11 Ways To Fully Defy Your Blade Grinder
Blade Grinder - Why You Shouldn't Use One
A blade grinder employs a propeller-like blade (think blenders) to chop coffee beans. They are cheaper than burr mills and easy to clean, however they don't create a uniform ground and can cause bitterness or excessive extraction in your coffee.
A top-quality coffee experience requires uniform particle distribution, something that can only be achieved by using a burr grinder. It's not surprising that coffee people who are snobs dislike them.
Inconsistent Grinds
If you've used a grinder with a blade for a while it is likely that your grinding results have become inconsistent. This is because the machine has likely become worn out and dull. As the grinder ages it will produce different sized pieces of beans. This can lead to different degrees of coarseness. With the different sizes of coffee particles, it's hard for your coffee maker to extract a balanced, consistent flavor.
A blade grinder makes use of the same propeller-like blade to break the beans. It chops beans into smaller and smaller pieces, which are then put into a catcher, which is then filtered through a screen. This technique is efficient, but it doesn't produce the most efficient grind for your drink. Burr grinders are a better alternative. A burr grinder is a much larger machine that has a powerful motor and two grinding burrs. The burrs can be set at a certain distance apart and will determine the coarseness of the coffee being ground.
When the burrs get too close, they will smash rather than cut beans. This results in a finer, less coarse ground. They can also be brittle, which can affect the flavor of your coffee. If the burrs on the other hand are too dispersed, it will result in large chunks of coffee that are coarsely ground. It is essential to choose an espresso grinder that's setting corresponds to your desired coarseness.
A sharp, properly adjusted blade will result in a consistent and fine grind for your coffee. If you notice your grind is becoming more and more uneven, it's an ideal time to replace the blade or burrs. It is also advisable to change the grind setting if you haven't previously, as this will aid in achieving an even grind.
It's also worth noting that if your grinder produces clumped up grounds, this is a sign of worn-out or damaged blades. The clumping happens when small particles adhere to one another and larger pieces of ground, making larger granules that won't dissolve in water. As your burrs grow and more dull it will happen more frequently.
Uneven Extraction
The size of your coffee grounds is important for flavor extraction, whether you're making a French press pour-over, drip or drip brew. Uneven sizes of the grounds can result in uneven extraction and a sloppy cup of coffee.
The beans are cut and shredded in a random manner when they go through a blade mill, resulting in an uneven distribution of grind particle size. A blade grinder creates an assortment of larger fragments, smaller particles, and everything in between. These different grind sizes extract at uneven rates leading to an inconsistent and often bitter cup of coffee.
Lack of uniformity can also result in problems with tamping and filtering. With a burr grinder, you can achieve an even particle size allowing for more uniform tamping and filtering, which helps prevent over-extraction and weak beer brews. With a blade grinder, it is more difficult to attain an even grind, and you might find yourself tamping from side to side or using the Stockfleth method (which requires some practice).
Another issue with blade grinders is their high speed and the generation of heat. This can cause the ground to become burned and produce an bitter flavor. Burr grinders are more cool and don't generate as much heat, which preserves the flavor of the beans.
The final drawback of the blade grinder is that it's extremely easy to over-grind your beans. The grinder can generate a lot heat and your beans will eventually be over-extracted. This will cause a bitter brew. To avoid this, always pause the grinder before turning it back on again.
Blade grinders are an easy cost-effective method to grind coffee at home. However, they're not the best option for those who are serious about their coffee-brewing. For the best results, you'll want to use a burr mill and whole beans. You should invest in your brewing experience and purchase a quality grinder that will deliver on every coffee need!
If you're looking to upgrade from your blade grinder, look through our top picks for top burr grinders available on the market. The kind of grinder you pick will affect the quality of your brewing as well as your beverage. So, consider your budget, space and preferred method of brewing prior to making a choice.
Grounds burned Grounds
A blade grinder employs a sharp blade to crush the beans. The blade spins at high speeds, like a blender. As the blade rotates at a quick pace, heat is produced which can cause a fire to some of your grounds of coffee. These particles will alter the flavor of your coffee and aren't ideal for brewing.
A premium coffee experience demands an even distribution of particles for optimal flavour extraction during the brewing process. This consistency is not achievable with a blade mill that breaks the beans into large and small pieces. A burr mill, however produces a uniform distribution of particles sizes that can be replicated across a variety of brews.
While the advantages of a grinder with blades include its low cost and quick operation, its major disadvantages are that it produces heat when it is used, creates irregularities in the size of the grind, and has no control over the final particle size. With a little bit of practice, however, there are ways to optimize results despite the inherent limitations of this kind of grinder.
When a burr mill, the user is able to easily adjust their desired grind size by adjusting the gap between the discs. This allows them extract the desired flavours every time from their favourite coffee beans. It takes a lot of practice to create a quality brew using a blade grinder.
An angle grinder is a potent tool that should be used only by trained professionals. It can cause grinding burn when employed incorrectly. This can cause localized changes to the metallographic surface of the workpiece. This can cause cracking that should be checked. If not, it could lead to teeth fracture and macropitting.
Grinding burn is a serious problem that can be caused by a variety of factors including excessive grinding pressure, inadequate cooling or inadequate training for operators. Wear the appropriate PPE when working with an angle grinder. This includes safety glasses with a face shield as well as steel toe boots. This will stop any hot sparks from flying off the machine and hitting people or equipment near by. These sparks are capable of reaching temperatures as high 3,600 degF and be destructive to materials like paint or even metal.
Brew that is disappointing
A blade grinder can chop your beans indiscriminately and result in different-sized beans. This uneven ground extracts at different rates, resulting in the cup being bitter or weak of coffee. This affects the balance of a fantastic cup. The soluble components from your beans are extracted slowly and create the flavor.
You've probably heard that using the burr mill rather than a blade mill is the best way for a great beer. Many people don't understand what a burr mill does. They buy the flimsy blade grinders that are uncontrollable and difficult to control they can purchase at the supermarkets or places like kitchens.
The basic idea is that these grinders have a blade with two pronged at the bottom of a chamber that spins fast and chops up anything it strikes, including your coffee beans. The blade is activated by pressing a button. It then chops coffee beans into various sized pieces. Small pieces fall to the bottom and are chopped again, while the larger pieces stay towards the top of the chamber. This causes uneven ground which are difficult to determine.
These grinders can also burn your beans, ruining your coffee. The heat also removes some of the flavor from your beans, so you're left with a bland cup of coffee.
If you've grind your own coffee with a blade grinder and you're ready to get rid of it and upgrade to a better. A burr grinder will accomplish the job for a fraction of the price and provide a better result. It's worth the investment. If you're looking to have more control over the brew try a manual burr grinder, such as the Rhino hand grinder. These grinders have burrs, but are powered by turning a crank, which provides more control than a plug-in or electric grinder.