How to choose a coffee grinder for your home
Almost every family cooks and drinks coffee. This invigorating aromatic drink can be prepared using instant or store-bought ground coffee. But true coffee lovers love to grind grains on their own before they brew. Grind them in coffee grinders, manual or electric. Before choosing a coffee grinder for the house, it is recommended to study the features of its work and technical characteristics.
Content
Types of devices
Electric coffee grinders are usually of two types:
- Knife (rotary).
- Millstone.
Consider what an electric rotary coffee grinder, how to choose it and what to look for.
Knife electric grinder
In such coffee grinders, raw materials are ground with knivesmounted on a rod that break coffee beans at high speed. The instrument case is made of plastic (metal models are also produced). Inside the case there is a motor, and in the upper part there is a capacity for coffee beans. The rotary knife is made in the form of a two-bladed propeller, as a rule, it is made of stainless steel. It is located at the very bottom of the tank and is connected to the motor. From above the case is covered with a transparent lid of a removable type. When the grains are milled, the lid is opened and the coffee is poured from the container. Capacity of knife coffee grinders usually no more than 120 g.
In the rotational models there is a power button, but there is no mechanism for controlling the degree of grinding. Usually it depends on the duration of the action of the rotary knives (the longer they rotate, the finer the grinding, but it is unlikely that a uniform degree of grinding will be achieved here).
Power
When rotating at high speed, the knife grinds the grain, the quality of grinding directly depends on the time of its rotation. And the rotational speed is directly dependent on the motor power in the coffee grinder, which can be from 80 to 270 watts. The optimal power in this case is considered 180 W.
With an excessively high grinding speed of the grains (respectively, and at high power), the grains may be charred, and the coffee will get a bitter taste.
Advantages and disadvantages
Coffee grinders have in their configuration containers for filling coffee, from 30 to 100 g. This should be taken into account, since an average of 6-7 g of ground coffee is consumed per cup of beverage. It is not recommended to make a large supply, as coffee quickly loses its taste and smell. For example, 30 g is enough for 3 cups of flavored drink.
The advantages of knife grinders include:
- Relatively low cost.
- Compactness.
- Easy to operate.
The disadvantages include:
- No control of the degree of grinding.
- The uneven grinding of coffee beans.
Coffee such grinding can be cooked in the Turk. But if you are thinking about which coffee grinder is better to buy for the subsequent preparation of the drink in a coffee machine, it is better to opt for the models of the millstone.
Millstone Grinder
Unlike knife or rotary models, burrs use a different grinding method, namely a millstone. The degree of grinding is pretty homogeneousSuch coffee is good to use for cooking in coffee machines under pressure.The case of the millstone devices is also made of plastic. It contains:
- Transparent capacity for filling coffee beans.
- Transparent container for ready ground coffee.
- Opaque compartment with an electric motor.
All parts of the coffee grinder are sealed with tight lids and separated from each other.
The device works simply:
- When you press the power button, located on the control panel, millstones begin to grind grain at high speed.
- Ground particles come to the lower compartment designed for them, from where you can type them into a cup.
The mechanism of the burnt electric grinders consists of two discs (millstones) that grind coffee beans. The quality of grinding can be adjusted independently, and it depends on the distance between these two discs.
Ground coffee, cooked in a grinder coffee grinder, can be brewed in any coffee machines and coffee machines.
These models have a larger capacity than the knife - up to 300 g coffee beans. Devices have about 15 modes for grinding grains, i.e. At the outlet, the ground coffee is quite homogeneous.
Advantages of millstone devices:
- With the help of a special program you can measure the amount of grinding.
- Their cost is certainly higher, but it is compensated by the presence of additional useful functions.
Power
The power of this type of devices laid in the range from 100 to 1000 watts. And the most optimal power is 250-300 watts.
Manufacturing materials
The knife in rotary coffee grinders is usually made of steel. In the same burst models, the choice of material is somewhat wider:
- Metal millstones stainless steel (inexpensive, durable and lightweight products, sometimes coated with titanium to increase the life) or cast iron (reliable, durable and inexpensive millstones, but quickly grind down and absorb different odors).
- Ceramic Millstones, which do an excellent job with grinding of any degree, have a long service life with proper care, but are quite fragile and can break when dropped.
- Stone millstones, representing a kind of alloy of corundum with ceramics. This alloy is strong, durable, provides the best degree of grinding (especially suitable for the preparation of espresso). Handle them carefully, as the millstones can break if the millstone falls.
When buying a grinder with a millstone, you need to keep in mind that it has two tanks at once - one for grains, another for ground coffee. It is better to choose a device with a large container for the grains. These containers are sealed, poured into them coffee beans, you can, if necessary, set only the amount of ground coffee produced. The remaining grains can be stored in them for quite a long time, while maintaining their aroma and good taste.
Additional features of electric coffee grinders
Some manufacturers of these devices, to make their models more popular, equip them with various additional functions, for example:
- Double knives to increase the speed of grinding the grains.
- Make a special slope of the container with grains for uniform grinding and better mixing intensity.
- "Protection against overheating", the function of automatic shutdown when the engine overheats or when owners forgetfulness.
- Blocking function - protection against switching on the device with the lid open.
- Special device for winding the cord, for convenience and compactness of the device.
- In some models there is a function to turn off the device in case of clogging, i.e. falling into the millstone pebbles or pieces of wood.
- Reinforced sound insulation for a quieter operation of the device (for example, in the morning when the rest of the family members are still asleep).
- Comfortable rubber feet, which, unlike plastic, provide better grip with the working surface of the table.
- The timer is in two different versions - to set the time of grinding in seconds and the number of cups for which the coffee is ground.
Manual coffee grinders
In addition to electric appliances of the rotary or mill type, there are also conventional manual coffee grinders. The basis of their work also laid the millstones, with which they set the degree of grinding of coffee beans. Ground coffee is poured into a special container intended for it.
Manual coffee grinder, also called the mill It is a rather simple device with a millstone mechanism inside a square box equipped with a rotating handle. The device is equipped with a regulator to set the degree of grinding, which depends on the size of the gap between the two millstones. The burr discs in them are made of metal or ceramic.The latter option is preferable, it makes coffee tastier. When deciding how to choose a manual coffee grinder, it is better to listen to customer reviewswhich in the majority prefer the Peterhof PH-12721 and Gipfel KS 833 BP models.
To grind coffee by hand, it will take 15-20 minutes. This device is now rarely used. But they are often bought to give to close people or to use as souvenirs in various occasions.
Famous manufacturers
Coffee grinders are produced mainly by the same companies that produce various household appliances for the home. Electric models from Scarlett, Saturn, Binatone differ in small cost and good quality. If you wish to purchase a device from a well-known brand, you can opt for the following products:
- Philips.
- Bosch.
- Kenwood.
- Moulinex.
All models from the manufacturers listed are different, not only in cost, but also in functionality. However, most of these models belong to the rotational type.
Anyone interested in burnt coffee grinders can opt for Gaggia and Saeco products, which are popular and trusted by users.
Fans of manual coffee grinders can turn their attention to brands such as:
- Scarlett.
- Bekker.
- Bosch.
Conclusion
To decide how to choose a coffee grinder for the house, it is recommended to determine for yourself such moments:
- If the coffee will be brewed in the Turk, it is enough to purchase a rotary electric coffee grinder or even manual, if you do not need to hurry anywhere, and you want to enjoy the process of making the drink.
- When brewing coffee in a coffee maker, it is better to buy a mill coffee grinder, so that you can control the degree of grinding in the purchased device.
It is also worth looking at the power of the device, the capacity of the container for coffee beans (30-50 g is suitable for two adults). The best option for lovers of flavored drink will be a millstone grinder, having ceramic millstones (Which coffee grinder to choose, manual or electric - everyone decides for himself). The optimal power can be no more than 180 watts. If you adhere to all the recommendations, then with the new purchased coffee grinder you will be able to prepare an excellent aromatic drink that everyone will like homemade.