Welcome to coffee-grinders.com. This is the best place to find top-notch coffee grinders and espresso machines.  As specialists, we have developed an extensive knowledge of the coffee grinder industry that allows us to meet your needs. We do not carry the inferior blade grinders that you see at large retail outlets. These overheat the beans and change their flavor as they operate. Our products are all burr coffee grinders, flexible enough to provide several degrees of fineness in the grind, and precision-engineered to avoid overheating.

We offer both home and commercial units. We can provide big machines capable of serving large number of customers, and we also have an array of home machines that are both quiet and efficient. We also carry the sleekest Italian models at competitive prices. We hope you will love the aroma of the freshly ground coffee as you prepare your own brew from newly roasted beans. Whether in the café or your own kitchen, a pot of coffee brewed from freshly ground beans always carries a special aroma and flavor that can’t be duplicated.

A Buyer's Guide to Understanding Coffee Grinders and Espresso Machines

There is nothing like the taste and aroma found in a hot cup of coffee that was made from freshly ground coffee beans. The time it takes to grind your own coffee is well worth it. You simply can't achieve the same wonderful results if you purchase packaged pre-ground coffee. Once the coffee bean has been ground it begins to lose its aroma and subtle flavors thus altering its character. The general "life span" of ground coffee can be as little as few hours to a few days. We recommend you only grind as much coffee as needed for each pot of coffee or shot of espresso.

Before we talk about coffee grinders we first want to define the different coffee "grinds".

Course Grind: As the name implies, the grinds are fairly large. This grind is suitable for percolators, coffee presses, pour through makers, and drip coffee makers.

Medium Grind: This grind is known as the general purpose grind for all coffee makers. The size of the grounds resembles the consistency of table salt. However, you would not want to use this grind setting for making espresso.

Fine Grind: This grind setting would be used for espresso primarily, but it also works well with drip and pour-through coffee makers. Because the grind is finer, there is more surface area for the water to come in contact with. This generally offers a richer and stronger flavor.

Turkish Grind: This is the finest of all grinds and closely resembles a powdered sugar like consistency. This grind is commonly used with commercial espresso machines and home espresso machines without cream enhancing devices. This grind will allow water to extract the most flavors out of the coffee in the shortest time. Most home coffee grinders will be unable to produce a Turkish grind as it requires a powerful grinding mechanism. Most coffee grinders found in bulk coffee sections of supermarkets and coffee stores are capable of producing a Turkish grind.

Many manufacturers offer fairly decent coffee grinders these days. Before choosing what coffee grinder to buy, you have to determine what type of coffee maker you are using. Various coffee makers and espresso machines require different size coffee grounds from fairly course to very fine. Below we provide a list of the three most common coffee grinders found on the market and provide a short description of each.

Blade Grinders

This grinder consists of a small barrel with a sharp metal blade that spins at a very high rate of speed. It chops the coffee beans repeatedly until the desired consistency is reached. The fineness of the coffee grounds is determined by the length of time you activate the grinder. This is the most commonly seen coffee grinder making appearances at nearly every kitchen supply store, department store, and supermarket.

Grinding applications: Course, Medium, Fine (but not recommended for espresso due to poor grind consistency).

Advantages: usually the least expensive of all grinders. It usually features ease of maintenance and it is adequate for most coffee makers such as coffee presses, drip coffee makers, and pour through coffee makers.

Disadvantages: If you are willing to spend more money for a better coffee grinder we recommend buying a burr grinder (explained below). By chopping the beans, the blade is unable to cut the beans into consistently sized pieces or grounds. They also tend to burn the coffee grounds due to the high heat produced during the grinding process.  This negatively impacts the flavor of your coffee as compared to burr grinders.

Burr Grinders

The burr grinding method is the most recommended for nearly every coffee brewing application. They grind coffee beans by crushing them between a grinding wheel and stationary grind surface (versus chopping like a blade grinder). Burr grinders come in two main formats. The first and usually the least expensive is the "Wheel Type" burr grinder. The second and often more expensive type is the "Conical Burr Grinder."

Flat Burr Grinder: This utilizes a wheel with burrs molded into it. The wheel spins at a very high speed which gives off the characteristic high pitched whining noise. The coffee beans fall through the grinding chute that are then crushed between the grinding wheel and a stationary grinding surface. Mazzer Super Jolly is an example of a flat burr coffee grinder.

Grinding applications: Course, Medium, Fine

Advantages: They offer a much better grind consistency and don't tend to burn the coffee grounds as much as a blade grinder. They work well as a general purpose grinder from coffee presses up to most espresso machines. You can set them to grind from 2-12 cups. Some will shut off when the desired amount of coffee grounds has been achieved based on the number of cups of coffee you wish to make.

Disadvantages: They tend to be louder than a blade grinder or conical grinder. Sometimes the grinder chute clogs when oily or flavored coffee beans are used. They can develop a static charge which causes the grounds to stick to the inside of the grounds catcher too.  

Conical Burr Grinder: The best type! This utilizes a cone shaped grinding wheel that grinds against a stationary grinding surface. The coned shaped wheel spins at very slow speeds. The coffee beans fall through the grinding chute and then crushed between the grinding wheel and a stationary grinding surface.

Grinding applications: Course, Medium, Fine - works better than a wheel type burr grinder for espresso!

Advantages: The grinding cone spins much slower producing a much better grind consistency, virtually no burning of the grounds, little or no static charge, and they tend to clog less. They are more tolerant of oily and flavored coffee beans. They work well as a general purpose grinder from drip coffee makers to all espresso machines. Many now feature a timer that allows you to set the duration the grinder will grind. You can set it to grind from 2-12 cups and it will shut off when the desired amount of coffee grounds has been achieved based on the number of cups of coffee you wish to make.

Disadvantages: They usually cost more than wheel type burr grinders otherwise we can't really see any other reasons not to buy one!

Espresso Machines

Great espresso making is part science, part practice and an artist’s touch. Great espresso requires good equipment too. These machines are higher performing and as a result more complex than standard coffee makers.

Quality espresso requires quality machines. We strongly encourage you to buy with an eye for the future. Don’t skimp and buy cheap machines.  

Here is how an espresso machine works – water almost at the boiling point is forced through the packed coffee grounds. To brew espresso well and consistently, 9 bars is the minimum pressure necessary. Quality machines produce between 9 and 18 bars. More pressure does not a better espresso make. 9 or 10 is the perfect range.

The boiler on the espresso machine is what is responsible for heating the water and maintaining it at the proper temperature for brewing and steaming milk. How long the machine takes to heat back up is referred to as recovery time. Better machines have large, high quality boilers which speeds up or even eliminates the need for recovery time. Bear this in mind when deciding on which units to consider.

Manual Espresso Machines:

A manual espresso machines uses a lever to force water through the grounds. They are not for the average user - the consistent pulling of the lever takes practice to master. Since the amount of time to extract a shot is essential, it can be hard to “pull” great shots. 

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines:

Semi automatics are the most common home espresso machines and are ideal for the coffee enthusiast.  A semi automatic machine lets you add the coffee to the portafilter manually. Also the pump starts and stops when the user pushes the brew button. The machine also requires that you clean the portafilter after each brewing. Since you can start and stop the brew cycle, these machines deliver the highest oversight on your shots.

Automatic Espresso Machines:

If you’re more interested in convenience, then an automatic machine is for you. These machines have electronic controls to start and stop the brew cycles at preset levels. If you are a skilled barista - semi automatics can be the way to go. If you are not really interested in practicing, an automatic will produce the superior drink.