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Most people need their morning coffee. A cup of Starbuck's may cost you $3-4 per cup, but can be brewed at home for much less. All you need are coffee beans, either whole or pre-ground, a coffee machine, and a few minutes of your time to replicate a hot cup of coffee. I avoid pre-ground coffee, which quickly loses its delicious favor. Choose the right coffee machine and the features will make your life easier. Buying quality whole bean that you freshly grind will result in better tasting coffee. But as I've learned, the coffe grinder has a big impact on the flavor of the coffee.
- Since I want to avoid drinking a full pot of coffee, I ended up buying myself a personal-sized french press. At the time, I figured all I need was any sort of grinder, so I purchased one from a local store for around $20. However, the coffee always tasted kind of weak and diluted. I could never figure out the root cause, but gave up and ended up purchasing a Nespresso machine (the pros and cons). Favorite aspect is the speed of quick coffee.
- A second situation, I purchased a Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Machine for Father's Day to replace a very old french press. This avoid a large pot of coffee, and simplifying cleanup.
In both real world examples above, the coffee grinder used was a simple grinder... the type with one spinning blade. The whole coffee bean are successfully ground up, but upon careful inspections, the grounds are in all sizes. Some chunks mixed in with very fine grounds. The single blade is unable to get all the coffee beans evenly ground up.
That's where the burr coffee grinder fits in. We ended up getting an OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder. The burr grinder very efficiently grinds coffee beans with the press of a button. There's a dial to easily change to fine, medium, or coarse grinds. And every time I need grinds, it never failed.
Aside for great grinds, there are some notes to take note:
Static Electricity Build-up - This is the biggest complaint of static electricity in the coffee grinds, but I believe is an issue with all types of burr coffee grinders. Pouring out the ground beans from the stainless steal container is still a mess. The grinds end up everywhere! My suggestion is to situate your burr grinder near a sink for easier cleanup.
Cleaning the Burr Machine - If you use oily beans, there is a higher likelihood that the chute of the actual machine will clog. The oils slowly gum up which requires cleaning. The cleaning process is fairly simple and doesn't require any special tools, but just be aware of the possible need to clean the burr machine.
Looks Great - The stainless steel look appears great on the countertop along other kitchen gadgets.