Burr Mill - Coffee Grinders

Coffee Grinders

The uniform particle size is desirable for the specific case of coffee preparation by any of the various methods. Some methods may be more tolerant of a range of sizes produced by a blade grinder; this may be the case for drip (percolated) coffee.

Burr coffee grinders are especially significant for keeping the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans intact. Burr mills differ from blade grinders in not producing as much heat from friction—this is especially important for coffee aficionados looking to get the most flavor from the freshly ground beans. Friction heat would lessen or taint the natural flavor. Burr grinders create less friction and require fewer motor RPMs which reduces potential flavor loss due to heat.

Manual coffee grinders have been largely supplanted by electrically powered ones where the object is simply to get the job done; manual grinders are used more for their "traditional" appearance: they are made to look good, and are often more costly than the cheaper electric models. An exception is the manual Turkish coffee grinder; these are inexpensive, and can grind coffee to fine powder for Turkish coffee, unlike the cheaper electric models.

Many grinders are free-standing; some larger coffee grinders are fixed to a wall.