How Do Burr Grinders Work? An In-depth User Guide

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Have you ever wondered “ How do burr grinders work?”. Have you been nerve-racking when considering what type of burr grinders you should go for? If so, you should probably refer to this article to find out more about this topic.

There are two differentiated types of burr grinders on the market, flat burr grinder, and conical burr grinder. However, both burr grinders are able to maintain the freshness of the coffee as much as possible as they create the desired size ground.

How Do Burr Grinders Work?

That said, there are two types of burr grinders – flat burr grinders and conical burr grinders. They function similarly by crushing coffee beans into smaller pieces in the space created by two burrs – one burr remains stationary while the other one spins around.

However, there are some slight differences between the two models in the way they process coffee beans.

How Flat Burr Grinders Work?

To be specific, flat burr grinders contain two identical and parallel ring-shaped plates that are horizontally abrasive on the side and face the other. This type of grinder crushes coffee beans by rotating one of the burrs while the other stays still.

The coffee beans are continuously broken down into pieces until they are small enough to get through the thin edges between the two burrs by centrifugal force.

How Conical Burr Grinders Work?

Conical burr grinders, similarly, work on the same mechanism. However, instead of using the plates, the tasks are given to a stably cone-shaped screw with ridges and an abrasive tunnel that transfers the coffee beans from the canister down to the spiraling space between the two burrs.

The force from the grinding burrs combined with gravity pushes the crushed coffee particles down to the bottom of the grinder and to the outer edges of the burrs.

By adjusting the gap between the two spinning abrasive surfaces, you can easily change the size of the ground coffee particles. A wider gap makes your grind sizes coarser while a smaller gap creates more excellent grounds.

That said, the most striking features of conical and flat burrs are the same; they can both grind coffee beans to produce high-quality coffee grounds.

Hence, unless there is a specific reason you need to use a flat burr grinder, we recommend using a conical one as it is quieter, on average, cheaper, and produces less heat and wastage.

The Difference Between Burr Grinders And Blade Grinders

Many people also wonder about the differences between burr grinders and blade grinders. Well, burr grinders are different from blade grinders in terms of how they grind the coffee beans.

Specifically, blade grinders include a blade at the bottom to chop coffee beans up, leading to inconsistent coffee grinds. Burr grinders, on the other hand, process coffee nuts consistently by contacting two opposite rugged surfaces vertically or horizontally.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this piece of information has provided you with a more in-depth outlook on “How do burr grinders work?”. To those who are searching for the best experience drawn from freshly made coffee grounds, burr grinders, perhaps, are the best idea after all.

Although there are two types of burr grinders on the market, their operation and features are almost the same when it comes to producing coffee particles of uniform size – a key determinant of how your cup of coffee will taste.

Best wishes to you on your way of creating the lip-smacking cup of coffee.

Thanks for reading!

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