Burr Coffee Grinders: Burrs or Conical - Grinding your way to Good Coffee

Why bother with those burr coffee grinders? Can it really make so much of a difference when you grind your own coffee beans?

If you love good coffee (and who doesn't?) you know how delicious it can be when made with freshly ground beans. You might even have a coffee maker with includes a grinder for the beans or a separate coffee bean grinder that pulverizes the bean with blades.

However, if it’s not a burr grinder you might not be getting the best cup of coffee. And mine isn't. But my next one will be... Why? Let's find out why.

The Coffee Grinder with Burrs

The burr grinder varies from a traditional blade grinder, and you can see samples of these machines in all good coffee shops, such as Starbucks and Cafe Nero, if you're not sure what they look like. Ask the barista to tell you a little about the machine.

These burr coffee grinders simply work by crushing the beans between a wheel and a stable surface. There are two types, the wheel burr grinder and the conical burr grinder. Both can be positioned to control the size of the grind so you can grind coffee beans to the appropriate size.

More Consistent Grind

A burr grinder produces a more consistent and even surface on the ground coffee, which means you get coffee that is ideally wetted and packed when it is brewed. You can position the wheel to control the size of the grind, from coarse to a very fine Turkish grind.

Wheel Burrs

The wheel burr is the least expensive and uses round burrs that lie one on top of the other. These wheels can be quite noisy but they produce a fairly consistent grind. The process makes enough heat to affect the flavor and aroma of the coffee, though nowhere near as much as a blade grinder. The wheels can be positioned for different grind consistencies.

If you are using wheel burrs, you may want to take care if your machine is electric. The friction may create additional heat that impairs the flavors of the coffee beans. Manual machines won't typically be able to generate this heat.

Conical Burrs

The conical burr grinder is without a doubt the best you can have if you want the best aroma and flavor. They can cost almost twice as much as a burr grinder but the difference in the finished product is noticeable. Conical burr grinders make less mess than wheel burrs; they are a bit slower and much quieter. These grinders are best for oily beans and flavored beans and are less likely to clog than wheel burr grinders.

Whichever type you choose, you'll notice that these these coffee mills offer a much wider range of settings making it possible to grind for most (if not all) coffee making methods: from Espresso to French Press. You may have trouble producing a grind fine enough for Turkish coffee, though.

Overall, the coffee grinders with burrs produces a much better grind for many more types of coffee machines. The wheel burrs are indeed preferable to a blade grinder, but the king of coffee grinders are undoubtedly the burr coffee grinders with conical burrs.

You'll experience a much finer grind and much more even quality. Of course, this comes at a premium to either of the other models, but for serious coffee drinkers, it's a small price to pay for the best cup of coffee in the morning!

And Finally...

Wherever you are, remember "Only Coffee Beans Make Great Coffee"! And enjoy that cup of coffee!

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