Blade Grinder - Why You Shouldn't Use One

Blade grinders use propeller-like blades (think blenders) to chop coffee beans. They are less expensive than burr grinders and easy to clean but they don't yield uniform grounds and can lead to over-extraction and bitterness in your brew.

To enjoy a top-quality coffee experience, you require uniform distribution of the particles. This can only be achieved using a burr mill. This is why coffee lovers hate burr grinders.

Inconsistent Grinds

If you've used a grinder with a blade for some time it is likely that your grinding results have become inconsistent. The grinder is likely to become dull and worn. As the grinder gets older it will produce different sized pieces of beans. This can result in different levels of coarseness. With the different sizes of coffee particles, it's hard for your coffee maker to extract a balanced, consistent flavor.

Blade grinders break the beans with a rotating blade that looks like an engine. It cuts the beans into smaller and smaller pieces, which are then tossed into a catcher via the screen. While this method works however, it's not the best method to get the perfect grind for your beverage. A better option is the burr grinder. A burr grinder comes with powerful motors with two grinding burrs, and is a larger machine. The burrs can be placed to a certain distance, which will determine the coarseness of the coffee that is ground.

If the burrs are too close together, they will pulverize the beans rather than cut them. This means that the resultant grounds are less coarse and finer. They are also more soft, which can adversely impact your coffee's taste. If the burrs however, are too dispersed they'll result in large chunks of coarsely Perfectly ground coffee with our grinders coffee. It's crucial to choose a grinder that has a setting that matches the coarseness you desire.

A sharp, properly adjusted blade will result in a consistent and fine grind for your coffee. If you notice that your grind is becoming more uneven, it could be time to replace the burrs or the blade. If you haven't yet done this, you must also change the grind setting to achieve an even grinding.

If your grinder produces clumped-up grounds it could be a sign the blades have worn out or damaged. The clumping is caused by tiny particles sticking to each other and larger pieces of grounds producing larger granules which do not dissolve well in water. This is more frequent as the burrs dull.

Uneven Extraction

The size of the coffee grounds is crucial to extract flavor, whether you're using a French press, pour-over or drip brew. Uneven ground sizes can lead to uneven extraction and an unbalanced cup of coffee.

As the beans move through a blade grinder, they are cut and shred randomly, leading to an uneven distribution of the grind particle sizes. A blade grinder produces a mix of larger fragments, small particles and everything in between. The different sizes of grinds extract at uneven rates which results in a sloppy and often bitter cup of coffee.

The lack of uniformity also creates problems when tamping and filtration. With a burr mill you can achieve a uniform particle size, allowing better tamping and filtration, which helps to prevent over-extraction. If you use a blade grinder, it is more difficult to get an even grind and you might be tamping from side to side or using the Stockfleth method (which takes some time to master).

Another issue with blade grinders is their high speed and the generation of heat. This could cause the ground to become burned and produce a bitter taste. Burr grinders create less heat and are cooler, which preserves the flavor of beans.

Another drawback of grinding with a blade is that it's very easy to over-grind your beans. Running the grinder continuously generates a lot of heat and will eventually cause your grounds to become over-extracted, resulting in bitter brew. To avoid this, always stop the grinder prior to turning it back on again.

Using a blade grinder is an efficient and affordable method of grinding your own coffee at home, but it's not the best option for those who are serious about their coffee brewing. For the most effective results, you'll need to make use of a burr mill and whole beans. Invest in a quality coffee grinder that can meet all your needs.

Check out our top picks of the best burr mills on market if you're looking to upgrade your blade grinder. The right choice of grinder is an important decision that will affect the brewing process and overall cup quality, therefore, you should consider your budget, your space and the method you prefer to use when making your choice.

Burned Grounds

With the blade grinder, you're using a sharp blade that spins like a blender at a rapid speed to break up the beans. As the blade rotates at a fast speed, heat is produced which could cause the burning of the grounds of coffee. These burned particles aren't ideal for brewing and will create an unpleasant taste in your cup of coffee.

To ensure a top-quality experience the uniform distribution of particles is required for optimal flavour extraction. Because blade grinders break the beans into different sized pieces, small and large, it's impossible to get this level of consistency. A burr mill, on the other hand, produces a uniform distribution of particles sizes that can be reproduced over a variety of beverages.

While the advantages of a blade grinder are its low cost and speedy operation, its clear disadvantages are that it creates heat during use, produces irregularities in the size of the grind, and is not able to control the final particle size. There are ways to improve results with this kind of grinder despite its inherent limitations.

When used with a burr mill, the user can easily adjust their desired ground size by adjusting the distance between the discs. This lets them get all the desired flavors from their favorite roast beans every time. However, creating a quality beverage using a grinder takes a lot of trial and error.

Angle grinders are a powerful tool that should only be employed by professionals. It can cause grinding burn if used incorrectly. This causes localized changes to the metallographic surface of the workpiece. This can lead to cracking and, if not checked, can eventually lead to macropitting and tooth fracture.

Grinding burn is a major issue that can be caused by a range of factors including excessive grinding pressure, inadequate cooling, or inadequate operator training. Wear the correct safety equipment when working with an angle grinder. This includes safety glasses with a face shield as well as steel toe boots. This will stop hot sparks from flying out of the machine and hitting nearby people or equipment. These sparks can be as hot as 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit and can burn through the materials like paint or even metal.

Brew that is disappointing

A blade grinder can chop your beans up indiscriminately and leave you with different-sized ground. The unevenly sized grounds are extracted at different rates in your coffee maker which results in the cup being weak or bitter of ceramic coffee grinder. The issue is that it destroys the balance that makes for a great cup of coffee. The soluble compounds in your beans are extracted over time, resulting in the flavor that makes your coffee scrumptious.

You've probably heard that using a burr grinder instead of a blade is the best method to ensure the best beverage. Many people aren't aware how to use a burr mill or even what it does and so they purchase one of the flimsy, uncontrollable blade grinders that are easily found in supermarkets and other kitchen-type places.

The basic idea is that these grinders feature a double-pronged blade at the bottom of a chamber that spins fast and chops anything it hits including coffee beans. The blade is activated by pressing an on. It then chops your coffee beans into different size pieces. The small pieces are pushed to the bottom of the chamber and are chopped again, while the larger pieces remain at the top. This results in uneven grounds that are difficult to measure.

These grinders could also burn your beans, ruining your coffee. The heat can also take away some of the flavor from your beans. This can leave you with a not the best cup of coffee.

If you've grind your own coffee with a blade grinder, it's time to retire it and upgrade to something better. A burr grinder will accomplish the job at less than the cost and will give a superior result. It's worth it. Try using a manual burr mill such as the Rhino Hand Grinder if would like to have more control over your brew. These grinders have burrs, but are powered by the crank, which gives more control than a plug-in or electric grinder.