Coffee

A coffee grinder is a must have for anyone who loves coffee, for two simple reasons:

1. Freshness
2. Control over the Coarseness of the Grind

Freshness

To keep coffee as fresh as possible you need to minimise its contact with air. Air is one of coffee’s worst enemies as it destroys delicate flavours by turning the natural oils present in coffee rancid.

If you have a coffee grinder at home you can grind your coffee beans as and when you need them. This preserves their freshness, as a whole coffee bean has a much smaller surface area than that of a ground bean and therefore is less exposed to air.

The actual process of grinding releases many of the coffee’s aromatics; as you grind you can smell this in the air. If you don’t quickly use these grounds then you are going lose this aroma and deprive your cup of valuable flavours. This is another good reason to only grind coffee on demand.

Control over the Coarseness of the Grind

Different coffee makers require a different coarseness of ground coffee. For example: an espresso machine, which has a short brewing time (less than 30 seconds), needs a very fine powder-like grind; whereas a cafetiere, which has a long brewing time (3-4 minutes), needs a much coarser grind.

With your own coffee grinder you get to control the coarseness of the grind as you can adjust the grinder’s setting. So if you find that your coffee tastes bitter, a result of over-extraction, then you can adjust the grind to a coarser setting; and if your coffee tastes flat, a result of under-extraction, you can adjust the grind to a finer setting.

Blade Vs Burr Coffee Grinders

Coffee grinders come into two categories:

1. Blade Grinders
2. Burr Grinders

A blade grinder works in a similar way to a food processor: there is a set of spinning metal blades which roughly cut through the coffee beans. The coarseness of the grind is determined by how long the grinder is left running. Coffee ground by a blade grinder is inconsistent in size as some beans will be sliced through more times then others.

Rather than chopping the coffee beans into tiny pieces, a burr grinder crushes the beans between two pieces of burred metal. A burr grinder produces a much more consistent size of grounds as the coarseness is controlled by how close the two pieces of metal are set to each other: i.e. a smaller distance for fine grounds and a larger distance for coarse. For this reason, burr grinders are far superior to blade grinders.

Why is Consistency Important?

The ultimate aim when making coffee is to extract the maximum amount of flavour whilst leaving behind bitter compounds and caffeine. This is why different coffee makers require a different coarseness of grounds. However, if your grounds are inconsistent then the larger particles in the grounds are going to be under-extracted, leaving behind flavour, and the smaller particles are going to be over-extracted, releasing bitter compounds and further caffeine into the cup. Unfortunately, the two don’t balance each other out; instead you have a flat, bitter coffee that will keep you awake for hours.

Choosing a Coffee Grinder

The coffee grinder you choose should depend on for what type of coffee maker you’re grinding the coffee. If you’re using a cafetiere or stove-top espresso maker then a hand grinder is perfectly adequate, although they do require plenty of physical effort to get results.

However, for an espresso machine a good quality electric burr coffee grinder is essential. As making an espresso is a pretty intense process (its all over in less than 30 seconds) the margin of error for the grind is very slim. This is why you need a grinder which allows for minuscule adjustments to be made so you can get the grind spot on.

James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee – UK based retailer of espresso machines, coffee makers, grinders and cups for the home.

View the original article in its context at: Guide to Coffee Grinders

Author: James Grierson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty tariff

When walking down the coffee aisle of most grocery stores, you will find a coffee grinder that customers use to grind coffee beans. A coffee grinder has also become a popular home appliance as the popularity of espresso and other coffee drinks has risen in the last two decades. Even the large number of coffee shops has not diminished the need of many coffee drinkers to grind their own beans in a coffee grinder.

A coffee grinder will grind roasted coffee beans into grounds that are either fine or coarse. By grinding your own coffee, you choose how you want the grounds.

A coffee grinder can produce fine or medium grounds which are best for traditional coffee makers. Those who love espresso will want to grind the beans into a fine grounds, which is similar to sugar or salt. Coarse coffee grounds are good for percolators or vacuum brewers.

A coffee grinder comes in two main types. The first type of coffee grinder uses rotating metal blades. These blades on the coffee grinder chop up the coffee beans.

The bladed coffee grinder allows the consumer to control the type of grounds. The type of grounds the bladed coffee grinder makes depends on how long you grind the beans.

Another type of coffee grinder uses a grinder wheel. This is called a burr grinder. To get coarse or fine grounds, you move the burr on the coffee grinder. Many people say this type of coffee grinder allows you more control as to the type of grounds you make.

The cost of the burr grinder depends on the type of wheel, whether it is flat or cone-shaped. The burr coffee grinder with the cone-shaped wheel rotates slowly and the coffee grinder will clog less.

You can chose a coffee grinder that works in two different ways. The manual coffee grinder comes with a crank on its side. You must move the crank on the coffee grinder to grind your coffee.

But if you don’t want to do that much work to have freshly ground coffee, you will want to purchase an electric coffee grinder. The electric coffee grinder is the most popular coffee grinder on the market today. Many electric coffee grinders are small and inexpensive so you can carry them anywhere to grind your perfect cup of coffee.

The advantages to grinding your own coffee with a coffee grinder are many. You can grind coffee that suits your taste and not rely on pre-packaged coffee grounds.

A coffee grinder can be found in most retail stores and online auction sites. A coffee grinder will range in price from about $20 to several hundred dollars. The coffee beans can be purchased at a grocery store or at a specialty coffee shop.

How you want your coffee to taste and the type of coffee you brew will determine the type of coffee grinder you will need to purchase. The type of brewer you use to make your coffee will also determine the type of coffee grinder.

Still looking for the perfect coffee? Try visiting http://www.AllCoffeeSite.com, a website that specializes in providing coffee advice, tips and resources to including information on the coffee grinder.

Author: Samantha Davis
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Beading Necklace