinders. Flat burr grinders feature two identical rings that are placed parallel to each other while the conical burr grinders feature two burrs that are conical in shape and have ridges that crush/grind the beans. Both flat and conical burr grinders have one burr that is stationary, and the other burr is turned by the motor.
On the other hand, blade grinders feature a blade that works like a propeller to grind the coffee beans. They are not highly preferred by many as the size of coffee grind in not uniform with a blade grinder. They mostly have a built-in timer, and the finesse of the resulting coffee grind depends on how long you grind the beans. Apart from the non-uniform coffee grind, as the blade of these grinders run at high speed, the problem of heat and static charge mentioned above, highly affects the quality of your coffee.
So, Which is the Best Type of Coffee Grinder?
While this depends on personal preferences, burr grinders do carry an advantage over blade grinders. While blade grinders are not as expensive as the burr grinders, their outcome is not very impressive. They are recommended for people who are on a budget, and the quality of the coffee grind doesn’t make much of a difference to them.
On the other hand, if you are a true coffee aficionado, a burr coffee grinder is what you should purchase. There are two different types of burr grinders- manual and electric. While manual burr grinders are small and inexpensive, if you are an espresso lover which requires a fresh and fine grind, they might not be that good of an option for you.
Electric burr grinders are available at every price and quality range and are known to provide the most impressive results. If you are planning to buy an electric burr grinder, go for the one that is heavy, features large burrs and low grinding speed. There are also models that allow you to adjust the distance between the grinds. This type of electric burr grinder can be an excellent choice for people who want to experiment with different grind sizes.
Low Speed or High-Speed Burr Grinders?
Low-speed burr grinders are the ones that are mostly suggested to the users as they can provide you with better tasting coffee. They keep the static charge at null or little, operate quietly and produce a small amount of heat. Moreover, even their motors do not get clogged when you are grinding fine.
High-speed burr grinders heat the grind and also result in the production of an increased amount of static charge. However, they do offer users with a better control on the size of the grind. They are known for their consistency as their burrs are connected directly to the motor and this allows them to function at same consistent speed.
Best Coffee Grinder below $50
If the gamut of options is making things difficult for you, we have an excellent suggestion for you- the DBM-8 Supreme Grind Burr Mill from Cuisinart. Many consumer reports term this coffee grinder as the best and the things that make this Cuisinart coffee grinder what it is are discussed in detail below-
Cuisinart DMB-8 Supreme Grind Burr Mill
With a price tag of less than $50, the DMB-8 is undoubtedly one of the best burr grinders available on the market. A closer look at the features of this amazing product will enable you to understand why it has been receiving such recognition among coffee lovers all over the world. While the F203 model of Krups Coffee Grinder was termed as the best coffee grinder at this price range, the DMB-8 from Cuisinart offers many advanced features to make the grinding process simpler for you. Let us have a detailed look at the various aspects of this grinder.
Design
The grinder has a sleek and stylish built which is sure to create a perfect first impression on every customer. It has neat and straight edges with an attractive black finish which complement its stainless accents. Made from stainless steel, the grinder will fit snugly in any corner of your kitchen, even if you are highly pressed for space.
Specifications
- Dimensions- 7.6 x 12.4 x 8.7 inches
- Weight- 4.7 pounds
- Color- Stainless
- Fully Automatic- Yes
- Built as per North American Electrical Standards- Yes
Capacity
No matter if you want to quick brew or need to re-caffeinate your 5000, DMB-8 features a slide selector to make the process effortless for you. In a single sitting, the grinder can guzzle 4 to 18 standard coffee cups, and its grind chamber can accommodate as much as 32 cups.
Speed
The burr grinder can dispense medium-sized grind for as many as 12 cups in just 40 seconds and for 18 cups within 60 seconds. While some of the reviews on the internet suggest that the grinder is slow, if 18 cups in a minute are not fast for you, then what is?
Features
- 18-position grind selector which allows you to select from extra-coarse to extra-fine grinds
- Bean hopper of 8 oz. which is removable
- Removable grind chamber
- Separately built Power-Bar with one-touch functionality
- Built-in timer to shut down the unit when the grinding cycle is finished
- Powerful motor
- Space for storing cord
- Cleaning brush and scoop included
- Sleek and stylish build which is free from BPA
- 18-month limited warranty
Performance
Right from espressos, drip to French press, the DMB-8 provides you with the required grind in a lid which reduces the wastage and fuss to keep the process neat and simple. When compared with other burr grinders, some of them that are much more expensive than the DMB-8, it is much more user-friendly, durable and provides you with delicious tasting coffee every single time. The varied grind settings are very useful, and it produces consistently uniform coffee grind. It has a life expectancy of a minimum of 5 years and is built as per the North American Electrical Standards to ensure completely safe functionality.
Even if you want to experiment with different beans and grind sizes, you can effortlessly do so with the help of this grinder. If you are looking for coffee recipes to spice up your love for coffee, they are available in abundance, all over the internet. Moreover, you can also visit this YouTube link to know more about the functioning of this impressive burr grinder.
All in all, the Cuisinart DMB-8 Supreme Grind Burr Mill is a complete performer and is sure to impress every single buyer. Unless you are fixated on buying a high-end model, this burr coffee grinder is what you need to enhance your coffee drinking experience.
Conclusion
I am sure that now you know a lot more about the coffee grinding process, difference between blade and burr grinders and a lot more about the grinding process. Moreover, I’ve also tried to eliminate all the confusion that you might go through while searching for the best burr coffee grinders by recommending a burr grinder from Cuisinart, which provides you with a flawless functionality and many fantastic features. Use all this knowledge while grinding your next batch of coffee to ensure that the coffee aficionado in you is rejuvenated from the core every single time you sip your coffee.
