A Coffee Grinder Is the Perfect Espresso Machine Accessory

Coffee purists will tell you that the best espresso comes from beans ground immediately before the coffee is extracted. This is a familiar refrain that veteran espresso drinkers repeat frequently. It makes sense, then, that no kitchen is complete without a coffee grinder designed to turn your favorite beans into a quality cup of espresso.

What Makes a Great Coffee Grinder?

Coffee grinders come in two basic styles: burr grinders and blade grinders. The difference between the two is simply how the beans are processed. As the name suggests, burr grinders use burrs, which resemble plates with gears on them. One of the burrs spins and grinds the beans against the other burr, which is stationary. Blade coffee grinders use a spinning blade to grind the beans.

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When it comes to great espresso coffee, there are several factors which affect the finished product. Apart from the quality of the beans the most important are heat and uniformity. Since the process of grinding coffee beans is relatively violent, both burr and blade grinders generate some heat. Heat is undesirable in a coffee grinder because it damages the coffee. The faster the grinding mechanism, the more heat that gets imparted to the coffee. A finer grind also causes heat because of the extra time spent in the grinding process.

One way around the issue of heat is to buy the expensive but wonderful low-speed burr grinders. The low speed might mean it takes slightly longer to turn your beans into grounds, but anyone who has used one of these marvelous machines will attest to the quality of espresso they produce.

Another important quality factor is the uniformity of the grind. In the extracting process, the water spends a set amount of time passing through the coffee. A uniform grind is more efficient at imparting flavor to the water. It might be difficult to tell from a casual glance, but blade grinders do a poor job of creating a uniform grind. Burr grinders, on the other hand, produce exceptionally uniform grinds, resulting in a much more enjoyable cup of coffee.

Obviously, when selecting a coffee grinder, the burr grinder is the way to go. Some of the high-end models can cost several hundred dollars, but they are worth considering for the quality of the product and their ability to produce an exceptional cup of espresso. Consider your coffee grinder as an investment in your coffee drinking happiness.