If you are a true coffee enthusiast, then you know the secret to brewing that perfect cup of coffee starts with freshly ground beans. However, selecting the right grinder can be a cumbersome process due to the large variety and price ranges available. Before, making a mad dash to grab the first one you see, decide which type of grinder will suit your needs.
Essentially grinders can be categorized into two main categories. There is the older variety of blade grinders and relative newcomers called burr grinders. The burr type grinders use two moving surfaces called burrs to tear the beans into even sized chunks while the older variety employ high speed spinning blades to chop the beans.
For those on a budget, a blade grinder might be the better option as they tend to generally be cheaper than the burr grinders. Besides price, they have several advantages over the burr type grinders. Typically, blade grinders tend to be smaller in size compared to burr grinders and less bulky, this makes them the ideal choice for those short of space. Since they are compact in size, it also makes them portable, so you can enjoy your special brew where ever you go. They are much easier to clean than burr grinders. Simply wipe with a moist paper towel and you are done. With burr grinders on the other hand, the natural oils found in coffee grinds bind the grinds to the surface of the burrs and prying the grinds from the burrs is a tedious job. If the grinds are left to accumulate, they interfere with the taste of coffee you make with the next batch of beans you grind. If you make coffee several times a day, the amount of time you spend cleaning adds up quickly! Finally, blade grinders get the same job done much faster.
The biggest complain about blade grinders is that they don’t grind the beans evenly. The mixture of different grind sizes means that extraction will be uneven; leading to a cup of coffee that does not taste as good as it can. If you are not a perfectionist, then there are tricks you can use to minimize the grind size issue, and come up with a better than average cup of coffee. The final decision will have to be made based on what suits your lifestyle better. It is a matter of price, speed, portability, and ease of cleaning versus a negligible sacrifice in taste.
Bosch Coffee Grinder:
The Bosch 6000 is a blade grinder available in black and white colours. It is a quality product produced by a company of long standing reputation. Founded by Robert Bosch in 1886, the company is known for making precision machinery and kitchen appliances.
The Bosch grinder is lightweight, with a height of nearly seven inches and a capacity of three ounces. The fact that it is a simple machine, requiring only the push of a single button, makes it that much more practical. The transparent lid allows you to see the size of the grinds so you have greater control over what you are processing. The slanted basket design which allows the coffee to be swirled as the beans are being ground, means the grounds come out more even sized compared to blade grinder with flat bottoms. Furthermore, the basket is sufficiently deep and broad which means it can be easily accessed for not only cleaning but dispensing the grinds as well. The 180 watt motor is easy on electricity consumption yet powerful enough to get the job done quickly.
The only drawback of the unit is its control button. Its location on the side is not very comfortable and gives a feel of being a bit fragile.
Customer Reviews:
Customers who have used the Bosch 6000 grinder for a number of years claim that people who complain about grind size should pulse the beans instead of running the grinder continuously. It is also recommended to shake the grinder between the pulses to better distribute the beans so they get ground more evenly. They claim that it works great and if this technique of grinding is used, the burr grinder will not be missed.
Many customers find the angled basket to further help with grinding beans more evenly, as the slants keep the beans in the blades’ path. The loud noise is a frequent complaint about blade grinders, but not with the Bosch 6000. Those who are using it find its motor to be quieter and more powerful than most other grinders of same quality and price range.
