OnTheTable: Happiness is a Better Coffee grinder

Are you growing dissatisfied with your coffee at home? Have you been visiting the Springs’ new coffee shops, only to find that, comparatively, your homemade cup seems to be bitter, astringent and tannic? Would you like to discover how to reverse this seemingly intractable problem? Thankfully, On The Table has a solution that will redeem your home brew.

Repeat after us: “The grinder makes the coffee!” This little-known fact, one that few non-professionals know, is rivaled by only the quality of the coffee beans you purchase. For beans, try some local roasters. We recommend Switchback Coffee Roasters, Building Three Coffee Roasters, Loyal Coffee, Story Coffee Company or Hold Fast Coffee Co.

Once you have good beans, the type of grinder sitting on your kitchen counter exerts the most influence over the quality of your coffee. So erase that overpriced “espresso machine” from your Christmas list, and instead, learn more about coffee grinding.

WHY YOUR GRINDER MATTERS
The purpose of a grinder is to make coffee beans brew-able by increasing surface area for proper extraction. Water extracts components from the grounds — this is what “brewing” is. Think of pouring hot water over a pile of crushed ice; the ice dissolves into the water. Similarly, ground coffee partially dissolves in hot water.

Bevan Cammell, co-owner/head-roaster for Loyal Coffee Co., said brewing coffee first releases good things like sugars and acids, and then, if brewed too long, bad things, like tannins and starches. If coffee can be evenly extracted, the final result will consist more of the good and less of the bad.

The way to achieve even extraction is with a consistent grind via a good grinder. Picture again the dissolving ice: If the ice particles are uneven, the smaller pieces melt quickly, while the larger pieces take longer. If ground coffee is composed of dissimilar particle sizes, they too will extract unevenly, resulting in poor coffee. If, instead, you have similar particle sizes, you will have even extraction and good coffee.

HOW TO ACHIEVE EVEN GRINDING
There are three primary methods of grinding. The traditional Ethiopian way is to smash the beans with a mortar and pestle. This is inconsistent and messy. The second option is to whack the beans with the spinning arms of a blade grinder. This is less messy, but nearly as inconsistent as the mortar and pestle. The third and superior method is cutting the beans with a burr grinder.

The burr grinder’s adjustability ensures a consistent and (mostly) even grind. Nonetheless, not all burr grinders are made equal. Much has to do with the quality/power of the motor (think, BMW v. Kia), and the quality/sharpness of the burrs (think, Japanese sushi knife v. butter knife). For grinding, German burrs are commonly deemed the best, but Chinese knock-off versions do exist. You simply have to be careful and do some research. Or, you can take our word for it and buy a Baratza Encore grinder ($145 via baratza.com). Be watching for our forthcoming review of this brilliant grinder.

For additional food-centric reviews and tips, or to make a comment, visit On The Table at facebook.com/onthetablereviews.