By now, you know that we at GGC Coffee believe that a great grinder is the most important piece of equipment in your coffee routine.
It’s important that the coffee for every brew is ground according to its method or you will have a bitter or weak cup.
And the best way to ensure that you’re going to get the best result is to have a burr grinder. If you don’t believe me, check out my article, burrs vs blades and let the facts convince you.
And since we’ll be looking at one of each today, you should give my article on the differences between conical burrs and flat burrs.
But if you’re in a hurry, here is you a quick guide to burrs (and why they’re so important.)
Burrs, unlike blades that hack away at whole beans willy nilly, break the beans down by halving each piece until it meets your desired grind size.
Flat burrs are two discs with strategically etched teeth. Your whole bean moves from the mouth at the center to the circumference where it is pushed off and fed into your container or portafilter.
Conical burrs are made up of a center and a cone. The grounds are fed into the widest part of the cone at the top and are broken down by a series of teeth which get finer and finer as the bean descends and becomes grounds.
This method is often thought of as more effective.Since the contraption is dependent on gravity, the motor turn the pieces at a slower pace, causing less heat damage to the grounds.
There is another choice to make after shape, and that’s material. Which is better, ceramic or steel?
Ceramic will take decades to dull, but they are exponentially more delicate– not to mention hard to replace.
Whereas steel is durable, but prone to losing it’s edge after a few hundred grinds.
For more on that check out our in-depth article here.
Now that you have an idea of your broad choices, let’s narrow them down to two machines from Capresso.
This US based company started in the mid-90’s and has produced an array of coffee equipment that they regularly update.
Capresso specializes in innovative grinders.
Please allow me to represent two of the best grinders on the market.
Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder
The Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder is made of hard plastic, so it’s easy to move and store.
It has a large 1/2 pound hopper.
It’s flat ceramic burrs are a little loud, but take your whole beans down to your desired grind size. You can choose between 17 settings just by rotating the adjustable dial located on its side.
These settings range from french press coarse to a fine drip that would also work for espresso with a pressurized portafilter.
The designers included a list of recommended brewing systems that are Capresso made.
It is also equipped with a toggle on the front which controls the volume amount from 2-12 cups.
Its grounds are caught in a 5 ounce container that can sometimes get static-y. There’s a trick though! After each grind, give the front of the rig a tap-tap-tap before popping the container out of place.
An additional amazing feature is the safety lock which ensures that the motor stops running when the container or lid is not snapped into place!
The Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder is a great entry-level grinder. It is relatively inexpensive and built to last! Just push the on/off button and get consistent grounds in seconds for every brew.
Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder
Although it is consistent in the durable plastic design, the Capresso Infinity has completely different innards.
It has an 8.8 oz hopper that feeds into the Infinity’s steel conical burrs.
The shape allows the machine to run a bit slower at 500 rotations per minute. This prevents the beans from overheating and tasting burnt by the end of the brewing cycle– not to mention the added perk of being very quiet.
There are 16 settings in total. The rotating hopper has 4 sections “extra fine,” “fine,” “medium,” and “coarse.” Each of these sections has 4 micro increments which gives the user more control.
The timer on the front keeps track of the grind for 5-60 seconds.
The grounds are caught in a 4 ounce container bin. This design has the same static problem, but if you follow the tap-tap-tap rule, you shouldn’t have any problems.
This model also comes with a scoop to keep the mess contained.
Although Capresso markets the Infinity as being capable of grinding fine enough for espresso, it will only work with a pressurized portafilter.
If you keep that in mind, this Capresso model will be a great addition to your coffee routine.
It’s dependable and durable. But replacement parts are readily available should something go wrong.
Any grinder from the Capresso family is a great choice, but these two really are the best on the market.
Why wait? Click on either of the photos to make your purchase today!