Plus why you must throw away your blade grinder immediately!
Before we begin I want you to do something. If you are reading this article and you have a blade grinder for coffee - one of those grinders with spinning blades that “cut” the coffee beans - I want you to go and get it right now. Once you have it in your hands, I want you to remember all of the sub-par coffee you’ve made with this grinder, all the times you’ve banged your head against the wall in frustration because you couldn’t get a nice cup of coffee and didn’t know why. Then, I want you to walk over to the bin and throw it away.
Did you do it?
Good, I can’t believe that some salespeople have the audacity to recommend blade grinders for coffee. You may as well be using a mortar and pestle… 🤦♂️
Ok, rant over, let's get into it! Today we’re going to dive into a topic that has divided baristas for years - Flat vs Conical Burrs.
Flat burr vs. Conical burr coffee grinders - what's the difference?
A Flat Burr grinder has two flat discs that lie parallel to each other. Coffee is fed through these discs from the centre using gravity or some sort of internal screw mechanism. A Conical Burr grinder uses an outer burr with "teeth" on the inside facing inwards, with a cone-shaped burr sitting nestled “inside” which spins. Coffee is fed through this “cone” using gravity.
Flat Burrs
Due to the fact that flat burrs lie parallel to each other, it is often possible to achieve a more consistent grind size distribution using flat burr grinders, which means more flavour clarity and consistent extraction. However, it can also mean that more delicate attention is needed when dialling in - especially when it comes to espresso as grind size has such a big impact.
Flat Burr grinders also tend to produce heat much quicker, which can ultimately impact the grind size. A good flat burr grinder for espresso must be equipped with appropriate fans and cooling systems to make sure that the grind size stays consistent throughout a busy day of use. (This of course isn’t such a problem for home baristas making 2-3 coffees per day).
Conical Burrs
Conical burr grinders tend to be found in more entry-level grinders (a notable exception is Mazzer and their 2 high-end professional espresso grinders). Since the burrs do not sit parallel, but rather sit nested in each other, burr grinders tend to give a slightly wider variance in grind size distribution. While this might affect flavour clarity, it can be surprisingly helpful for consistency when making espresso.
Conical Burr grinders also tend to produce less heat, which also helps with consistency in espresso in a busy cafe environment.
What type of grinder is best for you?
For many home brewers - conical burr grinders are often the first step into coffee grinders. An entry-level burr hand grinder costs as little as 50€, and even the popular Comandante hand grinder uses conical burrs! The entry point for flat burr grinders is quite a bit higher, with both a hand-grinder version and an electric-grinder version starting around 350€.
If you’re just getting into coffee and taking the step from pre-ground (or from using a blade grinder 🤢) to freshly ground coffee, a simple conical burr grinder will make a world of difference. Conical burr grinders deliver a delicious cup of coffee and consistent brews over and over again. If you want to experiment to see if you can get more flavour clarity and sweetness in your brew, then a flat-burr grinder could be the answer. Be aware that flat burr grinders also need a level of alignment to make sure the burrs are truly parallel. Or, you can be like this crazy coffee fan and get the all-famous king of flat burr grinders - the EK43 - for your kitchen. 😉
— P.T.
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