Why you need an electric burr coffee grinder!

Whether you are just getting started with your at home coffee journey or a full blown expert, we have a great selection of burr coffee grinders to suit your needs. One of the most critical things you will need, is a grinder. We always recommend buying whole bean coffee, giving you more freshness and allowing you to brew in a variety of ways! Find out more here. There are a variety of electric burr grinders on the market with varying functionality, so pick one that suits your needs and capabilities.

If you have already found your perfect grinder, skip To:

▻ Should I order beans or ground?

▻ Using non dairy

▻ Health benefits

▻ Coffee marketplace

▻ Why you need coffee scales 

WHAT DOES A GRINDER DO?

Wheher you buy coffee online, have a coffee subscription or buy your coffee from the supermarket, you should always buy beans. The sole purpose of the grinder is to break up whole coffee beans into small pieces so the water can easily extract all the compounds from the grounds in order to brew coffee. Depending on how you are brewing your coffee, you will require a varying degree of coarseness. 

When the coffee comes into contact with water, different flavour types come out at different times. This is called extraction. Initially you get acidic, sharp flavours, towards the you get increasing bitter flavours and the middle sweet point, is literally that, the juicy sweet points of flavour we are looking for.

The correct extraction of coffee is determined by how long the water is in contact with the coffee and how much of the coffee is actually in contact with the water. This is determined by the size of the ground coffee particles. A correctly extracted cup of coffee, where the coffee has met the water for the right amount of time, will taste sweet and delicious. Under extracted coffee will taste salty or sour and over-extracted coffee will taste bitter or burnt. By tweaking grind size and tasting your coffee you should be able to ‘dial in’ your grinder and grind size to produce great coffee.

Different brew methods require different grinds.

French Press > Coarse grind

Chemex > Medium coarse grind

Aeropress > Medium grind

V60 > Medium / Medium- fine grind

Espresso > Fine grind

Turkish coffee > Extra fine grind

WHY DO YOU NEED A COFFEE GRINDER?

If you have read our blog on whether to buy whole bean or ground coffee you will have learnt that ground coffee deteriorates quicker in freshness and flavour. Keeping the beans whole, allows you to store your coffee for longer and keep the quality. Only grind when you are brewing.

At RiSE we like to keep things simply so won’t bore you with the science - but put simply, it is something to do with the oxidisation process!

 

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF GRINDERS ON THE MARKET: BLADE, BURR AND MANUAL.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH BLADE GRINDERS?

We would recommend avoiding blade grinders. In short, they blend the coffee bean, which leaves an inconsistent coarseness and will result in an unbalanced coffee (with varying levels of extraction). The coffee is placed in a container and is blended by a blade until the beans look like they have reached the level of fineness you need. The plus point for buying a blade grinder is that they are cheap, but we think it is worth investing in a good grinder to get going.

BURR COFFEE GRINDERS

Burr Grinders work by passing the coffee through two mechanical burrs (either conical or flat) that crushes the coffee into tiny segments (depending on grind!) which are collected in a chamber at the bottom.

A burr grinder is the industry standard for coffee grinders. The burr grinder is known for being incredibly consistent in grind sizes as well as ease of use. size of the coffee grounds alongside the ease in which you can adjust the coarseness makes it the only choice for anyone who wants to experience the delightful flavours speciality coffee offers.

WHAT ABOUT MANUAL GRINDERS?

Firstly, it can be hard work! You may need to skip arm day at the gym.

What do we love about manual grinders?

They’re precise! You can control the grind setting to the ninth degree and ensure you get the level of coarse you require.

They travel well! Being small and compact, you’ll never miss a good brew on holiday.

Price! They are very affordable, starting at £25. A good gateway into the grinding world.

What do we dislike?

Capacity! They only hold around two cups of coffee. So they are great for travelling, but may not be your best option at home.

Effort! As mentioned above, it’s hard work. However, very rewarding, and your coffee will be worth it at the end.

 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN FUNCTIONS TO LOOK FOR?

Some of the key things to look out for in our opinion are:

• Weight of bean compartment (250g or 375g)

• Integrated weighing scales

• Weighted grinding

• Ease of altering grind and precision

• Ease to clean

• Good reviews (obviously!)

 

PRICE

There are options for everyone when in comes to getting a grinder, ranging from cheap to seriously pricey. It also depends on your level of passion, skillset and brewing methods. Take a look at our guide below with varying options for you to decide what is best for you.

Just make sure the grinder is right for your brew method.

HERE’S OUR ROUND UP OF OUR FAV GRINDERS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)…

1. SAGE - SMART GRINDER PRO