Know Your Grinder Parts

At some point, you will probably have to replace some of your coffee grinder parts, so it helps to know a little about the important pieces of your electric coffee grinder. Here are a few parts you should be familiar with:

Anti-static: When choosing from coffee grinders, look for an anti-static hopper or bean container.

Blade: Rotates and grinds the beans in a blade grinder.

Burr: The burr is the rough edge on the metal inside your grinder. These grind the beans in a burr grinder.

Cup sensor: This will allow you to choose the number of cups you will make to help you get just the right amount of grounds.

Grind setting indicator: This determines the size of the grounds. For espresso, the grinds should be fine - an average of 351-495 microns.

For a drip coffee maker, you will want medium grinds - an average of 701-1168 microns.

For French press, you will want coarse grinds - 1651-1918 microns.

Some grinders will name settings for the type of brew, removing confusion from deciding which setting to choose.

Ground coffee bin: This holds the grounds after grinding. Some machines will allow you to grind right into a basket or filter that goes into your coffee maker.

Hopper: This is a funnel shaped device or cylinder at the top of electric grinders. It holds the whole beans before they are ground. Small hoppers can hold a couple of ounces, while larger grinders can hold upwards of a pound.

If you choose a grinder with a capacity that far surpasses what you use per average grind, don’t fill it up. Use only what you need because you will get the best flavor from freshly ground beans.

Timer: Controls grinding time.