It takes two machines to make a great coffee: the coffeemaker and the
grinder. Despite what the name suggests, the daily grind of coffee is
anything but laborious; it’s here that all those special aromas bust out
of each bean, leading you by the nose to get some of that good stuff into
you. We know that different brewing methods need different grinds, and
that all the alchemical elements of coffee beans start to dissipate as soon
as they’re ground, so to get the best from the beans (and the best possible
cup of coffee) grind them just before brewing. Think of it as part of the
coffee-making process. Grinders are distinguished by:
- Consistency: The same size particle, every time
- Granularity: Ranges from fine to coarse
- Low temperature: Heat alters the flavor and character of coffee.
Speed generates heat, so preference low-speed (hand-cranked) grinders
or a motorized grinder with reduction gears
- Low-noise operation: Because if it sounds like there’s a plane landing
in your kitchen every time you grind, that just ain’t right
There are two types of grinders: a blade and a burr.
A blade grinder looks and works like a propeller. It’s fine for all brewing
methods, except espresso. Because its characteristic chopping action can
lead to inconsistency (which makes it harder to achieve a smooth brew), the
bump-and-grind is recommended when using these grinders: interspersing
one-second bursts with little bumps to mix through any beans at the top.
Repeat for anywhere from eight to twenty seconds—depending on the
coarseness of the grind you want to achieve. A burr grinder crushes beans between two burrs (often disc-shaped) that
are preset by you. They consistently deliver a precise particle size, and
can be used for any coffee brewing method, from plunger to espresso.
Most serious coffee drinkers swear by the burr.
Recommended for medium to coarse grinds,
the Hario Skerton Hand Grinder is cheap
and portable. The hand-crank means it’s lowspeed (and doesn’t create heat), it has longlasting ceramic burrs, is completely quiet and
has a no-slip rubber base
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