Lovers of coffee drinks know that to prepare aromatic and rich coffee, it is better to grind the beans immediately before the brewing process using an electric, burr or manual coffee grinder.
The devices are easy to use and do not require special skills. In electric models, to obtain ground coffee, the user only needs to pour the required amount of beans into the working container, close the lid and turn on the device with one press of a button.
Types of coffee grinders
Coffee grinders can be:
- Millstones;
- Rotary;
- Manual.
The last type is for those who care about everything, from the taste and aroma of the drink, as well as the traditional preparation procedure or, if you like, a certain magical ritual that occurs when you slowly rotate the handle.
Features of a manual coffee grinder
The main distinguishing feature for which connoisseurs value the manual grinding option is that the grains are never burned.
- Since at high temperatures, quite often a burning effect occurs when the coffee tastes somewhat bitter.
- Another unpleasant phenomenon that occurs after overheating of beans in a coffee grinder is the release of essential oils that should be present during the brewing process. Therefore, coffee loses a lot of taste.
- That's why true gourmets prefer to spend five minutes grinding fresh coffee by hand.
How to choose a manual coffee grinder? The first thing to see is the crushed grains. Moreover, they can be either chopped and crushed, or ground. The last option is the most “gentle” for preserving essential oils and safely transferring them to the powder mass.
Cleaning
Few people pay attention to the ease of cleaning a coffee grinder when they are in a store. Although they remember this a couple of weeks after the purchase. You may find that cleaning it is a very difficult task. At the same time, the coffee grinder mainly cleans the millstones, the container for the finished powder and beans.
Each device is cleaned differently, but basically everything happens like this:
- The container intended for grains is unscrewed, the container for the powder is pulled out, and they are washed.
- The screws are unscrewed, the millstones are removed, cleaned with a brush and carefully wiped with a rag. They cannot be washed with water!
- Let's put everything back together.
Ask the seller to show you the entire cleaning process. In this case, you will see how to clean this coffee grinder correctly and at the same time check how easy it is to do it.
How to choose the best coffee grinder
There are specially designed instructions for manual coffee grinders, after studying which you can get acquainted with all the distinctive features of one or another option, choosing the most valuable one for yourself. In addition, it is worth knowing that the best manufacturers of manual coffee grinders today are:
- Mark Becker;
- Cuissential;
- LoewenGermany and others.
Some models are available exclusively in foreign stores, but if you wish, you can find them.
They vary quite a bit in cost. For example, a “Typika” will cost only four hundred rubles, but a “cooler” model like the “Artina SKS” costs about nine thousand rubles.
The best option is valued at no less than nine hundred rubles, but not more than three thousand, so as not to overpay. Other higher cost coffee grinders should have stone burrs.
When choosing, it is recommended to pay attention to:
- Case type and millstones;
- Possibility of changing the grinding to a finer one;
- The material from which the structure is made;
- The grain container, as well as the one where the finished powder goes.
Rating of automatic burr coffee grinders
There are many options available in this segment. We have identified three relatively successful models that deserve the attention of lovers of good coffee.
- First place. Delonghi KG 89 . Ceramic millstones, high stability, convenient receiving hopper, 8 levels of grinding adjustment and all this for 7 thousand rubles. This is one of the most popular automatic burr coffee grinders, which maintains a balance of price and quality.
- Second place. Sakura SA-6156 . A decent economy option, a visual copy of one of the previous Delonghi models. It has 5 grinding modes, small size, holds up to 90 grams of beans. The main advantage is the very affordable price of 1800 rubles. Among the shortcomings are the low quality of plastic, general instability, poor fit of the top cover. It does not latch and you have to hold it with your hand. Therefore, only second place.
- Third place - Krups GVX2 . It costs from 5800 rubles, has a good grinding adjustment system, grinds well, even fine grinding does not need to be adjusted additionally. The biggest drawback is the inconvenient and fragile container for ground coffee, as well as the high noise level.
The vast majority of models of household automatic burr coffee grinders have a rather weak motor and too large gaps between the burrs. This does not allow fine grinding for cezves and espresso machines. The problem is solved by manually adjusting the millstones.
Coffee grinder body
The millstone material can be:
- Steel;
- Cast iron;
- Stone;
- Ceramic.
Despite its strength, cast iron wears off over time, leaving a subtle metallic smell in the coffee. Its porous structure is also well impregnated with previous aromas.
Steel is somewhat inferior in strength, unless the millstones are coated with a titanium layer. However, in this case they are more expensive.
Ceramics does not rust, grinds grains well, but is afraid of strong impacts due to its increased fragility.
Millstones made of corundum and ceramic alloys are considered to be expensive, but the best options. In addition to the fact that they have the finest grind, they are also the most environmentally friendly. They do not create any additional flavor.
Types of manual coffee grinders can be distinguished by body type:
- Without hull;
- European;
- Turetsky.
The first type, intended for installation on the container itself, is fundamentally different. The bottom view resembles a pyramid, which is perfect for placing on almost any container. A handle with a funnel at the top, and the container on which it is located serves as a container.
The outline resembles a cube of a European coffee grinder measuring fifteen centimeters by fifteen. During operation, it is placed on the table surface.
The oriental shape is cylinder. At the top there is a closed funnel along with a handle. There is a container where the finished powder is poured. It must be held in one hand while working.
As for the material, the housings can be:
- Metal;
- Made of wood;
- Porcelain or plastic.
Negative rating, or what is better not to take
If, when buying a coffee grinder, you have not yet finally decided on your choice, then first you should find out which devices are less practical:
- Avoid products made from plastic; their service life is much shorter than their stainless steel counterparts.
- It is better not to purchase a coffee grinder without an additional bowl for ground coffee, which is usually the case with rotary machines. Getting the finished product out from under sharp knives is not only problematic, but also dangerous. Remember that caring for such a device is also difficult.
- If you have a small kitchen, you should not purchase a device that does not have a device for winding the cord, otherwise it will be inconvenient to store it. However, this aspect is not decisive.
- Do not purchase a device without rubber “feet”; they provide the coffee grinder with good stability in operating mode.
Grain coffee grinders
They are usually located at the top. The European type has a funnel shape, while the Turkish type has a pedestal shape. They are distinguished by their volume (from ten grams of grains to two hundred) and the lid. As for the lid, the benefit of it is to reduce the noise effect and the ability to store coffee beans directly in the container.
The type of drink and the number of cups determines what volume to choose. You should not choose it too large, since it is better to store it in special packaging.
The finished powder requires a smaller container. So, with the grain capacity itself being about fifty grams or more, it will be no more than forty or fifty grams.
Selecting the coffee grind level
The taste and aroma of a cup of coffee depends on the type of grinding. There are several of them:
- Coarse (coarse) – the grains look like sea salt. To achieve this consistency, turn on the coffee grinder for 10 seconds. And coffee is brewed 8 minutes after grinding. The powder is used to brew the drink in a French press.
- Medium – similar to sugar. Grinding time – 13 seconds. Combines with special coffee brewing methods - pour-over, Chemex, and suitable for geyser coffee makers. The drink should be prepared no later than 6 minutes after grinding.
- Fine - looks like coarsely ground powdered sugar, the device is turned on for 13 seconds. The crushed beans are used after 4 minutes in drip and cone devices.
- Espresso – the beans are ground for 20–25 seconds until the consistency of fine salt. Prepare in the espresso machine for 30 seconds.
- Ultrafine - the product is made to look like ground cinnamon. The powder is used for 40 seconds, the drink is prepared in a Turk or cup. Storage is not recommended.
The degree of grinding should correspond to the method of preparing coffee.
Grinding fineness
This characteristic can be changed in two ways:
- For the European type, a step option is used, when the adjustment is not smooth, but in steps, at which you will need to turn the regulator after unscrewing the screw;
- The stepless option is simpler, since it all comes down to a simple turn of the screw.
Convenience during work is influenced by the location of the handles, which can be either on the side or on the top.
A simple experiment will help you understand which option is most acceptable, in which you should spin the model you like for a while.
For many, the side position is much more convenient, since they do not move along the surface and the movement goes down from above, and not clockwise. In addition, it is much easier to scroll from the side, thanks to the work of the strongest shoulder muscles, rather than the hand muscles.
