How to Choose the Best Burr Coffee Grinder

A coffee grinder is a vital tool for any home coffee maker's arsenal. What is the best one to purchase?

Burr grinders grind beans between two serrated surfaces that rotate instead of cutting with blades. They're generally thought to be superior to blade grinders. What characteristics should you look for in a burr mill?

1. Conical Burrs

As its name implies, a conical burr grinder has one circular burr ring within another ring with the teeth angled. This design allows it to grind more efficiently as the burrs rotate around a single central point. The inclined teeth are more effective at cutting the beans evenly, and also produce less heat. This is a good thing since excessive heat can create bitter flavors in your coffee. Conical burrs are also more durable than flat burrs. Flat burrs can warp and become dull very quickly, which results in unevenly ground espresso that is not evenly ground. They also tend to be more brittle, which means that small stones or debris can damage the burrs over time. In addition, flat burrs generate more noise and require regular cleaning and maintenance.

A lot of burr grinders sold on the market call themselves "burr grinders," yet they have flat or no burrs. These "false" burr grinders feature large, flattened teeth and are often coupled with motors that are weak, resulting in uneven ground. They aren't true burr mills and, contrary to what some people think, they do not produce the same quality grind as actual burr mills.

Some experts do not agree with this assertion however, others believe that the shape and size of the burrs in a coffee grinder could affect the final taste. These theories are mostly based on anecdotes but they have a powerful hold on the minds and hearts of ceramic coffee grinder enthusiasts. For example, some think that conical burrs help bring out the unique flavors of exotic beans while flat burrs can mellow and enhance dark roasts.

This could or might not be true however it is something to consider if you want your grinder to have a significant impact on the quality of your coffee. The only way to determine that for certain is to test the grinder using the beans you will be using it with. The design of the grinder as well as its operational features will have a larger impact on the final cup of coffee than the kind of burrs. It's therefore important to consider other aspects when evaluating the grinder, including its reputation and reviews from customers.

2. Convenience

The Baratza Encore is a burr grinder that many coffee enthusiasts swear by. It has been praised by numerous reviewers as an "time tried and tested product" that is a great value for money and well-suited for French press, French drip, and cold brew.

According to the company, the grinder uses rotating burrs made of metal rather than blades to grind beans. This produces more uniformly-sized grounds than a grinder, or other burr grinders. The burrs also produce less heat, which preserves the flavor and aroma of beans.

Blade grinders, on the other hand, can produce excessive heat and unevenly-sized grounds, which can impact the taste of the finished cup. Burr grinders are also known to be quieter than blade grinders, however this can vary depending on the model and manufacturer.

While most of the burr grinders we test feature conical burrs, there are some that have flat burrs (two discs with cutting teeth that are facing each other). We don't recommend them for espresso as they can be difficult to calibrate and are generally more expensive than a high-end burr grinder that is flat like the Fellow Ode Gen 2 or the Baratza Virtuoso+.

Some of the coffe grinders we've tested allow you to choose how long the machine will grind for a specific period of time, which is handy if you're brewing espresso. Others--including our top choice, the Baratza Sette 270--have an inbuilt smart timer that can deliver the precision of a split second. This feature is not necessary for the majority of brewing methods, and most burr grinders that cost less than $200 use a fancy version of a windup clock.

The cheapest models in our selection, like the Porlex II and the Capresso Infinity--use manual burrs. This means you'll need to crank them manually by hand to grind your coffee. This is more laborious, but is a great choice in the event you're looking for an easy compact coffee grinder and affordable option without electrical power.

The Breville smart grinder [simply click the next internet page] Pro is another option for those who want to save money and uses a burr grinder. It is louder than other models that we have tested, but it's still acceptable if you don’t mind some sound. The more quiet a grinder will be, in general, the more expensive it will be. This is due to the improved materials and the advanced soundproofing techniques.

3. Easy of Use

A burr grinder is a device that all experts recommend to those who are just beginning to learn about home coffee brewing. They produce more consistent, finer grind than your standard blade grinder, and will help you make brews with better balance in acidity, flavor and body. They are generally more reliable. As you might expect, a good burr mill can cost up to $200 and is difficult to use.

So, we spoke to experts and got their recommendations for the easiest-to-use electric burr grinders on the market. They recommend the OXO conical burr grinder to many people as well as those who don't wish to spend a fortune. It has multiple settings to manage a variety of different brewing methods, from pour-over, French press, and drip coffee. And it performed well during our testing.

It's also quieter than the other electric grinders we tested, and it does not produce more heat than other grinders do. That's important, as excess heat can ruin the delicate aromas in your beans.

The OXO grinder's only drawback is that it's best in grinding at the coarse end of the spectrum, which can be a problem for espresso. If you're brewing espresso, a higher-end burr grinder, such as the Baratza Encore might be a better option.

Manual burr grinders, which are powered by cranking, are easy to use and are perfect for those who only drink one or two cups of coffee every day. These grinders are ideal for those who travel, or just need to make one cup of pour-over coffee.

Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Test Kitchen's director, loves the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Burr Grinder. It has 41 settings that can be easily adjusted and produces a wonderful brew using any method--except for espresso (the burrs made of steel aren't grinding precisely enough). It's easy for anyone to use so long as they don't mind the occasional mess or chaff that fly away.

4. Cost

A good burr grinder will cost around a hundred dollars, but it's worth the price. The grinding mechanism is simple enough that even a beginner can figure out how to get the most out of it, and you'll save money in the long run by ditching the pre-ground coffee and bad-for-the-environment coffee pods.

Conical burr grinders are the standard in electric home units, and they're a great choice for most people just starting out with this whole grinding-your-own-beans-at-home thing. They produce a little bit of fines (the tiny bits of ground coffee that end up smaller than the official grind size you choose) However, it won't be noticeable to the majority of drinkers, and it's a small price to pay for excellent-tasting consistently-sized coffee grounds.

Flat burrs, which are two discs that have cutting teeth facing one another They are not as common in home units, but are preferred by hardcore coffee enthusiasts due to their ability to provide an even grind size which is ideal for espresso coffee grinder and French press. They can be expensive and you may have to purchase new burrs every time you alter the type of brew or the level of roast.

The Baratza ESP offers the best home espresso grinder combination of cost and capabilities for a burr grinder, according to our experts. It's less than $200 which is much less than other models that don't offer the same level of capabilities. It comes with a 64-mm flat burr set which is perfect for all brewing methods and easy to upgrade with other sets, like those from SSP.

The OXO is a great, affordable option that has a good performance record in our tests. The burrs aren't as precise as those found in more expensive models, but it has multiple settings that perform well for drip and French press and its user interface is intuitive. The OXO is a great starter model for most people. True coffee geeks might prefer a more advanced model however, the OXO will work well for them.

For those who prefer to grind beans by hand We also tested a handful of manual burr grinders that are perfect for use on the go and for those who are able to make one or two cups at each time. These models use the same grinding mechanism of electric burr grinders but operate with a hand crank instead of motors. They are also generally quieter than electric units.