Choosing your coffee grinder is one of the main stepping stones to building the perfect home coffee bar. More than getting an espresso machine or discovering beans you love, it’s when you move to using a top-quality grinder that you really feel you’re there.
Understanding the finer nuances of a coffee grinder is what we’re all about at Niche Coffee – stay with us as we walk through the decision-making process when it comes to picking that perfect coffee grinder.
Why get a high-quality coffee grinder?
We’re not going to lie, a good coffee grinder is not cheap. But it is worth it. Without getting all salesy, let us explain just why getting a good coffee grinder is so important.
Garbage in, garbage out
We’re British, so we’re not the biggest users of the word ‘garbage’, but this little saying is so perfect that we have to repeat it here. GIGO, or garbage in, garbage out is a key part of any process. It states quite clearly that if you put poor quality ingredients into your process, then no matter how great the potential, you are going to be completely limited in your result.
It’s a rule that is applicable to most things in life, you have to start off with good foundations if you want to end up with a top-quality end product. In this case, a tempting and sumptuous cup of coffee.
Grinding beans is the first thing you’re going to do to transform your coffee (unless you’re growing, picking, and roasting your own beans!). A good grind lays the foundations for a great coffee.
You should never cut corners
Maybe this is more of the same line of thinking, but if you try to save on key parts of your setup, then you’re going to end up spending more in the long run to try to achieve your end goals.
You’re opening quality beans; why would you immediately make a mess of them in the grinding?
If you use a bad grinder, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Ruining your chance of a delicious cup because you’re not investing in the most important part of the brewing process.
In the long run, if you cut corners with your coffee grinder, you end up with a poor-quality drink – and you’ll be back here wishing you’d got it right the first time.
The results with a poor grinder
When you use a low-quality grinder, you set yourself up for failure. It’ll be impossible to replicate results, even if you manage to achieve. As a result, your chances of making good quality coffee time after time fly out the window; you will get a non-uniform grind, with both over- and under-extraction in the same cup. Worse yet, you’ll likely taint subsequent grinds with leftover coffee from previous doses; and you’ll be relying more on guesswork than precision.
In our opinion, it’s really not worth it.
The signs of a good coffee grinder
What makes a good coffee grinder? We’re glad you asked!
Blade vs. burr
The first consideration is whether your grinder is a blade type or a burr grinder. We’ll come out and say it: blade grinders are poor.
A blade grinder chops at the beans as they bounce around. The grind is totally random, with some beans getting pulverised into tiny fines and others moving so much that they suffer only a single chop or two. Your resulting coffee is a non-uniform mess, with large chunks mixed with powdered coffee and a lot in between. Worse, blade grinders can get extremely hot, burning the coffee to ruination before they’re done.
We don’t blame the blade grinders: they’re working against impossible odds. If you don’t believe us, put a few beans on a chopping board and try your best - it’s incredibly frustrating.
A burr grinder presents a premium method for coffee grinding. Coffee beans are crushed rather than chopped, forced between two burrs to be ground to a uniform state. Good burr grinders are precision engineered to produce absolutely consistent results, making them closer to a piece of true scientific equipment rather than throwing beans around in a container while a hot, spinning blade hopes to connect.
Burr grinders come in two versions: flat burrs and conical burrs. Here, the difference comes down less to technical accuracy (they are both incredibly efficient) but personal taste. To learn more about the difference between flat and conical burrs, why not read our in-depth article on the very subject?
Retention
Retention is about how much of the grinds end up in your coffee and how much gets stuck in the mechanism of the grinder. Retention is generally a bad thing for a few key reasons:
- Retention can lead to a flavour taint - Future grinds will pick up some of the coffee from previous use; not so bad if you’re doing one dose immediately after another, but even an hour or so will affect the taste, and oand over time it can lead to stale coffee getting into your drink. Use a grinder once a day with poor retention, and by day three or four, you’re mixing your fresh grinds with something distinctly off.
- Retention leads to poor measuring - The science of coffee is best served when your recipe is followed and the measurements are accurate. When you measure 16g of coffee into the grinder, you expect 16g to come out. Unfortunately, this is not the case with a poor grinder, where a large percentage can get stuck in the mechanism. This’ll knock your sums off and make your results difficult to replicate, such that even when your coffee is good, it’s a once-only trick.
- Retention reduces your grinder’s life - When bits of ground coffee start to clog up your grinder, it can add to the wear and tear of your machine. Oils and fines may corrode parts over time, leading to a less accurate grinder and, ultimately, a broken one.
- Retention stops things from being simple - If your grinder has poor retention, then you’ll have to offset that by regular cleaning. All of a sudden, you’re enjoying the coffee less and doing chores more.
While it’s true that 100% zero retention is a level of perfection that’s impossible to achieve, virtually zero retention is a hallmark of a premium grinder like the Niche Zero or Niche Duo that you can rely on. A grinder that works to virtually zero retention will make sure your grinding experience is a true joy.
Control and consistency
We often say that coffee making is part art, part science and it’s true. Both rely on the ability to control your grind and achieve the same result time and time again.
A low-quality grinder is going to fail when it comes to both fine-tuned precision control and repeatable consistency, resulting in a coffee routine that has a little less science and a little more guesswork.
One day, you’ll experience a blissful brew; the next, you’ll go through exactly the same motions to be rewarded with a muddy cup that’s nothing like the previous one.
Look to the ability to dial in a specific grind, hitting the same mark for every dose. Not only will a precision grinder ensure that you get consistent coffee, but it’ll also be able to switch between grind levels, providing the fine espresso grind you’re after one moment and a coarser filter coffee level a little later, and switching back when done.
Want to learn more about dialing in your grinder? Check out our article here.
Ease of use
Making coffee is meant to be relaxing and enjoyable. No one wants to fight with their equipment first thing in the morning before you’ve even smelled that tantalising aroma. Your grinder should be the easiest thing in the world to use, simple enough that you can do it sleepy and blindfolded.
Sadly, even some high quality grinders push a little too hard into the idea of ‘features’, ending up with controls that are more like piloting a spaceship than producing perfect coffee grinds.
The Niche Zero and Niche Duo grinders are so simple to use that you could almost mistake them for too easy! After all, can a grind be this perfect if the means to make it is so effortless? Thankfully, the answer is yes.
Noise
‘GOOD MORNING DEAR, I’M JUST MAKING COFFEE!’
It’s a rare household where a loud shout like that is appreciated in the dawn hours, or at any other time, really. Yet, some grinders insist on being aeroplane-like deafeners, shouting their intention to the whole house when all you really want is a nice, calm grind.
A decibel level might not be part of the marketing on the outside of the box, but it’s worth doing a bit of research to see how loud your chosen grinder is before you unbox it.
Build quality
It goes without saying that you want your grinder to last and to look beautiful. After all, this is an investment in your home and the last thing you should be putting up with is a flimsy plastic thing with a sucker on the bottom making your kitchen look like a three-star hotel from the mid-90s.
A coffee grinder should be solid and aesthetically pleasing, just like a Niche grinder! Our aluminium body and real oak base mean that not only does a Niche Zero or Duo draw the eye for all the right reasons, but it also has the engineering pedigree to mean it’s still going to be grinding strong a decade and more from now.
Maintenance and longevity
How hard is it to keep your grinder in tip-top condition? If the answer is ‘forty minutes of deep cleaning every few days’ then you’ve probably got the wrong grinder (or you’re a busy barista!). A well-designed grinder that’s offering virtually zero retention won’t need that much maintenance to ensure a long life, meaning you spend more time grinding and less time fiddling.
Your coffee path
One final consideration is you. Where are you in your coffee journey? What are you looking for? Are you an espresso aficionado, keen for a grinder that produces a consistent fine grind, or a filter coffee addict, looking for a uniform medium-coarse grind that produces the cleanest flavour?
The Niche Zero is designed to meet every expectation, giving you a top-tier premium grind for every need; the Niche Duo hones into perfection, with specific interchangeable flat burrs for either espresso or filter accuracy. Selecting your grinder based on where you are in your coffee path is as important as any other factor.
The steps to choosing a good grinder
Defining your needs
It’s important that you know what you’re looking for in your grinder. Obvious considerations may include your preferred coffee brewing technique, or whether your grinder is simple to operate. More esoterically, you might be looking to replicate a certain burr quality or even be concerned with how the colour of the grinder fits in with your existing home decor.
Making sure you start with a clear vision of what you want goes a long way to getting it right.
Budget
Grinders come for every budget, which is both good and bad news. The good news is that you’re bound to find something that fits; the bad news is that if you stick too low with your budget, you’re unlikely to get something premium and it may be better to save a little longer.
At Niche, we suggest prioritising your grinder budget above all other parts of your coffee equipment spend and yes, that may sound like we’re biased, but it’s true.
- Grinder vs. beans - At Niche we’re all about getting the beans you love, but even the best beans won’t make good coffee if poorly ground.
- Grinder vs. espresso machine - Your espresso machine is likely to be the most expensive part of your setup, but the grinder should still come first. If you’re not putting perfectly ground coffee into your top-of-the-range espresso machine, then again you’re looking at substandard coffee, and there’s no excuse for that.
- Grinder vs. other brewers - While, at the top end, coffee can be quite a pricey passion, there’s little barrier to entry. Most brewing methods, from Aeropress to French press to V60 and beyond, can all be acquired quite reasonably. Prioritise your grinder in your budget and you’ll make sure that the best cup is produced in every instance.
- Grinder vs. accessories - There are some great accessories out there to ramp up your home coffee station, but rarely will any of them be a significant investment. It’s best to get your grinder in place first and then you can add to your bar as you go.
Research and reviews
That you are reading this proves you’re the kind of sensible person who does their research, but don’t let it stop with this engaging and top-notch article! Go out and read some reviews, take a look on coffee enthusiast forums and if you want to dip your toe into the waters of conversation - just ask questions. You’ll find people are more than happy to help you choose a grinder.
At Niche, we’re confident that if you go out there and ask for opinions, you’re going to find many happy Niche Zero and Niche Duo owners. After all, our grinders are the best out there!
Don’t just buy one on our say-so, though, do take the time to dig a little deeper, watch some videos, read some reviews, and purchase your next grinder with the confidence of an informed decision
Choosing the best grinder with Niche Coffee
It goes without saying that we think the right choice is a Niche grinder - the only difficult question is which one? The Zero, our premium conical burr grinder that enables a precision dial-in to deliver perfect espresso one moment, and a powerful V60 brew the next - or the Duo, with its specific flat burr options for espresso or filter, offering delightful flavour profiles for the world’s best coffee?
Both are simple to use, offer virtually zero retention, and look visually stunning. Importantly, both will give you the foundations for a cup of coffee that’s a pure delight.
Order your Niche Zero or Niche Duo today.
