Freshly-ground coffee is more flavorful because it has less time to oxidize. This is why a coffee grinder is a great investment – it gives you fresh coffee every morning, or whenever you need it. Coffee grinders vary according to their ability to grind coffee consistently at a range of different coarseness. Though manual coffee grinders are still being used today, the electric-powered ones are the most common.
The most inexpensive among coffee grinders, the blade coffee grinder uses a chopping method in grinding the beans. Though the maintenance and cleanup of this grinder is fairly easy, it tends to produce inconsistent grinds.
Flat wheel burr grinder
Flat wheel burr grinders crush the beans between semi-concave disks – one disk is spinning while the other one is stationary. The disks produce beans that are more consistent than those produced by the blade-type grinder. One disadvantage of the flat wheel burr grinder is that it is harder to clean.
Conical burr grinder
The conical burr grinder is called such because it uses a conical shaped grinding surface. This method gives the most consistent grind as they spin even slower than the disks in the flat wheel burr grinder. However, the conical burr grinder is the most expensive type of coffee grinder.
Budget. In the case of coffee grinders, it is true that the most expensive produces the best result. But it does not mean that you should go over your budget in purchasing a high-end coffee grinder when the least costly ones can meet your needs. After all, freshly ground coffee is still far better than the pre-ground ones, no matter what grinder you are using.
