The coffee bean may be the most important ingredient in a great cup of coffee but the coffee grind is what makes the coffee exquisite. Coffee beans must be ground in order to be used for making coffee. How they are ground up determines the flavor and consistency of the coffee. Some people prefer a very fine grind while others use a coarser grind.

Coffee beans can be ground at the grocer or coffee shop after being purchased or they can be ground at home using a coffee grinder. The rule of thumb for an excellent cup or pot of coffee is to only grind as enough coffee for the pot that is being brewed. This keeps the coffee beans fresh, once the coffee is ground the flavor is released and if not used quickly can dissipate leaving bland coffee.

Practically all coffee shops grind their own coffee. In fact, their espresso machines are typically outfitted with built-in grinders. Home users can purchase coffee grinders to use with their fresh coffee beans. Before purchasing a grinder, it is important that the different types of grinders be explored and that they understand the differences in them.

The conical burr grinder is considered the best grinder to use for flavor and aroma. It is also the most expensive of the grinders. Conical burr grinders have speed controls that help to prevent scorching of the coffee beans. If the grinder that is used moves to fast and can’t be slowed down, the resulting coffee can have a burnt taste.

The burr grinder is much faster than the conical burr grinder but are more economical and often the choice for home grinders. These do not create as fine of a grind as other grinders.

Blade grinders are another choice in coffee bean grinders and are the fastest ones available on the market today. The resulting coffee using this type of grinder contains both large and small coffee granules. The blade grinder does produce a large amount of coffee dust that will clog the coffee machines and so blade grinders are best used for drip coffee makers.

Home coffee grinders should have speed controls or at least a pulsing action. If the coffee is allowed to grind at a fast speed without any control the chances are high that it will have a burnt taste, which ruins the coffee. Pulsating blade grinders are typically what are used in homes. These allow the user to control how long the grinding burst lasts and creates a better grind with no burnt taste.

Just as the coffee bean selection is important so is the coffee grind, if the coffee grounds are burnt or not fine enough or even too fine, the resulting cup of coffee will not be up to the expectations of the coffee drinker. Choose a grinder that will allow control over the speed of the coffee grind to achieve the best ground coffee.

-Sharon Chapman

Also, for more on coffee grinding, visit Coffee Grinders 101.

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4. A Cup of Coffee
5. How to Make a Latte

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