Quality-driven coffee
My friend Ben commented on my last post, wondering what difference it makes whether one is “grinding” their coffee with a “blade grinder” rather than an actual burr grinder.
Basically, the “blade grinder” is just a subversively named food processor; some blades whirl around and chop up the coffee beans, with no regard for the size of the pieces they’re producing. If you have used a food processor, you know how this works: One has to watch closely in an attempt to get the results “just right,” but even then some of the pieces are going to be larger than the others.
Well, a coffee ground’s thickness determines how much water (and how much time) is needed to produce an appropriate flavor from that ground; with an inconsistent grind, there is simply no way to get consistent results.
To some — maybe most — this really doesn’t matter. An unrefined palette may not notice the differences from pot to pot, although I would venture that what’s happening is the drinker is rarely getting a really great cup of coffee, and on those few occasions when she does, she cannot quite place why it is better.
Contrast this with someone who is uncompromisingly using quality coffee, with a consistent grind, and who from pot to pot is tasting the exact same thing. It’s the difference between eating soup made by a recipe nazi as opposed to someone like myself, who never measures anything. (Yes, I realize it’s weird that I’m so particular about the coffee I serve, yet my soups from week to week can taste decidedly different — yet still pretty amazing in their own right!)
Another commenter, Yura, called and purchased a vacpot from me just hours ago. He is one of the few who is truly in search of something better. He, too, is using a “blade grinder,” though not for long; I suggested he hold off on that purchase and put it on his Christmas list, so as not to get too spoiled too soon. A side benefit is that he’ll be able to gauge the effects of each improvement: a better brewing system will kick it up a notch, and once he has a burr grinder I suspect he’ll notice a second improvement in taste.
This, of course, is the natural path of any sort of connoisseur: Single steps along a journey — with no “arrival,” but a continuing pursuit of quality. Yura asked me if he’ll ever have “the perfect cup,” to which I replied (in less thought-out phraseology) that he’ll probably have many perfect cups, getting more perfect as time goes on. This is how it has been for me, and continues to be. In matters of art, spirit, and extreme flavor, there is no end point… only ascent after ascent to higher planes — and better cups.
Tags: Yummier, Yummiest, Yummy
This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 9.06 pm and is filed under coffee. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 9.15 pm
Coffee is not divine. There has to be a limit.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9.19 pm
No one said coffee is divine. But next time you visit, I’ll give you some that’s pretty close.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9.37 pm
I can certainly appreciate the slow steps to better appreciation. My entry in the spirits world has been like that.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8.32 am
Yes, let’s talk about spirits now! Ben, what are you into these days?
November 3rd, 2009 at 8.38 am
Burr versus blade, blade creates a lot of heat and has sporadic results often creating boulders and dust. Burr grinders allow the finished product to pass through once the bean is crushed to your specific setting. One of the problems of finding the ideal burr grinder is for most of us we want to experiment with different brew methods thus requiring different grinds. It is hard to find a burr grinder that can effectively go from espresso (fine grind) to French Press (coarse grind). I bought the Rancillio Rocky which is good on the fine grind and can do the coarse grinds too (though not as affectively) Other issues to consider are if you like flavored coffees (I only occasionally) then you probably don’t want to put these beans into your expensive burr grinder and leave residual oils (IMO). The below burr is recommended for those of you on the fence about buying. It comes highly reviewed as an entry level grinder via http://coffeegeek.com/ (you can waste your life here). This burr grinder can be had for $89 and can produce grinds from espresso to French press
http://bit.ly/B3KmY
November 3rd, 2009 at 9.06 am
Brice makes a good point, IF you want to make espresso in your home. Of course, the grinder is just the beginning of that pursuit.
If what you want is drip coffee or French press or vacpot — even moka pot, though as I’ve said before, I don’t recommend it — you won’t necessarily need the finest of fine settings.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9.58 am
Is flavored coffee still considered coffee?