Slice or Dice?: Choosing a Grinder

Those who are relatively new to the world of specialty coffee may be a little baffled by the intricacies of grinding. I've had customers who think that ground coffee is whole different kind of coffee than whole bean coffee. Rest assured that, when you purchase pre-ground coffee like Folgers or Maxwell House (or Starbucks or Caribou or Dunkin' Donuts for that matter), you are purchasing whole bean coffee that has merely been ground ahead of time for your convenience.

Any coffee expert will assure you, however, that such a convenience comes at a price. Pre-ground coffee has been equated to frozen food. Sure, it can still be used the same way and taste very similar to coffee that has been freshly ground, but it is just not the same. If you really want to enjoy your coffee, it is recommended to buy whole bean coffee exclusively and then grind it freshly each time you wish to brew it.

The obvious disadvantage to such an endeavor is the additional equipment necessary for grinding coffee freshly. Grinders can be expensive and--depending on the type--require periodic maintenance. Is it really worth it? If you catch an aroma of freshly ground coffee just before it brews, I think you'll think so.

So, you agree to get a grinder...but it doesn't stop there. It now comes down to a choice between essentially two types of grinders: blade grinders or burr grinders.


Blade grinders are much cheaper but do not grind the coffee in the most efficient manner so as to expose the optimum amount of flavor oils to the water for extraction. Blade grinders (much like blenders or food processors) chop the coffee beans up into little blocks, leaving flavor oils still trapped inside.

Burr grinders--while more expensive--are more efficient in the way they expose the flavor oils to water extraction. Rather than dicing the beans, burr grinders allow the beans to pass through a chamber of burrs that slice the beans (opening more surface area) as they pass through. Also, burr grinders typically have more grind settings (the more expensive have even more) that allow you to adjust the grind specifically to the method of brewing.

Blade Grinders are pretty much the same price ranging in retail from about $10-30, but Burr Grinders can be anywhere from $40-2000. A blade grinder can get the job done but, the more you care about quality in your coffee, the more you should consider switching to a burr grinder or buying a better burr grinder than you already have. To read some reviews on Burr Grinders and Blade Grinders alike, visit Coffeegeek.com.

***The above pictures are from left to right: The Mazzer Royal Burr Grinder for $1,799; The Rancilio Rocky Burr Grinder for $359; The Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder for $89; The Cuisinart Supreme Burr Grinder for $45; The Hamilton Beach Blade Grinder for $25.