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There is a wide range of electric coffee
grinders available for the domestic market, most with some sort of
receptacle or space for catching the ground coffee, which never needs to
hold more than enough coffee for a day or two. There are two general
designs for domestic grinders - those which simply cut the beans with a
propeller-type blade, and those which truly grind the beans between
metal discs. Blade, or
propeller grinder
The most common kind of home coffee
grinder is the rotating blade, or propeller grinder. This type, which
sometimes comes as an accessory for a blender or some other food
processor, is almost useless when it comes to coffee. The first problem
is that it is nearly impossible to get uniformity of grind, which means
that the coffee liquid will be very unevenly extracted. The larger
chunks are wasted if they are too coarse for the water to penetrate. The
fine powder particles will quickly saturate and yield bitterness, and
can also clog a filter basket and create sediment in cups of plunger-pot
coffee.
With a blade grinder it is best to
grind small amounts of beans, shaking them up and down in the hope that
the propellers will get to all the particles. Running the machine in
short bursts will help you avoid scorching the beans from overheating.
Al least it is relatively easy to keep a blade-type grinder clean and
avoid contamination with rancid coffee oils. With the machine unplugged,
use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe the chamber and the blades. The
plastic lid is washable, but must be carefully rinsed, so as not to
leave a soapy taste for the beans to absorb.
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