A big part of the population drinks several cups of coffee everyday, and in order to get total satisfaction from every drop of coffee you drink, you can opt to make your own by using a coffee grinder.

Selecting a coffee maker that has built in grinding would give you the coffee grinding features you were looking for plus the convenience of instance coffee brewing in one device. You only need to know what serving capacity you need and then decide which features are the most important to you.

There are hundreds of coffee grinders available in the market for you to choose from, and fortunatly most fall into just a few categories, but you need to know what make them different.

Checklist for buying a coffee grinder

Manual or Electric?

Depending on what you need, you can buy either a manual or an electric coffee grinder. If you are a single user, it may be ideal for you to buy a manual coffee grinder since the usage is just light, but if you use the coffee grinder for commercial use or for many people, then an electric coffee grinder would be a better option.

Blade and Burr Grinders

Blade Grinders

The blade refers to a metal blade that is used to chop up your coffee beans. Similar to how a blender works; the fineness of the chopped grounds depends on how long you let the blade cut.

Blade Grinders are general found in the lower to mid range coffee grinders. If you don’t see yourself grinding coffee, very often, than this type may be just what you need, but if your an avid coffee drinker and would like to grind your own daily, or quite often, then the Burr Grinder would be a better option.

Burr Grinders

the difference between the two is that the burr grinder will crush the beans with a grinding wheel versus chopping them up. The ground size is determined by the position that is set on the burr, which allows for a more consistent grind.

There are two types of burr grinders; the wheel bur and the conical burr.

• Wheel Burr - Has a fast spinning wheel, and is generally less expensive than the Conical Burr. It can also be quite noisy and a little bit messy

• Conical Burr - Has a slower spinning wheel, which makes less noise and mess. The conical burr will be found in most high end models.

Is it attractive?

Coffee grinders are sure to occupy a prominent place in your kitchen so pick out one that comes with style and elegance. There are many models available in the market and you can pick out one which would complement the theme of your kitchen décor.

Is it safe?

Your coffee grinder should be built in with safety mechanism that would prevent dangers. This is true if you have kids in the house and as kids are curious, you need to select a coffee grinder that is children-safe. A coffee grinder with a retractable cord is also a good choice. It saves you from the hassles of the cords entangled or lying in a mess in your kitchen counter top.

Is it user friendly?

The coffee grinder you should choose must be one that operates quietly and efficiently, and the product or output should be consistent. This is just a little thing but helps a lot in making your coffee taste perfect.

Is it easy to clean?

A good coffee grinder is one that is easy to use and clean without making a whole mess in your kitchen counter. Look for a coffee grinder with easy to wash and removable parts that will be easy to clean up.

Other Tips:

Here are some more factors you should consider when you buy a coffee grinder.

• Availability of multiple blades and speeds. This is an important feature because if you want different types of coffee, you ground it in different ways. The best coffee grinder should be able to address this.

• Is the price right? Coffee grinders with simple features usually cost less than those with more features and functions. If you really want premium coffee, do not hesitate to throw in a few more dollars to get a top of the line model.

• How big is too big? This depends upon your usage. If you need a coffee grinder for daily use or for many people, you can select a model that can accommodate a bigger capacity.

Whatever model or brand of coffee grinder you decide upon, just see to it that your needs are being met.

Filed under: Buying Guides, Coffee Grinders