coffee grinder quality and bitterness

FireDragon76

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Jan 24, 2017
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It just seems like using a cheap manual grinder, the quality of the coffee is just "ok". It always tastes bitter, never as smooth as pre-ground coffee, or even a decent single-serve instant. I thought the amount of fines would be so low, it wouldn't matter, but I made some coffee in my Aeropress with one of those metal filters and the amount of fine grounds in my cup is ridiculous, it gives the coffee a muddy texture. So my guess is not matter what method I brew with, there's going to be alot of fines that are over-extracting, though I imagine with the aeropress it's going to be the most tolerant because brew times are short and the grind is finer to begin with. Perhaps I should look into a better grinder finally, one that will produce less powder/dust.
 

LoveCoffeeLife

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I was just having this conversation with someone else and apparently a quality grind is very important as well as the type of grinder. I've been advised that a burr is best and if you can afford it get a good one. I've order my very first burr and I should have it tomorrow. I'm excited.
 

FireDragon76

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My instinct now days is that buying whole beans is not worth it without a good grinder. You're better off just buying preground coffee, and buying it once a week if possible, in small quantities.
 

Kudzu

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My instinct now days is that buying whole beans is not worth it without a good grinder. You're better off just buying preground coffee, and buying it once a week if possible, in small quantities.

Again, I agree. I cannot help adding, in my opinion, assuming you are buying current crop, freshly roasted, quality beans, grinding your coffee just prior to brewing will improve the taste of your coffee more than any other single change you can make.
 

ensoluna

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My instinct now days is that buying whole beans is not worth it without a good grinder. You're better off just buying preground coffee, and buying it once a week if possible, in small quantities.
i do not think that a lot of places sell "fresh" ground coffee. Normally packaged ground coffee is bit old. Unless you go to a roaster and specially ask them to grind a pound for you.
 

FireDragon76

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Vacuum packed ground coffee tastes fresh enough for me.

I have found a way to make good whole bean coffee using a cheap grinder. I just use the finest grind I can get away with and keep the brew time in the Aeropress as short as possible.
 

hellesponten

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Totally agree that if you dont have a good grinder the quality of the beans matter less. Will however try out what FireDragon suggested. Vacuum packed hu

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LoveCoffeeLife

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The issue I have with the vacuum sealed coffee is that once you break the seal then you no longer have that value. Unless you're able to polish off an entire brick of the stuff in a day or two. LOL I'd be very impressed by that but it's likely that you'd have that brick for about two weeks. By that time the coffee is very different from when you first opened it. Just my humble opin...:coffee1:
 

CoffeeManiac2

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My wife is maniac , she loves coffee so much so she found out new way to keep it fresh. She open new bag of coffee and vacuum portion of coffee. I know its sounds weird but she can enjoy fresh coffee every time.
 

MntnMan62

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When you discuss espresso with someone who knows their coffee and you are trying to determine what equipment to buy and where the priorties should be highest, 100% of the time the highest priority is the grinder. While the grinder may not be quite as important for all brew methods, I would put the grinder highest on the list regardless. Getting the grind right is essential to getting a good quality drink in the cup. Obviously you also need to have the brew method down as well, focusing on brew times or volumes of water or both. But if the grind is too course, you end up with watery coffee. If the grind is too fine you end up with both bitterness and lots of mud in the cup. A quality grinder that excels at your chosen brew method is the first priority. Not all grinders do all things well. The hardest method to get right is espresso. That is why high quality grinders that excel at espresso are so darn expensive. Since I'm only brewing french press these days, I found a grinder that was good at providing a courser, but not too course, grind with consistent size throughout. Cheaper grinders will give you inconsistent grinds that will have large chunks as well as lots of fine pieces, and everything in between. It all starts with the grinder. Just my two cents.
 
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