Blade Grinder - Why You Shouldn't Use One

A blade grinder employs propeller-like blades (think blenders) to chop coffee beans. They are less expensive than burr mills and easy to clean, however they don't provide a uniform grind and can cause bitterness or over-extraction in your brew.

A first-class coffee experience demands uniform particle distribution which is only possible with a burr grinder. It's not surprising that coffee snobs hate them.

Inconsistent Grinds

If you've been using a blade grinder for a while there's a good chance that your grinding results have been inconsistent. This is because the machine is likely to have become dull and worn out. As the grinder wears out it will break up beans into different-sized pieces. This will produce grounds with different degrees of coarseness. It's challenging for your coffee brewer to get a consistent, balanced flavor with these different-sized particles.

Blade grinders use an e-rotating blade that resembles a propeller to break the beans. It chops the beans up into smaller and smaller pieces which are then tossed into a catcher via a screen. While this method works but it's not ideal for making the most perfect grind for your brew. An alternative is the burr grinder. A burr grinder is equipped with a powerful motor, two grinding burrs and is a much larger machine. The burrs are set to the exact distance from each other which determines the fineness of the coffee you grind.

If the burrs are close together, they will pulverize the beans rather than cut them. The result is a more fine, less coarse ground. They also tend to be brittle, which can negatively impact your coffee's taste. On the other side when the burrs are spaced too spread out, they will produce large chunks of coarsely ground coffee. It's important to choose a grinder that's setting is in line with the desired coarseness.

A sharp, well-adjusted blade will produce a consistent and fine grind for your coffee. If you notice that your grind is becoming more uneven, it's an ideal time to replace the blade or burrs. You should also think about changing the grind setting if you haven't done so before in order to allow you to achieve a more uniform grind.

It's also important to note that if your machine produces ground that has clumped together it is an indication of worn or damaged blades. The clumping occurs due to tiny particles sticking to each other and larger pieces of grounds, creating larger granules that don't dissolve well in water. This is more frequent as your burrs get duller.

Uneven Extraction

The size of your coffee grounds is vital for flavor extraction, whether you're making a French press pour-over, drip brew or pour-over. Uneven ground sizes cause uneven extraction, leading to an unbalanced cup.

As the beans move through a blade grinder, they are cut and shredded randomly, leading to an uneven distribution of the grind particle sizes. A blade grinder creates an assortment of larger fragments, smaller particles, and everything between. The different sizes of grinds extract at an uneven rate, resulting in a cup of coffee that is often bitter and inconsistent.

Inconsistency can cause problems when tamping or filtration. With a burr grinder, you can attain an evenly ground particle size that allows for more even tamping and filtering which prevents over-extraction and weak beers. With a blade grinder, it is more difficult to attain an even grind and you might encounter tamping that is inconsistent from side to side or using the Stockfleth method (which requires some practice).

The high speed and heat generated by blade grinders is another issue. The grounds can be burned and cause a bitter taste. Burr grinders are cooler and don't produce the same amount of heat, which helps preserve the flavor of the beans.

The final drawback of the blade grinder is that it's very easy to over-grind your beans. Running the grinder continuously produces a lot of heat, and eventually causes your beans to be over-extracted, resulting in bitter beverages. To avoid this, always stop the grinder prior to switching it back on.

Blade grinders are an easy and inexpensive method of grinding coffee at home. However, they're not the best option for those who are serious about their coffee-brewing. You'll want to stick with whole beans and use a burr grinder for the most effective results. You should invest in your brewing experience and purchase a grinder that is of high-quality and will deliver on every coffee need!

If you're looking to upgrade your blade grinder, look through our top choices for the most efficient burr grinders on market. The right choice of grinder is a crucial choice that will impact your brewing and overall cup quality, therefore, you should consider your budget, your space and the method you prefer to use when making your choice.

Burned Grounds

With the blade grinder is an extremely sharp blade that moves like a blender at a rapid speed to break up the beans. As the blade moves at a quick pace it produces heat that can cause a fire to the coffee grounds. These burned particles aren't ideal for the brewing process and will create an unpleasant taste in your coffee.

For a truly exceptional experience the uniform distribution of particles is necessary for the best flavor extraction. Since blade grinders break the beans into unevenly sized pieces, large and small it is difficult to achieve this level of consistency. A burr mill, however produces a uniform distribution of particles sizes that can be reproduced over a variety of different brews.

While the advantages of a grinder with blades include its low cost and quick operation, its clear drawbacks are that it generates heat during use, produces irregularities in the size of the grind, and has no control over the final particle size. There are ways to improve results using this kind of grinder despite its inherent limitations.

When used in conjunction with a burr grinder the user is able to easily alter the gap between the grinding discs, allowing them to fine-tune the exact size of ground that they prefer. This allows them to extract all desired flavours from their favourite roasted beans every time. It takes a lot of practice to create a quality beverage using a blade grinder.

Angle grinders are a powerful tool that should only be employed by professionals. It can cause grinding burn when employed incorrectly. This causes localized changes to the metal surface of the workpiece. This can cause cracking, which, if not checked, can eventually lead to macropitting and teeth fracture.

Grinding burn can result from a variety of reasons, such as excessive grinding pressure or inadequate cooling. It could be caused by inadequate instruction for the operator. If you are planning to use an angle grinder, be sure you wear the appropriate PPE including gloves, a face shield, safety glasses, Premium Stainless Steel Electric Coffee Grinder High-Quality-toe boots and long sleeves. This will stop any hot sparks from flying off the wheel and hitting equipment or people close by. Sparks can be capable of reaching temperatures up to 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit, and they can be destructive to materials like paint or even metal.

Brew that isn't great.

A blade grinder can chop your beans up indiscriminately and leave you with different-sized grounds. This uneven ground extracts at different rates, which results in an unbalanced or bitter cup of coffee. The problem with this is that it ruins the balance that makes a good cup of coffee. Soluble compounds in your beans are removed over time, which creates the flavor that makes your Melitta Molino Stainless Steel Electric Coffee Grinder with One-Touch Button Coffee Grinder - Flat Grinding (helpful site) delicious.

You've probably heard that using a burr mill instead of blade mills is the best way for a great beverage. But many people don't know how to use a grinder or even what it does, so they buy one of the inexpensive, inflexible, blade grinders that are readily available in supermarkets and other kitchen-type places.

These cheap grinders are essentially an angled blade with two pronged edges that sit at the bottom of an enclosed chamber. It spins quickly and cuts anything it comes in contact with, including your beans. The blade is activated by pressing the button. It then chops your coffee beans into various sized pieces. The small bits are tossed to the bottom, and are chopped again, while the large pieces stay towards the top of the chamber. This causes uneven grounds that are difficult to measure.

These grinders can also cause burns to your beans and ruin your coffee. The heat can also take away some of the flavor from your beans, and you're left with a less-than-delicious cup of coffee.

If you've grind your coffee by yourself using a blade mill, it's time to upgrade to a more effective. A burr grinder will accomplish the job for less than the cost and will give a superior result. It's worth it. If you're looking to have more control over your beverage try a manual burr grinder like the Rhino hand grinder. These grinders feature burrs, but they are powered by the crank. This allows you to control the grind more than an electrical or plug-in grinder.