Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/10/02/is-it-worth-buying-an-inexpensive-burr-coffee-grinder.html
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I just like listening to James’s voice as he talks about coffee and complains about cheap tat and makes weird grimaces when he tastes terrible coffee beverages. Music to nap to.
In my Bodum burr grinder there is huge difference in static buildup depending on the beans I use. I don’t know if it’s the beans or the bag they came in.
Here I have a hand grinder that cost $20 and feel like such a plebe.
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I have the Capresso, and previously owned the Molita in the video. I was so happy when the Molino finally gave up the ghost – it sounded increasingly awful, had inconsistent results, and accumulated lots of coffee dust buildup both in the hopper and within the grinding mechanism.
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I’ve heard that hand grinders are pretty good honestly because the money goes into the burrs instead of the motor. All the electrics are a big problem.
But I dunno how much it really stacks up.
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I mean, I think it works well. I switched from pre-ground stuff, so maybe anything would have been an improvement.
I’ve been roasting my own beans for several years now, and I’ve seen this inconsistently with some beans. Some batches would have a lot of static, some batches would not. I never made a serious effort to figure out what was going on, but I was fairly consistent with the settings on my roaster and weight of coffee I used.
I haven’t seen this since I switched away from Sumatran Mandheling, though.
I have seen this with the roasted beans I buy when I am out of green beans, but not consistently. Might have only been particular beans/roasts, might not have been. I am still inclined to think it’s not the bagging process because of this.
I have this cuisanart, which works great. I suppose its middle ground from a cost standpoint.
It sits on the counter next to the coffee maker and THE AIR FRYER.
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Coffee is a deep dark expensive (but so so delicious) pit to lose yourself in. Here is a roundup of some hand-grinders, by James Hoffman as well - https://youtu.be/dn9OuRl1F3k - the Comandante C40 in the review is hovering around $340 Canadian. For a hand-operated grinder.
(Most people consider me a coffee snob, and I just grind my own coffee in a $20 hand-me-down blade grinder)
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That’s some hand crafting right there!
The Wirecutter’s top rated “budget pick” is a $100 OXO burr grinder. I own it. It’s nice.
Relatedly “a good enough grinder” is my tinder byline.
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I discovered you can buy your beans already ground. It’s amazing!
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ha ha coffee grinder go burrrr
(sadly I have no unique or informed opinion on the subject, only the desire to make a quick joke)
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I can get that same effect, I just need to grind them and let them sit around for a few months. All in all, it’s not really really worth the wait.
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Depends: do you have a pressing need to get rid of an inexpensive hamilton coffee grinder?
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Despite all the hate for blade grinders, I have a Krups grinder we received 25+ years ago that is still going strong and works fine. You can grind about 1/3 cup of beans at a time which is sufficient, although I may grind a couple of cups worth and put them in sealed containers in the fridge because grinding the beans in the early a.m. is headache inducing.
I have that exact Cuisinart model.
I can’t remember when we got it. I think it was 10 years ago or so ago.
Still works fine. I don’t use it for espresso. I use it in my cheap Mr Coffee drip maker, which also works just fine.
The static electricity issue he pointed out does exist, but I use this new invention called a “scoop” to … uh … scoop out the proper amount of coffee after I grind it.
I admit that my palette may not be as sophisticated as his, but I can’t help but think that there’s no small amount of nocebo going on in his tests. They weren’t blind tests, and he was already predisposed to dislike them.
Kind of reminded me of the people that have extreme high-end audio systems that cost more than their houses.
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One suggestion I’ve heard to reduce static is to wet a spoon under the faucet and stir the beans before grinding. I haven’t actually tried it, but it shows how little moisture is expected to make a difference. But it seems like some grinders are way worse about static electricity than others.
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