Why Choose a Manual Coffee Grinder?
If you’re new to the world of grinding coffee beans then you may be wondering which is the best coffee grinder to choose. There is plenty of choice to suit all budgets and level of experience, one could even say that there is too much choice! Of course, you may just want to dive straight in and buy the most expensive piece of kit you can find but, if you are new to coffee bean grinding, you may want to start off with a much smaller outlay that won’t break the bank and experiment. One thing’s for sure – whatever you choose, there’s no denying that grinding your own fresh coffee is much better than buying ground coffee. We take a look at why choose a manual coffee grinder and how you can get started!
Why grind your own coffee?
Ground coffee is available in abundance on supermarket shelves, online, in coffee roasteries and even on our own website however, you will also find a great selection of beans alongside this. Many buy ground coffee for the convenience and because they don’t know any better. Some will use a bean to cup machine which means that the coffee is ground as part of the process. Then there are those that prefer the art of weighing and grinding their own coffee.
Personally, we believe there are pros and cons to all of the available methods. The underlying rule though is that freshly ground coffee just tastes better. There is something satisfying about grinding the beans that you are going to use that day, or certainly within a day or two, meaning your coffee is as fresh at it comes with a fuller flavour, a better smell and just a better cup of coffee.
Fine or coarse ground coffee?
When you are just starting out there are a few things to consider, in addition to the type of beans you choose and the process you need to grind them, you also want to think about the coarseness of your grind. But why is this important.
Well, for a start, how fine you grind the beans will depend on the flavour you extract from the beans and the strength of your coffee. This affects the amount of caffeine in your coffee. The finer you grind the coffee, the more caffeine is released from the beans. A coarser grind gives off less flavour and allows the water to flow more freely than with a finer grind. While a finer grind will give you a better cup of coffee, you do run the risk of grinding the coffee too fine and it tasting bitter from over extraction.
There is an art to getting this right but it will largely depend on personal preference. When we first starting grinding our own coffee beans using a manual grinder, we played around with the settings and the various size of grind until we found a strength and flavour that we liked. We started off at the coarser end and increased the grade each day. There is no hard and fast rule as we all have such varied tastes.
Manual or automatic burr grinder?
Whether you choose a manual or automatic coffee grinder will depend on a number of factors:
- Budget
- Number of people you are brewing for
- Access to electricity
- Preference
- If you are a beginner
The easiest, and most straightforward process is to buy a simple manual grinder. As your tastes develop and you get more into the coffee making process, you will probably be happier to invest in a more expensive piece of machinery.
Pros and cons – why choose a manual grinder
Pros
Access to electricity and ease of use
The manual coffee grinder is ideal for travelling and grinding small volumes of beans whereas an electric grinder is better if you need to grind larger volumes.
Budget
Budget is another factor – it is much cheaper to buy a manual grinder than an automatic one. A manual grinder takes up far less space. Choose one with good burrs.
Start the day with a workout
Building those muscles – if you want a good arm muscle workout, grinding your own coffee beans is a great way to start the day.
Noise
Minimal noise is another benefit of a manual grinder. If you like to partake in an early morning coffee, you won’t wake the rest of the house.
Cons
Coarseness of the grounds
You may struggle to get a fine enough grind for a good espresso. If you want a strong espresso, an automatic grinder would be better.
Time
Sometimes you wish you had more time – it can be quite time consuming if you have to grind every morning.
Volume
Not good for large volumes of coffee – if you have guests staying or are entertaining friends for example.
What type of manual coffee bean grinder to choose
Consider what burrs the device uses and whether it uses blades (not such a popular choice).
Ceramic burrs and stainless steel are the more popular choice used in grinders. Another differentiation is flat and conical. bean to cup machine.
Our beginner recommendation
If you are going to start off with a manual grinder then we highly recommend this particular grinder. Simple to use, £20 to purchase and great for grinding a few cups of coffee at a time.
Do you grind your own coffee? if so which method do you prefer and which product do you recommend? We would love to hear from you.
