Summary:
When coffee beans are exposed to air they oxidize. Since the coffee ground have a larger surface area than the bean and are not covered in a sheath like the bean, they will oxidize even faster. If you grind your beans at home then they are exposed to air for less time and you get fresher grounds. You can also grind only what you want to use right at that moment.
Grinding can also take more time and patience that buying beans that are already ground.
When coffee beans are exposed to air they oxidize. Since the coffee ground have a larger surface area than the bean and are not covered in a sheath like the bean, they will oxidize even faster. If you grind your beans at home then they are exposed to air for less time and you get fresher grounds. You can also grind only what you want to use right at that moment.
Grinding can also take more time and patience that buying beans that are already ground. If you choose to take the time to grind your beans than you should choose amongst the best coffee grinders.
The burr, blade, and crusher are the three types of coffee grinders on the market.
The crusher is a device that mashes the beans and is and sort of mortar and pestle style grinder. This gives a granule that is not as even as it could be and this style of grinder is not the best for your kitchen.
A blade grinder actually finely chops your beans with a spinning blade that makes the beans smaller and smaller until they are like a granule. Sometimes the grains can be too big and not the same size.
When the grains are different sizes they can release different amounts of oils and they can also produce too much heat because of the speed of the blades. This warmth can make the aroma lessen.
The best choice for coffee grinding is the burr grinder. These grinders produce the best granules that are both consistent and small. You can also adjust the size of the granule and the speed of your grinder when using the best burr grinder models. It works by using plates and pyramid like teeth that grind up the beans.
By controlling the size of the granules you can get a better brew and the lower speed will keep over-warming from happening.
The best of the burr grinders is the conical burr because they give you greater control over the size and speed, although they can be noisy. A good conical burr grinder goes at about 500 rpm, but some can go up to 10,000 or even higher rpm. Getting a grain that is this fine is really important when it comes to certain kinds of coffee, such as a Turkish coffee. Some of these allow you to adjust your granule size to a very fine degree.
The best burrs will offer a low noise level and will be easy to clean. A brush to clean your burr is important and being able to remove the upper burrs is also critical. The material of the burr will also influence how much extra static electricity is made.
Clear glass can be better to help you judge your ground beans and know when to stop the grinding. A timer or auto-shutoff is also a great feature to help you control your grinding process.
Spend time on reviewing the various models to find the best one for your kitchen!