Grinding coffee beans is the first thing to do before brewing. It will make sure the freshness of the beverage. People who love coffee will buy the whole beans instead of the ground ones. That’s because the taste is different. You will get the freshness and its natural flavors.
Brewing the coffee beans right after grinding will reduce the amount of oxygen exposure to it. It won’t ruin the natural flavor. Therefore, you will need a grinder.
Below are some grinder products that are recommended for you, both automatics and manuals. However, you can also grind the beans with other simple tools. So, there’s no need to buy one since you already have the equipment in your kitchen.
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Grinding Coffee Beans Automatically
If you have the budget, you may wanna have the machine to do the grinding automatically. So, you can just pour the beans and wait for it. Here are some recommended products to grind your coffee thoroughly with a button push.
1. Baratza Encore Conical Burr
This coffee grinder is one of the best. It produces a consistent grind that brews great coffee. The price is not so expensive. You can buy it for $140 on Amazon.
The size is quite friendly for the limited-space counter. It only takes about a modest square.
You can clean it easily anytime it needs. The maintenance won’t be a fuzz too. So, this grinder can be a great investment for your kitchen.
2. OXO Brew Grinder
This compact tool is so easy to operate. Besides, it’s also friendly to your budget. You can get it for only a hundred bucks. The grind from this grinder is relatively even. It’s also packed with a range of settings.s
This is a nice alternative for you if your budget is not enough to buy the Baratza encore machine. It features some kind of mechanism to decrease static when you’re grinding coffee beans.
3. Baratza Virtuoso+
How about the high-end choice? This is the one you should look for. It’s a great grinder that has everything you like about Baratza Encore. This is the upgraded version since it offers some improved features.
Hand Grinding Coffee Beans
Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder
You don’t need electricity to grind the beans with this tool. This portable grinder is only needed your hand. It’s recommended to have both tools, the automatic and manual ones. So, when the machine can’t work, it’s time to do hand-grinding.
This tool only costs about 64 dollars from Amazon. If the budget for an automatic grinder is just too high, this is the alternative pick. Despite its size, grinding the beans using Porlex Mini is very effective.
The stainless steel material offers both the looks and its durability. The compact size allows you to carry it around during your travel. So, you can prepare your coffee anywhere at any time.
To make a cup or two cups of coffee, it will take about 5-10 minutes of hand grinding process.
Well, there are some other hand grinder products you can find in the stores. However, the mechanism is always the same.
Grinding Cofee Beans without Grinder
Grinders are not the only tool that can grind coffee beans. You can use these simple tools that you can find easily from the kitchen.
1. Using a Blender
A blender in your kitchen can act as an alternative automatic grinder. The blade will grind the coffee just like the real thing. However, the result won’t be as perfect.
This tool can be found in any kitchen since it’s used to blend fruits, veggies, other ingredients to make a tasty beverage. As we know, A blender was designed not to grind whole beans of coffee.
But, some blender products have a “grinder” setting in it. Although, the real automatic machine doesn’t deliver the quality you need.
It’s recommended to grind in short, quick burst with the blender. There’s a risk of overheating the natural oil if you run the tool for a long time. That will make the taste a bit bitter. There’s a high chance of the beans to fly out of the blender. Make sure the lid is one the blender.
2. Using Mortar and Pestle
This set of tools has been used by many cooks and pharmacists to grind spices and medicines. The ingredients will be hammered into a fine powder. The rolling motion is added during the hammering process to create a consistent texture.
It’s a great alternative to try for grinding coffee beans. This method allows you to control various grinds. Everyone can do it. You can do it by pressing down and crushing the whole beans with a twisting motion.
However, this method only allows for a small number of coffee beans per batch. You only can grind more after you empty the bowl when the process is finished.
3. Using Hammer
This method offers you a more simple step to crush the coffee beans. You can use any kind of hammers you have in your kitchen, such as meat tenderizer, hammer, or mallet. Use it with caution and watch your hand and countertop.
One thing to remember about this method is the result. The grounds you get from hammering won’t be enough for espresso brewing. That’s because you can only get a coarse to medium grind. This one is only perfect for cold brew, drip coffee makers, and others.
Besides the hammer, you should prepare the plastic Ziploc bag and large cutting plank. Just simply pour the coffee beans into the bag and smash it with the hammer on the board. Instead of hammering, you should just firmly press down on them.
4. Grinding with Food Processor
This method is similar to a blender but offers a larger blade to chop all the beans. However, it’s still not a burr grinder. So, you won’t get the consistency of particle size you want for espresso.
Although, it could be a great alternative when you don’t have the grinder around. The key to grind a good texture of beans, you should use the pulse technique. Grinding in short bursts like that would give the best result.
5. Rolling Pin Grinding
Using a rolling pin for grinding coffee beans is a classic way to do it. This method will crush and grind them all together. As a result, you will have a finer grind and even texture.
To get the right consistency, it requires pressing with power while you roll the pin on the beans. If you do it right and thoroughly, you can get the grounds that are good enough for an espresso machine.
However, there will be scattering while you do this technique. So, you need to use sheets of parchment paper and a plastic bag. Repeat the pressing while rolling steps until you get the desired level of grounds.
Storing the Coffee Beans
A cup of coffee with its ultimate taste comes from the freshly scooped beans or ground coffee. So, brewing them after grinding is the best option you can go with.
Nevertheless, if you choose to grind more beans for other times, you need to store it properly to keep its natural taste.
Use an air-tight container at room temperature for the grounds that will be brew within two weeks. For a larger amount, you should divide them into portions. Once again, it should be a two-week storing inside some zip-lock bags.
Then, store them all in a freezer. One thing you need to prevent is taking them repeatedly in and out of the cold storage because it will create moisture. That’s why you need to divide them into portions. Instead, you can just buy the coffee beans in sealed packages from the store.
More Tips for Grinding Coffee Beans
Here are some tips to grind the coffee beans for a perfect cup. It will make sure you will get the best taste of your drink.
- Grind the whole beans and brew them right after. It’s recommended for a serious coffee drinker. It will give you the freshness of a coffee with its natural taste.
- Measure the beans accurately to make a perfect cup. Measure them in grams to get a precise measurement for the water too. Try using 500gr of water and 30gr of coffee.
- The coffee grinds should match the method you use. For the automatic espresso machine, it will detect it automatically. You should learn more about coffee grinding to match them all.
- Use the right grinder type. There are two kinds of this machine. If you want to grind the beans for an espresso, you should go with the burr one. A machine with a blade will be cheaper but the grounds won’t be fine enough.
- Besides, no variable is too small to consider in grinding coffee beans. You should focus to get the right, consistent grind size to match your exact preferences. Experiment to get more experience in drinking a delicious cup.
Whether you want to do it automatically or manually, you should pay attention more to the result. The method of grinding coffee beans will affect the taste of the final product. So, create your preference to enjoy your version of “The Perfect Cup”.