French Press Coffee Grind Size

[DramaQueen]

Here ya' go, DQ Differences between burr and blade grinders

We use a moderately priced burr grinder that we bought at Starbucks a few years ago. I'm pretty sure it is the noisy, messy one that is referred to, but it works well for us, because we grind coarse for french press and extra fine for the espresso maker, and in-between for the drip coffee maker. (Yes, we are coffee freaks).

Well, thank you very much. I learned something today. Now not only do I have to make a decision between the burr and the blade grinder, I have to decide between the wheel or the conical burr.

 

[momerlyn]

I use a french press with regular drip grind, because I am too lazy to grind my own or buy it separately. I have gotten really good at it (a far cry from the lousy cup I made for your almost-sister-in-law a couple of years ago) and I actually prefer it to drip coffee now. I have a single-serving press, but my next coffee maker may just be a large french press!

 

[Bigjim68]

I agree about the ease of grinding coffee beans. I'm wondering about the burr grinder. I have a blade grinder and have no idea what a burr grinder is and how it differs. Tell me please.

A blade grinder chops the beans similar to a food processor. A burr grinder has a rotating ball or wheel that grinds the coffee, similar to a pepper mill. Some say that a blade grinder heats the coffee bean, and it is harder to control as you are the judge of quantity and grind. My burr grinder, a Cuisinart adjusts for grind and measures a preset amount. Also, the hopper holds a half pound, eliminating the necessity of filling the grinder each grind. All that is necesary to grind the coffee is to hit a button, and pour the ground coffee out. Spin the hopper and you get a different grind, move the lever, and you can vary the quantity.