Did you know that prior to the 1600's, the favorite breakfast drink was beer? Since then, coffee has become second only to oil as the world's most valuable commodity. Click here for more fun coffee facts.
© Copyright 2008 Gourmet-Coffee-Makers.com
How you grind your coffee beans is almost as important as the quality of the beans themselves. Below are a few ground rules; a few truths to get you started.
When in doubt, go fine. Generally, the finer the ground, the more contact there will be between the water and the coffee, the richer the taste. But don’t get carried away; over-grinding will destroy some of the essential oils of your coffee and you may end up with some of this fine powder in undesired places - floating in your cup, clogging your filter.
GRINDING TO SUIT YOUR BREWER
auto drip - fairly fine; think sand
vacuum pot - medium
mocha pot - fine
espresso - extra fine (should adhere to skin)
french press - coarse
CHOOSING A GRINDER
Burr Grinders - Beans are fed through corrugated metal plates
Pros:
-timed shut off
-fast; less air exposure
-more consistent grind than with electric bladed grinders
-easy to control size of grounds by adjusting space between the metal plates
Cons:
-fairly high-maintenance, cleaning wise
-don’t work with flavored coffees; flavoring “gums” up the burrs, and the flavor sticks around
GMCR offers:
Capresso Infinity Grinder
Rancilio Rocky Doser Grinder
Capresso CoffeeTEAM Brewer (grinder and brewer in one)
Electric Blade Grinders - Steel blades powered by an electric motor
Pros:
-go well with paper filters which are not as sensitive to grind consistency.
-less expensive, small
-work well with flavored coffees and will even go so far as to grind nuts and other cooking ingredients.
Cons:
-somewhat difficult to remove coffee from beneath the blades - whether cleaning or attempting to brew your beans now that you’ve ground them.
-some guesswork involved in regulating fineness; generally, the longer the blades are allowed to spin, the finer the ground.
-should not be used with press pots, mocha pots, vacuum pots, or espresso machines; grinds are too variant.
GMCR offers:
GMCR Blade Grinder
Grinding for a Good Espresso
Espresso beans should be ground with a burr grinder as coffee can lose its volatile compounds when exposed to the air for too long, and the burr grinder is fast. Espresso beans should be ground for around 23 to 28 seconds. Ground espresso beans should be the size of table salt.
"Coffee Grinding"
Coffee Corner
Fun Coffee Facts
Visit these sites for great coffee recipes:
Did you know that how you grind your coffee beans is almost as important as the quality of the beans? Find out the best way to grind your coffee and how to choose a grinder.
