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So you want to grind your coffee at home but you’re not sure where to start? The most important thing is to pick up a good bag of coffee beans (see our suggestions here). After that, you’ll need to find a way to grind them for your coffee machine. For the most superior, uniform, and consistent grind, you’ll want to invest in a burr coffee grinder.
What Are Burr Coffee Grinders?
The best burr coffee grinders (which are also sometimes called a “burr mill coffee grinder”) are made up of two different burrs, that either have flat or serrated edges, in between which the coffee beans are ground. The coffee beans move between a moving grinder wheel and a non-moving surface.
Are Burr Coffee Grinders Better?
Burr coffee grinders are often the preferred grinding method for baristas and coffee enthusiasts because they are capable of grinding coffee beans in an extremely uniform way that is often impossible to achieve with a blade grinder. Burr coffee grinders are also very popular because you can adjust the settings to select how coarse or fine you want the grounds to be.
What Are the Best Burr Coffee Grinders?
Choosing the best burr coffee grinder for you will depend on a number of factors: whether or not you want to grind the coffee beans by hand, how much you want to spend, and how many settings you need. Here are some things to keep in mind what shopping for the best burr coffee grinders online.
Electric vs. Manual: Electric or automatic burr coffee grinders are very popular and are the standard. However, some people do enjoy grinding the beans manually because it eliminates noise, lets you connect with the process, and it’s easier to travel with a manual, hand-held coffee grinder than a countertop one. Both styles produce quality grounds – it’s simply a matter of personal preference.
Price: Burr coffee grinders are often more expensive than blade coffee grinders. However, there is still a varying range of price points within the market of burr coffee grinders. Typically, the more expensive burr coffee grinders will offer more sophisticated settings. But not everyone needs something with all the fancy features — choosing an affordable burr coffee grinder is a good idea if you are just getting started in grinding your coffee at home.
Settings and Features: Once you determine the style you want and the budget you have, look at the burr coffee grinder’s settings. The best burr coffee grinders usually have at least twelve different settings. These settings will let you grind beans into fine or coarse grounds – and anywhere in between. Specialty burr coffee grinders can have as many as seventy settings – these will help you make specialty drinks.
