The Art & Science of Grinding Coffee
I love coffee. I've been amazed by the variability in taste since I began buying coffee beans rather than pre-ground coffee. It's incredible how something as simple as the type of grinder used can make-or-break a cup of joe. But that's exactly what I discovered recently when Natalie bought me a Capresso conical burr grinder for my birthday.
It's widely known that blade grinders produce an uneven grind. Some beans get ground more finely than others since they incur more contact with the blades. It's a very unpredictable exercise. But burr grinders operate on one bean at a time, grinding each with precisely the same fineness. The grinder also has a large effect on the oil content of the grounds, which ultimately affects the flavor of the coffee. With a blade grinder, a lot of the bean's oils are expended as heat due to excessive contact with the blades. But with burr grinders, more of the oils are retained in the grounds because the beans make minimal contact with the burrs.
So, with my new grinder I have been able to experience a much richer, complex cup of coffee from my trusty drip machine. I can't wait to experiment with espresso! Unfortanately, the kitchen in our apartment is too small to support keeping the espresso machine on the counter permananently.