Blade or Burr Coffee Grinders – Make the Right Choice

When you look at the price tags of coffee grinders that are available on the market, you might see a huge price range starting from as low as below $20 and going as high as about $400. This might make you wonder as to why you need to buy a coffee grinder by paying such a high price when there is an option for getting one at a very low price.

If you are a novice at understanding about coffee grinders, you must realize that this price difference exists because although both are coffee grinders, they grind coffee using different methods.

The basic economical type of coffee grinders are the blade type of grinders that make use of blade that whirs at a high speed and reduces the coffee beans to powder while the high end models make use of a burr that rotates and crushes and the coffee beans against a stationary surface.

Now, let us understand which type among these two is better for you.

As we have seen, if pricing is a huge factor for you and nothing else matters, blade type of coffee grinders should be the grinder of choice for you. While this type of grinder is quite economical, you might not find some of the features available in the higher models in these grinders.

Grind quality is not uniform and consistent if you are using a blade type of grinder. Also, the high rate of spinning of the blades can alter the flavor of the coffee especially when the grinding is done for prolonged periods of time.

So, if you are looking for high grind quality and flavor of your coffee, then it is best to invest more money and get yourself a burr type of grinder.

Another issue with blade grinders is the high level of noise generated when the blades spin and the coffee is getting powdered. This is significantly lesser when burr type of grinders is used.

Most blade grinders are made out of plastic. The high rate of spinning of the blades combined with the body made of plastic causes the development of static. This static causes the fine coffee powder to stick to the surfaces and causes a mess while handling.

Static although not completely eliminated with burr type of grinders it is much lesser in comparison to what you will see if you are using the blade type. Also, some of the burr type of grinders uses glass and metal instead of using plastic and this has a significant effect in reducing the amount of static formed.

In addition, you will get added features like timer shutoff, different type of burrs, dishwasher safe, etc when you are buying a burr coffee grinder. Such features will usually not be available in a economical low end blade type of grinder.

If pricing is not a concern and you would not compromise in any way when it comes to quality coffee, it is best to go in for a burr coffee grinder that will not only give your better coffee, it will serve you for many long years to come.

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