Burr Grinders Are Your Secret Weapon For Full-Bodied Coffee Every Time
Even more important than the quality of your coffee beans is the grinder you use to turn them into brewable grounds. A bad grinder will miss out on a lot of the delicious flavor compounds packed inside of those single-source beans you got, giving you an anticlimactic brew. Here's a hack if it's a full-bodied cuppa that you're after: Your coffee grounds will almost always turn out perfect with a burr grinder.
A burr grinder operates using two rotating wheels to crush coffee beans uniformly. In contrast, a bladed grinder relies on a spinning blade, similar to what you find in a food processor or blender, to chop and pulverize the beans. Coffee enthusiasts have long praised this type of grinder for being superior in almost every way, from giving you a more even ground to precise control over the grind size. Moreover, because a burr grinder generates less heat compared to a bladed grinder, it has a lesser impact on the final flavor of your coffee grounds as well!
A burr grinder is a coffee lover's superpower
To get a tasty pull of coffee, having consistent ground is a must. When all the tiny coffee particles in the grounds are the same size, you'll achieve a more consistent extraction during brewing, resulting in a rich and well-rounded cup of coffee. This is where a burr grinder truly shines. In contrast, blade grinders and manual mills often produce grounds with uneven chunk sizes, some large and some small, leading to lower coffee quality and a taste that can be bitter or flat due to over or under-extraction of coffee compounds.
Another thing a burr grinder does better is heat management. Heat plays a critical role in developing the flavors of your coffee beans. If they're exposed to a lot of heat during the grinding process, the unique flavor notes within can be dulled or diminished. Blade grinders and manual grinders tend to generate more heat, both from their motors and due to friction. Burr grinders, however, operate at cooler temperatures and won't transfer as much heat to your coffee beans, effectively preserving their distinctive flavor profile.
But the benefits of burr grinders don't stop at consistency or heat management. Most burr grinders offer you the flexibility to adjust the size of the coffee grounds. Whether you're in the mood for an espresso rather than a coffee (which will need fine ground) or a cold brew (coarser is better,) you're an adjustment dial away from the grind size you need.
Burr grinders aren't perfect, however
Despite their many benefits, burr grinders also come with their own set of drawbacks that you should be aware of. The biggest reason many people today still don't have a burr grinder at home is simply because they can be more expensive. High-quality burr grinders typically come with heftier price tags attached — the best ones can reach up to hundreds of dollars. But if you're an avid taster and truly value the flavor you get from your coffee, then it'll be well worth the investment.
Maintenance is another factor to consider. Most coffee grinders require regular care to produce top-notch grounds, and burr grinders are no exception. Over time, coffee oils and debris can accumulate inside the grinder. If you don't clean this gunk off regularly, it may turn rancid and add strange off-tastes to your coffee grounds.
All in all, the cost is usually the biggest hurdle to getting a burr grinder. Other than that, it's a better coffee grinder than bladed in almost every way, and getting a burr for yourself — even if it's a cheap manual burr grinder or a hundred-dollar conical burr grinder — can give you the full-bodied cup of joe that you so desire!