Here at Lanna we recommend grinding your coffee prior to brewing. This allows for the freshest possible cup. There is a lot of science involved but essentially there are many components to the bean that are released shortly after grinding and to capture those flavors, grind and then brewing within 10-15 minutes is ideal.
There are various grind settings that are applicable with different methods of brewing (please check out this blog post here to learn about the different sizes for brew methods). Before you make the purchase of a grinder you may be wondering, which type of grinder is right for you? There are two main methods used to grind coffee beans, blade and burr.
We hope this simple chart will give you some basic ideas about the differences and why we recommend burr instead of blade. A blade grinder is a simple grinder that has a propellor blade that spins, most grinders priced at about $15-$25 are these types. A burr is outlined below and is much more complex and range from $50 upwards.
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Blade |
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Burr |
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Why burr grinder?
Burr is two semi-symmetric grinding tool that is mounted inside of the grinder, which crushes coffee beans more uniformed, consistent and precisely. Burr grinder gives much more accurate options to grind beans, fine and coarse (and in between!).
Conical or Flat
Coffee grinder have two different types of burr, conical or flat. Basically, inside of the grinder the burr either looks more like a cone-shaped or a flat disc.
Ceramic or Stainless Steel
You could also choose between ceramic or stainless steel. There are both pros and cons, however, we recommend getting stainless steel because steel is much more sturdy than ceramic.
Doser
Some grinders will have lever or button for you to control your dose (IE the amount of coffee being delivered out). Also, these type of grinders will have dosing chamber where it holds all the grounded coffee beans. These are typically for espresso drinks where the grind size is very fine. For most home brewers that may make coffee with pour overs, french presses or a drip machine a doserless will be just fine.
We hope that this has been educational and beneficial for you. We highly recommend a conical burr grinder and we are positive that you will see massive results. Having freshly ground coffee really increases the quality in the cup. However you need to plan on spending around $75-$100 on a good grinder that will perform for you for years to come! A great morning cup of coffee in our opinion is one to be savored and enjoyed. Shop our coffees here!
Works Cited
Dooley, Sarah, and Pierce Jens. “Grinding for Espresso - Metal vs Ceramic Burrs - Baratza.” Baratza. <http://www.baratza.com/grinding-espresso-metal-vs-ceramic-burrs/>., 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016