Grinding coffee beans is an art. You just don’t throw in a handful of coffee beans in a grinder, hit automatic grind and hope that your grinds will come out fine. For the real coffee lovers, choosing the best grinder to go with their coffee makers takes a lot of time. They search the internet, ask friends, and window shop for grinders even. What are the choices for the most suitable coffee grinder for you?

There are technically two kinds of coffee grinders that are popular to coffee lovers. There is the blade coffee grinder and the burr coffee grinder. Under the burr kind, there is the regular wheel grinder and the conical burr grinder.

Conical Burr Grinders may be the best type of coffee grinder today. It preserves aroma at its highest and easily grinds to beans to a very fine consistent. The steel burr is cone-shaped where the large cone holds the beans while the smaller cone grinds the beans at a slow and sure pace. The lower the speed the less heat will be produced. The intricate design of the steel burrs allows a high gear reduction to slow down the grinding speed. The slower the speed the less heat is imparted to the ground coffee thus preserving maximum amount of aroma. The grinding speed is below 500 rpm (revolutions per minute) this burr grinder is perfect for espresso and Turkish coffee. As the burr grind can “grind” coffee beans at the desired fineness, it is also a great complement to drip, French press and percolators.

Burr grinders with disk or wheel type burrs grind at a faster speed of 10,000 to 20,000 rpm. At this speed more heat is produced but is not a cause for worry as it will not leave a bunt after taste on the beans. The conical burr grinders and create a bit more warmth in the coffee (10,000 to 20,000 rpm). This is type is less expensive than the conical burr but it is good enough to produce consistent grinds. This type could be a great partner for any coffee maker but it is best suited for espresso coffee maker. However fine the ground, the degree of fineness is cannot match the ones from a conical burr.

The blade coffee grinder does not actually grind the beans but it rather chops and hacks and rotates the coffee beans with a speed of up 30,000 rpm. The result is bigger and uneven coffee granules that might have a hint of burnt taste. Because of the inconsistency of the grind, coffee dust is created in the grinder and this dust can clog up dandy espresso and French press. The uneven-sized grounds are perfect for drip coffee makers and percolators. This gadget can also grind nuts and spices.

If there are wine connoisseurs who can tell the vintage and from what vineyard the wine came from just by tasting the wine, a coffee connoisseur can tell you if the coffee beans are blade or burr grounded. This is why coffee lovers grind their own coffee.

There are reasons why you do not want to get into grinding your own brew. It maybe that you find the coffee grinder noisy. True. But also false. It may be that you don’t like the mess after the grind. True, but not always. It may be that you think a grinder costs a lot. Not really as there are models that are cheap. You don’t like to grind your own beans for you think you can never match the brew made in a coffee shop. False, as you might even do better.

Pre-ground coffee beans are not bad at all – that is once you remember to vacuum seal the container every time you’re done. Air is coffee ground’s nemesis. Once they meet head on, the coffee ground loses. Never grind more beans that you plan on drinking. Brew the amount that you could consume in one batch. Grinding your own beans just before brewing would retain its flavor and aroma. In the long, grinding and brewing your own coffee would save you money.

If you are an old hand in brewing but a newbie in grinding here are some basic points in choosing a grinder.

If you are using a percolator or a French press or a drip coffee maker for your brew, it is best to get a blade coffee grinder. This grinder is inexpensive, lightweight and actually chops, hacks and split coffee beans instead of grinding them. The coffee grinds are mostly uneven. Sometimes, a burnt after taste remains. Blade grinders can be used for grinding (chopping) spices and nuts too. A coffee grinder works like a blender where the blade whirrs around and around while you press down the “on” button or set the grinder into pulse. Remember to put the top lid on so as not to spill the beans as the blades rotate.

If you have an espresso machine, better get the burr kind of coffee grinders. There are two types of burrs: the conical burr and the wheel burr grinder. The conical burr is cone-shaped with a smaller cone inside a bigger cone. The smaller cone grinds its way into the big cone with coffee grounds between them. The same principle applies to the wheel burr. A burr coffee grinder is the best option for a coffee mill as it produces even grinds whether fine or course.

As you choose your own coffee grinder, bear in mind to choose the one that best suits your lifestyle and budget.