Types and Styles of Coffee Grinders

Grinding coffee at home is a fun way to enjoy the freshest roasts and to ensure that your home brew tastes as good (if not better!) than store-bought. Although there's a certain science to grinding coffee, the only thing you really need to do it correctly is the right equipment. When purchasing a home coffee grinder, chances are you'll be faced with many brands and types at many different prices. The list below is designed to help you narrow it down and find the perfect coffee grinder for you.

Blade Coffee Grinders
There are two main types of coffee grinders. Blade grinders are typically cheaper in price and ideal for basic use. They feature a metal blade which chops up and down inside the machine, chopping up the beans. These rotating blades are usually controlled by an electric switch, and the longer you run the grinder, the more finely chopped the beans will be.

But be careful with blade grinders- if you let them run too long at one time, the heat generated by the metal blades can burn the beans, resulting in a singed taste. Blade grinders can also sometimes produce unevenly chopped coffee. On the plus side, they do work faster and are simpler to use than burr grinders (explained below). Blade grinders also tend to last longer than burr grinders.

Look for basic blade grinders made by reputable companies. The Fast Touch Blade Grinders made by Krups come in various colors and are designed for use with coffee or spices. They typically retail for less than $20. Cuisinart also sells durable and popular blade coffee grinders with full-size blades for easy chopping.

Burr Coffee Grinders
Burr coffee grinders, while somewhat slower than blade grinders, produce a much more consistent result, which makes them extremely popular among coffee connoisseurs.

Burr grinders use two pieces of burred metal, which rub together and press the coffee between them to produce grounds. The grounds are then pushed down a chute and out of the grinder. The closer the pieces of metal are set together, the finer the resulting coffee will be. Burr grinders produce excellent coffee but can also be notorious for not being calibrated correctly and for having poorly constructed burrs which can wear out; they are also typically more expensive than blade grinders, although if you purchase a manual burr grinder you may find the price difference to be negligible.

If you're interested in a burr grinder for home use, make sure to purchase from a reputable brand. Bunn makes very popular burr grinders; Braun produces a model called the Aromatic Coffee Grinder that is extremely popular among home users.