Why Bobby Flay Owns 2 Coffee Grinders (And You Should Too)

Celebrity chef-inspired aspirations exist on a continuum. At the extravagant end of the spectrum, you have Martha Stewart's outdoor kitchen building tips that include purchasing outdoor stoves. On the more attainable side, there are Bobby Flay's coffee grinders that you can likely replicate (even at the top of the line) for around $50.

Flay keeps two coffee grinders on hand, but coffee isn't all the chef is putting in the devices. One is for the beans, of course, while the other is for grinding up all manner of seasonings. Grinding fresh black pepper, coriander, cumin, and other spices by hand can create a stronger flavor, so it makes perfect sense why Flay would have a device for this purpose in his kitchen. 

Some people love their morning joe with a secret ingredient. For example, cardboard cups were a crucial and unexpected addition to Anthony Bourdain's coffee experience. However, most folks prefer to keep strange additions out of the equation. Flay's dual tools prevent the spices and coffee from mixing with zero extra effort.

Whether or not you want to keep expanding your coffee grinders ad infinitum or clean the dedicated appliance before alternate uses is between you and your shopping cart. However, there are plenty of additional applications for the petite device. You just want to make sure you're working with a blade versus a burr grinder. Burr grinders are the secret weapon for full-bodied coffee, but blade grinders are better for cutting up herbs and spices.

Coffee grinders are particularly useful for homemade confections. A blade grinder can easily render a bit of granulated sugar into powder when you need a little snow shower on your baked goods. It can similarly break down nuts for mix-ins or toppings. These machines can also grind items like candy canes or Starlight Mints for a breath of fresh air on top of your cookies, frosted cupcakes, or even the mountains of whipped cream topping your hot cocoa. If you're not looking to get any stray spices or candy bits in your coffee, keeping two coffee grinders is a Bobby Flay-approved tip.