Manual coffee grinder: features, types, advantages

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Real coffee lovers know that the secret of the perfect drink lies not only in the right choice of coffee beans, but also in the features of their grinding. Today, there are electric coffee grinders that allow you to prepare the basis for a future hot drink in a few seconds. However, this grinding is by no means comparable to the aromatic, full-bodied ground beans that can only be obtained in a manual coffee grinder.

What are the advantages of such a coffee grinder?

The first weighty argument in favor of a manual grinder is the opportunity to enjoy the very process of making coffee. It takes up to 5-6 minutes to grind grains in a hand mill. However, true connoisseurs of an invigorating drink are sure that such a waste of time fully pays off with its rich taste and unique aroma. Other benefits of a manual coffee grinder include:

• the ability to change the subtletygrinding;
• coffee with such gentle processing does not burn through and transfers all its flavor to the drink;
• you can safely take a manual coffee grinder with you on the road and even to nature.

In addition, it is enough to clean the mill a couple of times a year, and with the help of environmentally friendly material, rice: first you need to grind a few grains of cereals, and then pass coffee through the millstones. Everything - your miracle "machine" will again become clean and ready for further work. The price is also important - in comparison with the electric one, it costs an order of magnitude cheaper.

What does this windmill look like?

Features of manual coffee grinders are that they consist of a container into which grains are poured, millstones grinding them and a handle that sets the millstones in motion (gears are the connecting link between the latter). The principle of operation is as follows: coffee grains poured into the upper container through a small hole wake up down and find themselves between a moving burr-auger and a stationary wheel equipped with special teeth. Here, the grains are carefully ground, after which they wake up in the lower container or a special drawer (it all depends on the type of mill). Changing the fineness of grinding is very simple: just change the distance between the moving burr and the stationary wheel.

What are manual coffee grinders?

In stores you can find a manual coffee grinder in the form of a small box (cube) or a tall cylinder. The first is called European, the second - Eastern.

European coffee grinderthey are distinguished by an attractive appearance - in the kitchen it may well become an important element of decor - and the presence of a drawer in the box, into which, in fact, ground coffee falls. The handle can be located both on top and on the side, which makes it possible to choose the option that is more convenient for the coffee lover. Another point - when grinding grains, the European mill can be installed on the table and simply held by hand.

An Eastern, or Turkish, coffee grinder must be kept in hand when working, but it is much more convenient to do this than in the case of a European one. The handle is located only on top. The ground grains from the top are poured into the bottom. You can find options for an oriental mill that is installed directly on the Turk.

Role of a grinder in a manual coffee grinder

Thanks to their presence, coffee beans are carefully ground to the desired state - which one, the coffee lover himself determines. Therefore, the material from which the millstones are made plays a role here.

Most often you can find a manual coffee grinder with cast iron burrs. This is understandable: they are much cheaper than their other counterparts. So, they have both advantages and disadvantages. Cast iron millstones are more affordable, strong and durable, but over time they tend to wear out. Shavings in the latter case will fall into the coffee and give it a metallic taste.

Something similar happens with steel millstones. But they, among other things, are also covered with titanium, which is not onlygives the coffee grinder additional strength and wear resistance, but also increases its cost. The burrs, with their smooth texture, are easy to clean and do not absorb odors, but again, they can ruin coffee with a metallic taste.

An excellent option when choosing a manual coffee grinder is an example with ceramic millstones. They are not afraid of moisture, remain strong and sharp for a long time, do not spoil the aroma and taste of the drink. There is, perhaps, only one drawback: like other ceramic products, such millstones can become unusable, for example, if the coffee grinder is accidentally dropped.

Well, and, finally, the ideal version of a manual mill - with stone millstones. This material is distinguished by its extraordinary strength, environmental friendliness, resistance to moisture and foreign odors, and the ability, if necessary, to grind grains into dust. With such qualities, the high price of such a coffee grinder does not become an obstacle to buying - after all, with proper care, a mill with stone millstones will last for decades.

Don't forget the little things

To finally close the question of how to choose a coffee grinder for getting the perfect drink, there are a few more points to note.

• It is better to calculate the size of the grinder in advance, based on how much coffee is usually required for one brew and what type of drink you intend to prepare (espresso, French press, etc.).
• If the coffee grinder becomes an interior detail, perhaps you should pay attention not only to the material from which its body is made, the features of the finish, but alsoto be able to remove the handle. This, by the way, will help to make the windmill more compact if you plan to take it on the road often.
• Coffee grinder without housing - it is installed directly on the cezve - suitable for those who appreciate the aroma and taste of hand-ground coffee, but still prefer to save time on preparing a drink.