In-depth exploration of manual coffee grinders, professional articles tell you how to choose

Would you like to drink coffee that was pre-ground with a burr grinder a week ago, or freshly ground with a blade grinder?

The Able Brewing team recently conducted a blind tasting to answer this question. Which is more important when brewing coffee, freshness or the grind concentration?

The tester team took out a batch of freshly baked coffee and ground half of it with a high-performance burr grinder. They kept the other half whole beans and sealed both samples in airtight coffee bags for a week.

On tasting day, they ground the whole beans with a blade grinder and brewed two samples side by side. Without knowing which coffee was which, a group of coffee professionals and consumers tasted the two coffees and gave their opinions on each.

As expected, both cups of coffee were not very good. However, when the sommelier gave advice, they were unable to decide which one was better. The quality of the freshly ground coffee powder from the blade grinder was unstable, just as bad as the pre-ground coffee from the burr grinder.

Considering our emphasis on fresh coffee, this test is a bit harsh. It proves that not only is it important to grind fresh coffee beans, but you also need the right type of coffee grinder to do so.

Three styles of coffee grinders

Handheld precision grinder,Better grinding, more flavor

There are three main types of grinders to choose from: blade grinders, electric burr grinders, and manual burr grinders (also known as manual coffee grinders).

The blade grinder is the most common type of coffee grinder because it is inexpensive and compact in size. However, as blind tasting has shown, inconsistent grinding can have a huge negative impact on the taste of coffee.

On the other hand, electric deburring machines are known for providing consistent deburring sizes. However, they also have their drawbacks; they are expensive, and they can be bulky and noisy.

Manual coffee grinders provide consistent grinding results at a very low cost, offering you the best choice of two styles. Due to their versatility, reliability, and "practical" appeal, they have become the preferred choice of the growing community in the world of specialty coffee.

When we set out to create a new manual coffee grinder, we tapped into the passion of the coffee world. From home brewers to national barista champions, people from all over the world came together with us to create a new type of manual grinder that was more precise, easier to use, and cheaper than electric grinders.

For anyone who wants to brew delicious coffee at home, a manual coffee grinder is a good choice. Here are five reasons why a manual grinder is right for you.

1. Grinding concentration

The blade grinder cuts the coffee beans into unevenly sized pieces, while the burr grinder grinds them into a uniform size.
Consistent grinding is just as important as buying fresh coffee. The size of the coffee grounds should be the same so that they dissolve at the same rate.

Imagine you are baking cookies using your grandmother's favorite recipe. You start by placing the cookie dough on the baking sheet, but instead of stacking the cookie dough to the same size, you make them in several different sizes.

What happens when you bake cookies? Small pieces start to burn while large pieces are still uncooked. This is what happens when coffee grounds are not evenly brewed

Different sizes of coffee grounds will dissolve at different rates, causing some coffee grounds to be under-extracted and others to be over-extracted. These under-extracted and over-extracted coffee grounds will add acidity and bitterness to your coffee.

The burr grinder will help you make the most of your fresh coffee. Unlike blade grinders, the burr grinder will break down the coffee into evenly sized particles to ensure even extraction.

The burr grinder uses a pair of sharp, precisely shaped cutting stones (called "burrs") to better grind coffee to a consistent size.

On the other hand, blade grinders do not really "grind" coffee. Instead, they cut coffee beans into unevenly sized pieces, turning some coffee beans into dust and leaving other coffee beans in large chunks.

2. Price

However, electric sanding machines are expensive. The best home models cost more than 2,000 yuan, and almost all acceptable models cost more than 500 yuan. When you start looking for electric sanding machines that are cheaper than this, the quality of the sanding will decrease significantly.

The problem with cheap electric burr grinders is the burrs they use. Most do not use ceramic or metal burrs, but instead use "fake burrs" with sharp cutting blades to cut the coffee beans into unevenly sized grounds, just like a blade grinder.

The other end of the price range is the blade grinding machine, which can be as low as 100 yuan, but regardless of the price, it maintains its consistency problem.

Manual coffee grinders can provide consistent grinding results while selling for less than the cheapest acceptable electric models. Since there is no motor cost, manual coffee grinders focus more on the parts that really matter: burrs.

Using a manual coffee grinder, you can not only reduce the cost of payment, but also get other valuable functions that an electric grinder cannot provide.

3. Mobility

A manual coffee grinder can save you money and bring you more. Brewing your own coffee when traveling is much cheaper than buying expensive coffee in cafes. It can also save you from the worse fate of drinking hotel coffee.

Your Baratza Preciso may be suitable for home use, but an 8-pound electric burr grinder won't work if you're on the road.

In order to meet the needs of coffee lovers, many coffee companies have launched travel sets that allow you to carry coffee with you. What do all these travel sets have in common? Manual coffee grinders.

Manual coffee grinders are essentially portable, and have inspired some travelers to combine their love of coffee and adventure. Jeremy Parnell, co-founder of Hatchet Coffee in Boone, North Carolina, recently took a week-long hiking trip in the Ozark Mountains with his travel coffee gear.

4. Noise level

A manual coffee grinder is also very useful at home. If you wake up early in a family with light sleep, you need to consider the noise level of the coffee grinder.

Is a manual coffee grinder quieter than an electric grinder? We decided to test the difference by measuring the noise level of each device. In a quiet kitchen, we ground coffee with Handground and measured the noise output with a decibel meter. The sound of the hand grinder is about 73 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise level of talking in a classroom.

Next, we ran the Baratza Encore, which makes a sound of over 80 decibels, 10 times louder than Handground (every 10 dB on the scale is a 10-fold increase in sound intensity. Here's a good article on how decibels work). That's the difference between people talking and city traffic passing through your kitchen.

If noise is a problem for you or your family, then a manual coffee grinder will be a very welcome addition to your morning routine.

5. Process

Amazon.com Reviews from the Happy Owner of a Manual Coffee Grinder

Some activities, such as woodworking, gardening, and manual coffee brewing, have more convenient options, but people choose to spend their time on these activities because they enjoy the process. Convenience is irrelevant; the sense of pride that comes from creating something is far more valuable than the time it takes to complete it.

Using a manual coffee grinder is also good for you. Our digital world can instantly provide us with anything we want, and this state of constant connectivity can lead to burnout.

Hand-ground coffee can give you the much-needed mental break throughout the day. Christopher J. Penn calls the time he spends hand-grinding coffee "necessary boredom."

"This is a healthy thing because in these 10 minutes, you can give your brain time to process the problem and take a break from work."

Using a manual coffee grinder gives you the opportunity to simulate in part of the day, unplugging and focusing on the task at hand. Of course, it takes a little extra time in the morning, but the tactile experience of brewing coffee is a reward in itself.

Explore the freedom of coffee brewing
Your coffee grinder has a huge impact on the taste of your coffee. Just as you wouldn't skimp on the quality of your coffee beans, you wouldn't want to skimp on the quality of your grinding either.

You don't need to buy an expensive electric burr grinder to achieve consistent grinding. Manual coffee grinders offer the consistency you need at a price you can afford. Their portability allows you to take your coffee with you, and they won't wake up the whole house when you're at home.

Most importantly, manually grinding coffee beans allows you to get closer to your favorite drink.

Don't compromise. No matter where you are or what you're doing, you can enjoy delicious coffee at an affordable price. A manual coffee grinder is your ticket on this free coffee brewing train.