Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

Exploring the Potential of Drones in Coffee Production 

New drone technology has the potential to revolutionize coffee farming from the air. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Cover photo by David Henrichs via Unsplash In an ever-evolving technological landscape, coffee producers have begun turning to drones in an attempt to increase efficiency and operations. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer a wide range of […]


Interest in coffee & health is rising – what do consumers need to know?

There is a wealth of scientific research available about the many health benefits of coffee – as well as the undesirable side effects of drinking too much. But like all fields of science, research about the impact of drinking coffee on human health is ever-changing as we uncover new findings.  Interestingly, the continuous discovery of […]


U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

More than 100 competitors brought their talent to Baltimore to take part in six competitions, and 63 will progress to nationals in April. BY NATE KLOCKBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos by Matthew Temple courtesy of the U.S. Coffee Championships Last weekend, my hometown welcomed the U.S. Coffee Championships (USCC) qualifiers with the charm only Baltimore could […]


Thread Coffee Roasters Opens Tailor-Made Roastery in Baltimore

The interwoven actions of Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore are finding exponentially more space this week with the grand opening of a brand-new production roastery and training lab. The worker-owned…

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

Congrats to the Top-Ranking Qualifiers at U.S. CoffeeChamps Denver

Dozens of coffee professionals competed at qualifiers this weekend in Colorado for coveted spots at the U.S. Coffee Championships next month. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Cover photo by J. Marie Carlan For competitive coffee professionals in the USA, the U.S. Coffee Championships are the place to be. Over the weekend, the second USCC […]


5 Cool Cafés Worth a Try in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, one of Thailand’s most fascinating cities, is home to a vibrant specialty-coffee scene, with many cafés and roasteriess often offering locally grown coffee. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tim Durgan via Unsplash With a population of 3 million, Chiang Mai is a little (by Asian standards) gem in northern […]


Why it’s easier for wealthier producers to grow specialty coffee

It takes money – and sometimes a lot – to grow specialty coffee. Producers not only need to continuously maintain and improve quality and yields, but they also have to invest back into their farms. Whether it’s replacing equipment and machinery or planting more resilient varieties, producers need to turn a profit to operate their […]


Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

The popular hand grinder has more to offer with a new line of tools and accessories now available. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Feature photo by Tanya Nanetti To brew the perfect cup of coffee, it’s important to choose the right coffee equipment. One essential is a reliable coffee grinder. Most coffee lovers start with a […]

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

Bypass coffee brewing: How can it improve extraction?

There is a lot of science to brewing coffee. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we trigger – and try to control – an almost endless number of chemical reactions to achieve the perfect extraction. To do so, we have to tweak different variables – such as grind size, temperature, and coffee-to-water ratio – to get the […]


Don’t Skip the Budding Specialty-Café Culture in Quito, Ecuador

Introducing the specialty cafés of Quito, a city worth exploring on your coffee quest. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Stratto When traveling across South America, Ecuador can be forgotten between the high profiles of Colombia and Peru. Similarly, coffee from Ecuador may be overlooked due to its giant neighbors, including […]


The Caripe Variety: A Groundbreaking Milestone in Venezuelan Coffee Farming

Today, we unveil the story behind the Caripe variety and its significance for the Venezuelan coffee industry. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa via Unsplash In the heart of Venezuela, nestled among the picturesque states of Monagas, Anzoátegui, and Sucre, lies a legacy deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. This […]


Ukraine’s Soloway Coffee Opens First US Shop in Chicago

A specialty coffee roasting company based in western Ukraine called Soloway Coffee (Instagram link) this week opened its first location in the United States. Beans roasted in Ternopil, Ukraine, using…

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

If you take the title at face value, my job is done. If you need to be convinced, here goes…

With the winter holidays coming up and my Baratza Encore deciding to have electrical issues, I needed a coffee grinder for the few pounds of beans in my kitchen cabinet. Amazon wouldn't get a new Encore to me in time so I went to my local Williams Sonoma and bought a Cuisinart automatic burr grinder. A burr grinder's a burr grinder, I thought, and since it was almost half the price of an Encore I went for it and hoped for the best.

Right out of the box there were issues. Cheap construction, tiny and absurdly inconsistent ceramic burrs, and an automatic "number of cups" dispensing method instead of a toggle or hold switch. "No biggie" I thought, figuring that the flat burrs might perform OK and that I could just slam it to the highest cup setting to make sure all the beans were ground.

On to the brew test. I loaded in 18g of coffee with the grinder set to just under "Medium" which was the recommended setting for auto-drip and usually a good starting point for Aeropress, plugged it in, moved the super cheap feeling slider to 10 cups, and pressed start.

When I tell you that the grinder sounded like a jet turbine winding up on a runway, I am not exaggerating. The only thing keeping it from hitting approximately 500,000rpm was the presence of coffee beans in the hopper, and once there were only a few left, it kept going faster and faster and faster to the point where the last remaining beans didn't have a chance to get in between the burrs without being flung back out into the hopper.

The end result was a ridiculously inconsistent grind and lots of static cling, despite adding water to the beans as recommended by our lord and saviour Hoffman. It did not make a good cup of coffee. I might have been able to get a better result with a blade grinder.

Maybe I'm just spoiled because I got to use the Encore for the past year and a half, but this was a truly abysmal experience. The Baratza was loud but it had torque, a reasonable speed, almost perfect consistency, and a no-frills easy to use interface. Everything about it instilled confidence in a good end result being in my coffee cup, something which Cuisinart is incapable of creating. I intend to return this unit after Thanksgiving and buy another Encore or Virtuoso

Now I know, and I hope my experience can help you know, that some things aren't worth spending less on. If you don't want to shell out for a good conical or flat burr grinder, get a hand grinder. It'll be more work but you'll get a much better cup of coffee than a cheap electric burr grinder can produce.

​

Tldr; if you're looking at electric burr grinders and can't afford a good one, consider a hand grinder or buying preground coffee from a coffee shop because both of those will give you a much better result than a sub $100 electric grinder.

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Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Please Do Not Cheap Out On Your Electric Grinder

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