Best Coffee Grinder

sian

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good coffee grinder that can grind for both cafetiéres and espresso pots. My budget is only 40 euro but I might be able to go as far as 60. And I also need to know the best place to buy. And while ye're at it, if ye know anywhere other than the place in George's st arcade that will grind coffee beans fresh for you or anywhere that stocks fairtrade beans.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sian

Mr Magnolia

Bad news sian. You're not going to get aq decent grinder for 40-60 I'm afraid. I reckon all you'll get is one of the whirr-type efforts that smash the beans up with no consistency at all.

You'll need to spend around €200 for a decent grinder. M&D will grind to your requirements, they are based around St. Georges St. Arcade I think, their contact details are in the stickies on the main page, along with some links for suppliers etc.

Mr E

I got one in the Kitchen Shop in Arnotts that does the job (and it was about €50 I think).

It has 3 lights that come on in sequence. Stop at the first light for coarse coffee (cafetieres), second light for filter coffee, and third light for fine coffee (espresso etc).

I'll let you know the brand when I get home tonight.

Gran Hermano

Mr E, they type of grinder you're referring to is a blade grinder and will
not provide good results. I chucked one out years back, the fact you
end up with different sized coffee grounds (from dust to large all mixed
together) means it's not suitable. Inconsistent sized grounds lead to an
inconsistent brew/extraction resulting in poor taste. You may as well chuck
the beans into a food processor as use a blade grinder! You'll never make
espresso with a blade grinder.

What's the difference between the two kinds of coffee grinder?

Grinding your own coffee beans is a fairly easy way to ensure freshness in your cup of coffee. Grinders can be inexpensive, and some coffee makers or espresso machines even have them built in. There are basically two different kinds of grinders: blade or burr.
Blade Grinders
Most inexpensive grinders use a metal blade to chop up the beans. The blade cuts up the beans, and you control the fineness by how long you let the grinder run. Unfortunately, the resulting coffee grounds can be uneven in size, leading to inconsistent brew quality. Another downfall, is that if you are grinding finely, and therefore leaving the beans in the grinder for a longer period of time, there can be significant heat created by the blades. This can give your final coffee a burned taste. These are fine grinders for basic use, but that's about it.
Burr Grinders
Burr grinders crush the beans between a moving grinding wheel and a non-moving surface. The positioning on the burr is what regulates the ground size, which allows for a more consistent grind. In the burr category, there are two different types.
Wheel Burr - The less expensive of the two burr grinders. The wheel spins very fast, and these grinders can be noisy. The higher speed rotation make these grinders more messy as well.
Conical Burr - The best grinders you can get are conical burr grinders. The burr spins slower than the wheel model, which makes them quieter and less messy. You can use a conical burr grinder for oily or flavoured coffees and it's not likely to clog, like the other kinds of grinders. These are the best type, but you will pay the price for them.

More reading here:
http://www.jlhufford.com/articles/grinding.htm


Best bet for entry level is the Gaggia MDF or the Iberital MC2.

Mr E

Wow... edumacational .... thanks Gran.

As entry level its fine I think, but a decent investment might be on the cards for next year. Thanks for the info.

rockbeer

The OP asks for a grinder suitable for "espresso pots" - my guess is he means a Bialetti, in which case he will probably get away with a whirly-blade grinder. He would certainly be OK with one of the real cheap burr grinders. I know you can pick them up in Starbucks for around €100. I also saw a real cheap one in Boots in Jervis St centre a while back, think it was a Russell Hobbs selling for around 50 Euro and would surely be fine for a Bialetti.

Or if the OP doesn't drink much coffee there's always a hand grinder.