The Coffee Website

Coffee Grinders

Coffee Grinders

Coffee beans must be ground into a powder form in order to make them usable for making coffee or coffee based drinks. While it is possible to buy coffee pre-ground, coffee lovers know that the best cup of coffee comes from fresh ground coffee beans.

In recent years, the popularity of grinding coffee beans at home rather than at the grocer has surged and there are a multitude of coffee grinders on the market to choose from. There are also coffee makers with built in coffee grinders that grind the coffee as it is needed.

Coffee grinders, in addition to keeping coffee fresher longer because only what is needed is ground, offer another bonus, the ability to grind coffee to any strength or coarseness. If coffee is needed that isn’t very strong grind the coffee very large; however, for espresso or richer bolder coffee, grind the beans very coarse to maximize the amount of caffeine released.

Choosing a Grinder

There are many coffee grinders available to purchase for the home. There are electric grinders, manual grinders, coffee makers with grinders built –in, burr grinders and blade grinders. Choosing one can seem confusing. It doesn’t have to be confusing.

The first factor is of course going to be cost. Coffee grinders range in price from under twenty dollars to upwards of a hundred dollars. Next, decide how large the grinder needs to be. Grinders are also available in a range of sizes; from compact to large enough to grind several pounds at one time.

Burr or Blade

Blade coffee grinders are the most cost effective grinders, the easiest to use and the easiest to clean. These grinders have a blade that spins very fast to crush the beans, much like crushing ice in a blender. The longer the blade rotates the finer the coffee grounds become.

The biggest disadvantage to a blade grinder is that it is difficult to get a consistent grind and the chance that the beans will be burnt by the blades. If allowed to grind for too long of a period at one time the beans can become scorched due to the heat from the blades.

Burr coffee grinders on the other hand grind at a slower speed using a gear mechanism. The beans are fed into a hopper which releases the beans into the grinding mechanism.  The main advantage to burr grinders is the ability to get a more consistent grind and a slower grinding process which doesn’t burn the beans.

Large or small, blade or burr, there is a coffee grinder for every kitchen. For kitchens that rarely use a coffee maker, a small, inexpensive model that can be put away when not in use is fine, for heavy coffee drinkers, a larger, sturdier grinder may be needed. Whatever the case may be, coffee lovers can rest assured they are getting the freshest cup of joe when they use a grinder and prepare their own coffee beans.

-Katya Coen 

Why do coffee grounds make good fertilizer?

what if I'm doing a science fair project and my cup doesn't have any worms.

Coffee grounds are a low-level source of nitrogen, having a fertilizer value of around 2.0-0.3-0.2, as well as a minor source of calcium and magnesium. Post-brewed coffee grounds are reported to be slightly to highly acidic, depending on the source, but no more so than peat moss. So, one could apply them to the soil for acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons, azaleas and blueberries, etc. Or, you could spread them out over a larger garden area to minimize the pH effect. It's difficult to make a specific recommendation for an application rate, but it's always better to err on the lighter side, since the pH can be variable. A rate of 10 pounds (dry weight) per 1000 square feet would be conservative.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MORE SPECIFICALLY:
Composting is also an excellent method to recycle the grounds, which have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of around 20:1. Use the grounds as you would green, leafy material, mixing with some dry, brown plant materials in the compost. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests adding no more than 25 percent volume coffee grounds. WORM COMPOSTERS report that coffee grounds are an excellent food source for the little critters. Again, be sure to MIX THE GROUNDS with brown materials (like soggy leaves), even in the worm bin.