Grinding + Grinders FAQ
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Grinding
I have a Capresso Grinder which I bought recently to burr grind my coffee. It generates so much static that, in spite of knocking on the plastic receptacle to get the grounds to settle down, leaves a large mess of statically charged grounds all over the counter. Can you tell me anything about how your Hearthware Supremo grinder handles static? I'm interested in trying it, even though my Capresso cost almost 3 times more.
All coffee grinders generate statically charged grounds, especially as the grinder gets finer (espresso). I have not used a Capresso yet (had heard nice things about them, though) so I don't know exactly where the charged grounds are collecting and causing problems for you. I have used our Hearthware burr grinder extensively and have not had any major problem with static grounds. It is the best value burr coffee grinder in the market. To deal with statically charged coffee grounds, I have found that the best way to "clean up" and collect the grounds is to use a new, clean bristle paint brush (either one-inch wide of the pencil-type artist brush), instead of just shaking the coffee receptacle, which seems not to do much. The brushes break the static cling and also sweep the coffee grounds quite nicely. You may want to try our "brush trick" and/or buy a Hearthware grinder and write a review as to how it compares with the Capresso.
I've never owned a grinder before. People tell me that burr is the way to go. I've read that many grinders create static electricity, making it a messy proposition to pour the freshly ground coffee from the chamber. I've also read that some manufacturers use some form of anti-static wizardry to help prevent this. What can you tell me?
It all depends on how much money you want to spend. If money is not an issue, then yes I would go for a ceramic, conical burr grinder. You would pay close to $500 for a household grinder. If you want to make espresso, then you will also need a burr grinder, but it doesn't have to be with ceramic, conical burrs. Our best value, the Hearthware burr grinder, will do. If you only make drip (or press pot, or percolator) coffee, a powerful (over 120 watts) blade grinder will do. All grinders will create static electricity, and the cheaper ones will be the worst. However, this is a minor inconvenience, greatly exaggerated. You can break the static electricity, and solve the problem, by using a clean paint brush to scrape off the coffee grounds. In fact, most grinders come with a handy brush. You can buy a range of grinders from us on this site.
I use a hand grinder (coarse) to ground my coffee, can I use this ground coarse coffee for a stove-top brewer & Ibriks?
No, you need to grind coffee very finely for stove-top espresso (Mocha pot), and extremely fine for Ibrik (Turkish/Greek) brewers.