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How to Choose the Best Burr Coffee Grinder A coffee grinder is an essential tool in the home coffee maker's arsenal. What kind of grinder should you get? Burr grinders grind beans between two serrated, rotating surfaces instead of cutting with blades. They're generally thought to be superior to blade grinders. What features should you look for in the burr mill? 1. Conical Burrs The name suggests that a conical burr grinder has one circular burr ring inside another ring with sharp teeth. This shape permits more efficient grinding, because the burrs rotate around the central point. The angled teeth cut the beans more evenly, and produce less heat, which is desirable because excessive heat can cause bitter flavor notes in your coffee. Conical burrs are also more durable than flat ones. Flat burrs are more prone to warping and dull very quickly, which results in unevenly ground espresso. They also tend to be more brittle, which means that small stones or debris could damage the burrs over time. In addition flat burrs produce more noise and require regular cleaning and maintenance. Many burr grinders that are sold on the market advertise themselves as “burr grinders,” yet they have flat or no burrs. These “false burr grinders” come with large flat teeth and are often coupled with motors that have weak components that produce uneven grounds. They are not true burr grinders and, contrary to the opinions of some enthusiasts they don't provide the same quality of grind as real burr grinders. Although some experts do not agree with this, others believe that the burrs that are used in the grinder can have an impact on the final taste of the coffee. These theories are mostly based on anecdotes but have a strong grip on the minds and hearts of coffee drinkers. Some believe that conical burrs can bring out the distinctive flavors of exotic beans. Flat burrs soften and enhance darker roasts. It could be true. However, it is something to consider when you are deciding whether your grinder will have significant impact on the quality of your espresso. Only by testing a grinder with the beans you are planning to use will you be sure. The overall design of the grinder as well as its operating features will have more of an influence on the final cup than the style or burrs. This is the reason it's crucial to assess a grinder on other criteria, such as the reputation of the brand as well as reviews from customers. 2. Convenience The Baratza Encore is a burr grinder that a lot of coffee enthusiasts swear by. A number of reviewers have praised it as an “time-tested choice” that offers great value for money and is suitable for pour-over, drip, French press, and cold brew. According to the company, the grinder uses rotating burrs made of metal rather than blades to grind beans. This produces more uniformly-sized grounds than a grinder, or other burr grinder. Additionally, the burrs generate less heat while grinding and preserves the beans' aroma and flavor. In contrast, blade grinders can produce excessive heat and unevenly sized grounds, which can affect the flavor of the final cup. Burr grinders can also be quieter than blade grinders, but this can vary depending on the model and brand. Although the majority of burr grinders that we test have conical burrs, some use flat burrs (two discs with cutting teeth facing one another). We don't recommend them for espresso as they are more difficult to calibrate and are generally less expensive than a high-end burr grinder with a flat-burr like the Fellow Ode Gen 2 or the Baratza Virtuoso+. Some of the grinders we tested let you select the amount of time the machine will grind, which can be useful when you're making espresso. Certain grinders, such as our top pick Baratza Sette 270, have a built-in timer that is accurate to only a fraction of one second. However, this feature isn't essential for the majority of brewing methods, and most under-$200 burr grinders are based on a fancier version of the windup timer. The cheapest models, such as the Porlex II or the Capresso infinity, have manual burrs. This means you have to turn them by hand yourself to grind your coffee. This takes more effort, but is a good option if you're looking for simple, compact and inexpensive option that doesn't require electricity. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is an alternative that is affordable and features a burr grinder. It is louder than other models that we have examined, but it's acceptable if you don’t mind some noise. The more quiet a grinder will be, in general, the more expensive. This is due to the upgraded materials and the advanced soundproofing techniques. 3. Simple to Use If you're just beginning to learn about home coffee brewing There's one thing that every expert says is essential that's a burr grinder. These grinders create more consistent, finer grind than a blade grinder, and can assist in creating brews that have more balance in flavor, body and acidity. They also tend to do it more reliably. But, as you expect, top burr grinders can cost upwards of $200, and are difficult to use. We spoke with experts and obtained their recommendations for the most simple-to-use electric burr grinders on the market. They recommend the OXO conical burr grinder to a lot of people as well as those who don't want to spend a lot of money. It comes with various settings that can be used to handle various coffee brewing techniques, from pour-over to French press to drip coffee, and it did well during our tests. It's quieter than other electric grinders we've tested and doesn't produce more heat. This is important since too much heat can damage the delicate scents of your beans. The OXO grinder has only one flaw that it is best suited to grinding at the coarser side of the spectrum. This could be a problem for espresso. If you're looking to make espressos, a burr grinder with more advanced features such as the Baratza Encore may be a better option. Manual burr grinders powered by cranking are simpler to use and ideal for those who drink only a cup or so of coffee a day. They're a good choice for people who travel or want to brew up a single portion of pour-over. coffeee grinder loves the Fellow Ode Gen 2 Burr Grinder that has 41 easily-adjustable settings and is capable of producing an excellent drink for any method you choose—except espresso (the flat burrs made of steel don't grind well enough). It's easy to operate for those who don't mind small messes and flying chaff, and it's relatively quiet. 4. Cost A quality burr mill can cost you a few hundred dollars, but is very worthwhile. The grinding mechanism is simple enough that even a beginner can figure out how to get the most out of it, and you'll save money in the long run by ditching the pre-ground coffee and bad-for-the-environment coffee pods. Conical burr grinders are the standard in electric home units, and they're a great choice for most people just starting out with this whole grinding-your-own-beans-at-home thing. The grinders produce a small amount of fines, which are the small pieces of coffee ground that are smaller than the official grind size you choose. However, this is not noticeable to most coffee drinkers. Flat burrs are two discs that have cutting teeth that face one another. They are less common but are favored by coffee geeks due to their ability to produce a more consistent grind size, perfect for French press and espresso. They can be expensive and you may need to purchase new burrs every when you change the type of brew you use or the amount of roast. The Baratza ESP has the most cost-effective combination of price and capabilities for a burr grinder, according to our experts. It's less than $200 and is more affordable than many other models with similar capabilities. It has a 64-mm flat burr set that's excellent for all brewing methods and is easy to upgrade with other sets, like those from SSP. The OXO is a similar model that is affordable with a good performance in our tests. The burrs in this model aren't as precise, as burrs in higher-end models however, its user interface and the variety of settings are suitable for French press and drip. While true coffee enthusiasts may require a more sophisticated model however, the OXO is a great entry point for most people. For those who prefer to crank their beans manually, we also tested a few manual burr grinders, which are great for those on the move and who need to make just one or two cups at each time. These models, which employ the same grinding mechanism as electric burr grinders, use the use of a crank rather than motors, and are generally quieter than electric models.