I have never ground coffee beans...HELP me!!!

[Alweeja]

Electric or manual grinder? Any sugestions, on good affordable grinders. I know that this is the way to go, but I need some education from the experts.

 

[peterjschmidt]

The answer would depend on what you're going to use it for. What brewing methods do you plan to use?

 

[ensoluna]

Electric or manual grinder? Any sugestions, on good affordable grinders. I know that this is the way to go, but I need some education from the experts.

hello Alweeja,
it seems like you just joined in the world of coffee.
Let me make it easy for you.

a. $10 Electric grinder is just fine. (but I am assuming you already have this electric grinder?)
b. the most important thing is that you need to get FRESH ROASTED (WITHIN FEW DAYS), GOOD COFFEE (SINGLE ORIGIN OR MICRO LOT SPECIALTY COFFEE) from local roaster with good reputation.
c. I know that you already have regular coffee brew machine (around $15 to $30 range?). buy a Chemex or pour over and try out. Youtube has instructional video
d. try few different coffees (different varietals or from different countries) by Chemex/Pour-over and see how each coffee has different flavor profiles. compare your profile with what you can find in internet or someone who is "expert" if he/she is around.

E. ONCE YOU DO ALL ABOVE AND YOU WANT SOME MORE, THEN, BUY MANUAL GRINDER AND BE MORE SPECIFIC. (well, you can use manual grinder from the beginning, but it is bit hassle....at least for some people. But you are more than welcome to buy Manual from the beginning if you want. Just make it sure to buy good one, not the cheapest kind)

 

[expat]

Adding to Peter's answer, different brewing methods different grinds. And the grind size makes a HUGE difference, especially if you get the wrong size grind for the brewing method.

Basically you have a blade grinder -- cheaper, 'starter' grinder.

Then a burr grinder which will go from $50 or so on to whatever you want to spend. As Ensoluna said, don't get the cheapest because you'll get what you pay for. But if you're on a life-long coffee journey something more than a starter burr grinder will reward you over time with more grind control and better tasting coffee.

 

[warrickroy]

Hi Alweeja,

For me, I'd advise buying a burr grinder from the start. The manual ones are cheaper and are also very reliable when it comes to having consistent grind sizes. So for manual grinders, the Hario Skerton or Mini Mill are pretty good and reliable. This is if you don't mind the elbow grease.

If you want something automatic, I also suggest getting a burr grinder. One of the best entry level burr grinders I've seen is the Capresso Infinity burr grinder. It will set you back about $80, but it is a worthwhile investment though as it will go for the test of time with you (need to maintain it properly). I did make a short review of it at homebrewedcoffeelab.com (under coffee grinders), Check it out if you have time.

The burr grinder is just my opinion though, some people will say that the blade grinder, which is a lot cheaper, is good enough. I don't have much experience with it so I can't really comment about it.

Last thing, welcome to the world of coffee. I just started a few months ago. So far it's been really fun for me. I hope it will be as fun for you too. Just ask questions whenever you need them and we'll be here to help.

 

[dahoss2002]

Hi Alweeja,

For me, I'd advise buying a burr grinder from the start. The manual ones are cheaper and are also very reliable when it comes to having consistent grind sizes. So for manual grinders, the Hario Skerton or Mini Mill are pretty good and reliable. This is if you don't mind the elbow grease.

+1 on the Hario Skerton. Great outta the box and you can do a few mods if you choose, Very simple to disassemble and clean.