Blade Grinder - Why You Shouldn't Use One

Blade grinders are equipped with blades that look like propellers (think blenders). They are used to chop coffee beans. They are cheaper than burr grinders, and are easy to clean but don't produce uniform ground and can lead to over-extraction and bitterness in your brew.

A premium coffee experience requires uniform particle distribution which is only possible with the burr grinder. It's no wonder coffee bean grinder machine experts hate burr grinders.

Inconsistent Grinds

You may have noticed that the results of your grinding aren't always consistent if you've used a blade mill for a long time. The grinding device is likely wear out and dull. As the grinder gets older it will produce different sized pieces of beans. This can result in different degrees of coarseness. It's challenging for your coffee brewer to get the same, balanced taste with these different-sized particles.

Blade grinders use a propeller-like rotating blade to break beans. It cuts the beans into smaller and smaller pieces, which are then dropped into a catcher via a screen. While this method is effective, it's not ideal to get the perfect grind for your brew. Burr grinders are a better option. A burr grinder is a much larger machine that has a powerful motor and two grinding burrs. The burrs are set to an exact distance from each other and this determines the degree of coarseness of the coffee you grind.

If the burrs are too close together, they will pulverize the beans, rather than cutting them. The result is a finer, less coarse ground. They are also more fragile, which could negatively affect the taste of your coffee. If the burrs however, are too dispersed, it will result in large chunks of coffee that are coarsely ground. It is crucial to select a coffee grinder that has an adjustment that is in line with the coarseness you desire.

A sharp blade, adjusted properly, will produce a consistent and fine grind for your coffee. If you notice that your grind is becoming increasingly uneven, it might be time to replace the burrs or the blade. If you haven't yet done so, you must also change the grind setting to achieve a more even grind.

It's also worth mentioning that if your machine produces clumped up grounds it is an indication of worn-out or damaged blades. The clumping happens due to tiny particles sticking to one another and larger pieces of grounds making larger granules that don't dissolve well in water. This happens more frequently as your burrs become duller.

Uneven Extraction

If you're brewing drip, French press, or pour-over the size of your grounds play an important role in the extraction of flavor. Uneven ground sizes cause uneven extraction, creating an imbalanced cup of coffee.

As the beans move through a blade grinder, they are cut and shred randomly, leading to an uneven distribution of grind particle sizes. A blade grinder creates an assortment of larger fragments, near-dust size particles and everything between. These different grind sizes are extracted at different rates, resulting in an inconsistent and often bitter cup of coffee.

In addition, the lack of uniformity results in problems with the tamping process and filtration. With a burr mill you can get a uniform particle size, allowing for better tamping and filtering, which prevents over-extraction. It is harder to achieve an even grind using a blade grinder. You may need to tamp from side-to-side, or use the Stockfleth Method (which requires some practice).

The high speed and the heat produced by blade grinders is a different issue. They can cause the ground to burn and create a bitter taste. Burr grinders generate less heat and are cooler, thus preserving the flavor of the beans.

Another drawback of grinding with a blade is that it's easy to over-grind your beans. Continuously running the grinder generates a lot of heat, which can cause your beans to be excessively extracted, leading to bitter brew. To avoid this, always pause your grinder before turning it back on.

The use of a blade grinder is a convenient and inexpensive way to grind your coffee at home, however, it's not the best option for those who are serious about their brewing. For the most effective results, you'll need to utilize a burr mill as well as whole beans. Make sure you purchase a high-quality coffee grinder that meets all your needs.

Take a look at our top picks of the top burr mills available on the market if you're looking to upgrade your blade grinder. The right choice of grinder is a crucial choice that will impact the brewing process and overall cup quality, therefore, you should consider your budget, your space and the method you prefer to use when deciding on the best grinder.

Grounds Burned Grounds

With the blade grinder, you're using a sharp blade that rotates like a blender at a high speed to chop up the beans. As the blade moves at a fast speed there is a lot of heat produced that may burn up some of your grounds of coffee. These particles can ruin the taste of your commercial coffee grinder and aren't suitable for brewing.

For a first-class experience an even distribution of particles is required for optimal flavour extraction. This is not possible with a blade mill that breaks the beans up into small and large pieces. A burr grinder however, achieves a uniform distribution of particles that can be reproduced over many types of brews.

While the benefits of a blade grinder include its low price and fast operation, its clear disadvantages are that it produces heat when used, causes inconsistencies in grind size, and has no control over the final particle size. With a bit of practice, however, there are ways to optimize results despite the inherent limitations of this kind of grinder.

When paired with a burr mill, users can easily adjust the distance between the grinding discs in order to adjust the exact ground size of their choice. This lets them extract the desired flavours every time they drink their favorite roast beans. It requires a lot of practice to make a great drink using a grinder blade.

An angle grinder is an extremely powerful tool that should be utilized only by qualified personnel. It could cause grinding burn if it is used improperly. This can cause localized changes to the metal surface of the workpiece. This could cause cracks, which is not properly checked, can eventually lead to macropitting and teeth fracture.

Grinding burn is a serious issue that can be caused by a variety of reasons, including excessive grinding pressure, inadequate cooling or inadequate operator training. If you are planning to use an angle grinder, be sure to wear the proper PPE including gloves with a face shield safety glasses, Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder Electric (Humanlove.Stream) toe boots and long sleeves. This will prevent hot sparks from flying off the wheel and hitting equipment or people close by. These sparks can reach temperatures as high as 3,600 degF, and can burn through materials such as paint or metal.

Brew that is disappointing

A blade grinder can chop your beans in a random manner and result in different-sized beans. This uneven ground extracts at different rates, leading to a weak or bitter cup of coffee. This affects the balance of a fantastic cup. The soluble components from your beans are extracted slowly making the flavor.

You've probably heard that using a burr mill instead of blade mills is the best way to make an excellent beer. But many people don't know how to use a burr grinder or even what it does and so they purchase one of the cheap, uncontrollable, blade grinders that are easy to find in grocery stores and kitchen-type places.

The grinders that are available for sale are essentially an angled blade with two pronged edges that sit in the middle of an enclosed chamber. It spins rapidly and chops anything it touches, including your beans. You press a button activate it and the blade cuts up your beans into a plethora of different sized pieces. The small pieces drop to the bottom of the chamber, and are then chopped up again, whereas the larger pieces remain at the top. This makes for uneven grounds that are hard to measure accurately - which is why you can't be sure of how much ground coffee your grinder produced.

Another issue with these grinders is that they produce a lot of heat while they grind, which could burn your beans and ruin the coffee you drink. The heat also takes away some of the flavor from your beans, so you're left with a less-than-delicious cup of coffee.

If you've been grinding your own coffee using a blade grinder and you're ready to get rid of it and upgrade to a better. A burr mill can complete the job for a fraction of the cost, and will produce a much superior result. It's worth it. Try an manual burr mill, such as the Rhino Hand Grinder if want greater control over the brew. These grinders feature burrs, but they are powered by the crank. This gives you more control than a plug-in electrical grinder.