Blade Grinder - Why You Shouldn't Use One
A blade grinder uses a propeller-like blade (think blenders) to chop coffee beans. They are cheaper than burr mills and easy to clean, but they don't create a uniform ground and can cause bitterness or excessive extraction in your coffee.
A top-quality coffee experience requires uniform distribution of the particles which can only be achieved by using the burr grinder. It's no wonder that coffee people who are snobs dislike burr grinders.
Inconsistent Grinds
If you've used a grinder with a blade for some time, the chances are your grinding results have changed. This is because the machine has probably become worn out and dull. As the grinder ages it will produce different sized pieces of beans. This results in ground with different levels of coarseness. With the different sizes of coffee particles, it's hard for your coffee maker to produce an even, consistent flavor.
A blade grinder makes use of a propeller-like rotating blade to break beans. It chops beans into smaller and smaller pieces, which are then tossed into a catcher through the screen. This technique is efficient, but it doesn't produce the finest grind possible for your beverage. Burr grinders are a better alternative. A burr grinder is a larger machine with a powerful motor and two grinding burrs. The burrs can be set to a certain distance and will determine the quality of the coffee being ground.
When the burrs are too close together, they will pulverize the beans instead of cutting them. As a result, the resulting grounds are less coarse and finer. They also tend to be soft, which can adversely impact the taste of your coffee. On the other hand when the burrs are spaced too far apart, they will produce large chunks of coarsely ground coffee. It is essential to choose the grinder that has a setting that corresponds to 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 increasingly uneven, it could be time to replace the burrs or blade. You should also consider changing the grind setting if you haven't done so before in order to allow you to achieve a more uniform grind.
If your grinder is producing clumped-up grounds this could be a sign the blades are worn or damaged. The clumping happens because tiny particles stick to each other, and larger pieces of ground are formed, producing larger granules that don't dissolve in water. As your burrs get more and less dull, this will occur more often.
Uneven Extraction
No matter if you're using drip, French press, or pour-over, the size of your grounds play an important role in flavor extraction. Uneven ground sizes can cause uneven extraction, creating an unbalanced cup of coffee.
As the beans move through a grinder blade, they are sliced and shredded randomly, leading to an uneven distribution of grind particle sizes. A blade grinder can create a mix of large pieces, dust-sized particles, and everything between. Different grind sizes produce at different rates, which results in a sloppy and often bitter cup of coffee.
In addition, the lack of uniformity causes problems with the tamping process and filtration. With a burr mill, you can get an even particle size, which allows for better tamping and filtering, which can prevent excessive extraction. With a blade grinder, it is more difficult to get an even grind, and you may be tamping from side to side or using the Stockfleth method (which requires some time to master).
Another problem with blade grinders is their high speed and high heat generation. The grounds can be burned and cause a bitter taste. Burr grinders are much cooler and don't produce the same amount of heat, which preserves the flavor of the beans.
A final downside of a blade grinder is that it's extremely easy to over-grind your beans. The grinder can generate a lot heat and your beans will eventually become over-extracted. This will result in a bitter brew. To avoid this, you should always pause the grinder before turning it back on again.
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. For the best results, you'll want to use a burr mill and whole beans. stainless coffee grinder coffeee.uk should invest in your making experience by purchasing a grinder that is of high-quality and will deliver on every coffee need!
If you're looking to upgrade your blade grinder, take a look at our top picks for the top burr grinders available on the market. Choosing the right type of grinder is an important choice that will impact the quality of your brewing and overall cup quality therefore, you should consider your budget, your space, and your preferred brewing method when deciding on the best grinder.
Burned Grounds
With the blade grinder it's an extremely sharp blade that moves like a blender at a high speed to chop up the beans. The speed of the blade's movement generates heat, which can ignite some of the coffee grounds. These particles will ruin the flavor of your coffee and are not suitable for brewing.
A premium coffee experience demands an even distribution of particles for the best flavor extraction during the brewing process. Because blade grinders break the beans into unevenly sized pieces, small and large, it's impossible to get this consistency. A burr grinder on the other hand ensures an even distribution of particles that can be reproduced across a variety of types of brews.
While the advantages of a blade grinder are its low price and fast operation, its clear disadvantages are that it produces heat during use, produces variations in the size of the grind and is not able to control the final particle size. With a little practice, however, there are ways to optimize results despite the inherent limitations of this kind of grinder.
When used with a burr mill, the user can easily adjust their desired grind size by adjusting the gap between the discs. This lets them extract the desired flavours every time from their favourite roasted bean. It takes a lot of time to make a good drink using a grinder blade.
Angle grinders are powerful tools that should only be employed by professionals. It could cause grinding burn if used incorrectly. This causes localized changes to the metal surface of the workpiece. This can cause cracks that, if left unchecked will eventually lead to macropitting and tooth fracture.
Grinding burn is a serious issue that can be caused by a range of reasons, including excessive grinding pressure, inadequate cooling or inadequate training for operators. If you are planning to use an angle grinder, make sure to wear the proper PPE such as gloves with a face shield safety glasses, steel-toe boots and long sleeves. This will prevent hot sparks from flying off the wheel and striking nearby people or equipment. Sparks can be capable of reaching temperatures as high as 3,600 degF and cause damage to materials such as paint or metal.
A disappointing Brew
Blade grinders chop your beans in a random fashion and leaves you with beans which are of different sizes. These different sizes of grounds release at different rates in your coffee maker, which results in a bitter or weak cup of coffee. This ruins the balance of a good cup. The soluble compounds from the beans are extracted slowly making the flavor.
You've probably been told that using a burr grinder instead of a blade grinder is the best way to guarantee a great drink. A lot of people don't know what a burr mill is. They purchase the cheapest blade grinders that are difficult to control and can buy at supermarkets and kitchen-type places.
The grinders that are available for sale are essentially a two-pronged blade that is at the bottom of an enclosed chamber. It spins quickly and chops everything it comes into contact with including beans. Press a button to activate it and the blade cuts up your beans into a plethora of differently sized pieces. The smaller pieces drop to the bottom and get chopped all over again, while the larger pieces stay towards the top of the chamber. This makes for uneven grounds that are hard to accurately measure - which is why you can't be sure of how much ground coffee your grinder made.
These grinders can also burn your beans, ruining the coffee. The heat can also take away some of the flavor from your beans. The result is a an unappetizing cup of coffee.
If you've grind your own coffee using a blade grinder, it's time to retire it and upgrade to something better. A burr mill can do the job for a fraction the price, and produce an even better result. It's worth it. Try using a manual burr mill such as the Rhino Hand Grinder if want to have greater control over the brew. These grinders have burrs, however they are powered by an engine, which gives more control than a plug-in or electric grinder.