Choosing grains
Despite the huge variety of coffee blends, you can most often find two of the most popular varieties on sale - Arabica and Rabusta.
- Arabica is valued for the rich aroma produced by grains rich in acids, essential oils and sugar.
- Rabusta is a little faded compared to Arabica, but has a high concentration of caffeine with a characteristic bitterness.
When choosing coffee beans, you first need to pay attention to the packaging. The bag must be airtight, with well-sealed corners and have a release valve. It may look like a round embossed impression with a hole. The special design of the valve ensures the release of carbon dioxide and protection from the ingress of oxygen, which can literally “age” the coffee and make the drink rancid.
Simple criteria for evaluating packaged grain:
- the aroma should be bright and “rich”;
- uniform roasting (best achieved by processing with a stream of hot air);
- all grains must be the same size and color;
- no visible defects (broken or split fragments).
Important! The roasting and packaging period should not exceed 4 months, otherwise there is a risk of getting a drink with weak taste.
Types of grinding
It is important to determine the grind time and size for different coffee preparation methods. A professional barista characterizes the grinding of beans into 4 basic options.
- Ultrafine, or coffee dust, means maximum friction to produce a light powder that leaves a bright mark on your fingers. This fraction is only suitable for classic brewing of oriental coffee in Turks. The best drink will be in a copper container with an inner layer of silver, which will retain all the aromas. A budget coffee grinder produces a fine grind in about 20 seconds. If the knives are not sharp enough, it is better to stop the device for half a minute so as not to overheat the grains and repeat the cycle for another 10 seconds.
- A fine grind can be achieved in approximately 15 seconds. It is designed for an espresso machine or geyser coffee maker with a fine filter. To judge the gravity of the coffee concentrate, it is best to drink the finished small cup immediately after it is ready, as at this point it will be at an ideal temperature of 75-80 degrees.
- Medium grind is intended for brewing in an Aeropress (a new method that has existed for about 10 years, means manually smoothly squeezing out powder diluted with boiling water in a special metal cylinder) or pourover (using a funnel with grooves and a filter, through which the powder with boiling water slowly flows into the lower container ).
- Coarse grinding is used for preliminary tasting or when brewing coffee through a French press (a glass teapot with a rod that, 4-5 minutes after brewing the powder with boiling water, can be slowly lowered to obtain a finished drink).
It is important to remember that when brewing coffee by hand without an open flame, all utensils must be rinsed with boiling water. Also, the aroma will develop better if the drink is poured into a warm cup.
Some coffee lovers warm the beans a little before grinding so that the aroma develops better.
Using household appliances
Meat grinder
Let's start with how to grind coffee without a coffee grinder using a meat grinder. This device has sharp knives that easily crush small grains. A mechanical or electrical model is suitable.
Modern devices have a power of 500-2000 watts and an operating speed of 1-2 kg per minute. It will take a couple of minutes to grind the grains for 2-3 servings.
But consider the type of knives in the device. Their characteristics depend on the model of the meat grinder. It is better to crush coffee in a meat grinder using spice knives.
To grind coarsely, it is enough to start the mechanism once. If you need to grind coffee for espresso, run the beans three times.
Rinse and dry the meat grinder thoroughly before use. Especially if raw meat or fish were twisted in the device before. Odors will be absorbed into the grains and will kill the aroma.
Brew coffee ground in a meat grinder over a fire or in a coffee machine. A French press or drip coffee maker will not work. The powder is not fine enough for them.
rolling pin
Now about how to grind coffee at home with a rolling pin. It is better to take a rolling pin in the form of a spindle and a cylinder.
Measure out the required amount of coffee and pour it into a thick, clean bag. You can use plastic or for freezing food.
Place the bag on a flat, hard surface and spread the grains into a single layer. If there are too many of them, they will choke badly. It is better to grind in small portions.
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If you don't have a bag, sheets of parchment will do.
Tap the coffee beans with a rolling pin for a few minutes to break them into small pieces. This will make it easier to chop.
Roll out the crushed mass with a rolling pin until completely chopped. The result will be a medium grind powder.
Mechanical mill
If you don't have a coffee grinder, you can grind the beans using a spice grinder. This compact device grinds coffee beans to a medium grind powder.
The only drawback of the mill is its small size. The coffee beans are large, so you won’t be able to grind a large portion. You will have to use the device every time you want to brew a delicious drink.
The spices have a persistent aroma. Therefore, be sure to wash the mill if you are going to replace your coffee grinder with it. Otherwise, the coffee will acquire a peculiar taste.
Pour the grains into the mill and start grinding. If after the first grinding the particles are large, repeat the procedure once or twice.
The mill allows you to grind grains with a medium grind. You can make Turkish coffee from them.
Food processor
You can replace the coffee grinder with a food processor. But not everyone will do. The kit should include a meat grinder attachment with sharp knives.
Other attachments will not cope with the task and you may break the combine.
Rinse the device and wipe dry with a paper towel. If food particles remain in the processor, the ground raw materials will spoil.
Coffee beans are ground in a closed container to prevent them from scattering.
The food processor can grind coffee beans to medium size. A powdery consistency will not be obtained even if crushing is repeated three times.
Blender
A blender can replace a coffee grinder. A submersible model will not work, only a stationary one. Read more in the article “Can I grind coffee in a blender?”
Heavily roasted beans chalk more easily.
Cautions when using household appliances
Each household appliance has its own purpose. Some cut vegetables, others chop, and still others grind. There is no need to constantly use them to grind coffee beans.
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If you regularly use a meat grinder or blender for other purposes, this will reduce its service life. Their knives are not designed for such effort. They will become dull or deformed.
Therefore, use such household appliances for grains only in emergency cases.
Be sure to wash your utensils with detergent before and after grinding. Food particles caught in the grinding process will spoil the taste of the drink made from crushed grains. In the worst case, you can get poisoned.
Types of coffee grinders
The taste of coffee is born in the coffee grinder, so the choice of the kitchen appliance we are considering should be approached with particular seriousness. There are three types of coffee grinders on the market, differing in appearance and control method:
- knife (rotary) type;
- millstone;
- manual.
The most common models are rotary-type devices; coffee is ground using rotary knives that rotate at high speed, crushing the aromatic beans. In this case, regulation of the degree of grinding depends on the duration of action of the rotary knives. That is, the more they rotate, the finer the grind. The main disadvantage of this method is the inhomogeneity of grinding. The capacity of knife cutlery is usually no more than 120 g.
Millstones use conical or cylindrical millstones. They function similar to a mill - the grains, falling between the millstones, are crushed and ground into small particles. The degree of grinding is independently regulated and depends on the distance between the millstones. In this case, the degree of grinding is quite uniform. The capacity of these models is up to 300 g of coffee beans. Among all coffee grinders, this type of device is the most popular.
The main advantage that distinguishes a burr coffee grinder from a rotary one is the presence of a container for ready-made ground coffee.
A manual coffee grinder is a great way to get the required portion of fresh, well-ground coffee. The manual version of the device consists of two millstones, one of which is attached to the bottom, and the second is rotated by a handle. The advantage of a coffee grinder is that you cannot “burn” the coffee in it. Pour in the beans, turn the handle and in 15-20 minutes you get ready-made coffee powder, which is poured into a specially designed container.
Advice. Do not use a coffee grinder to grind other foods to avoid introducing additional odors.
other methods
Hammer
You can grind coffee using a hammer. This simple grinding option produces medium-sized particles in a couple of minutes. Use a hammer or meat chop tool.
Be careful not to knock your fingers off. Use a hammer only as a last resort.
Wrap the coffee beans in a piece of paper or a thick bag to prevent them from flying around. Tap the raw material firmly with a hammer. To complete grinding you will have to spend 5-7 minutes.
The result will be a medium grind powder.
Mortar
Now about how to grind coffee with a pestle and mortar. The method is effective, but long. You'll have to make an effort. But you can grind the grains at any grinding level
Measure out the required amount of raw material and crush vigorously with a pestle. It will take 4-5 minutes.
To obtain fine particles, use a small amount of beans. If you use a lot, the grind will be coarser.
Small mortars will be able to grind coffee beans for just a couple of servings. But it will not be possible to achieve perfect uniformity. Therefore, the taste and aroma will not be fully revealed.
Manual grinding
Grain raw materials can be crushed with a knife. Place the beans on the board in a single layer and press down firmly with the blade.
Be prepared that chopping with a knife is a difficult method. It requires time and physical effort. Take a tool with the widest possible blade. Place the knife horizontally, with the sharp side facing away from you.
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More options
It is much easier to crush with a large stone. Wrap it in a clean, dry cloth and crush the beans using pressing movements.
Using a stone you can get particles of any size. The harder you press, the smaller they will be.
A garlic crusher is suitable for crushing. But this method is time-consuming. No more than 30 grains are placed in the crusher at a time. The resulting particles are of medium size.
You can use a metal bowl, plate, or other hard object with a flat side. The main thing is to carry out the procedure on a hard surface.
Instructions for grinding beans
How to properly grind coffee in an electric coffee grinder? To do this, you must follow the following procedure:
- Prepare a coffee grinder.
- Pour grains into it.
- Turn on the device.
- Record the time: 10 seconds – coarse grind, 13 seconds – medium; 15-20 seconds – fine and more than 30 seconds – ultra-fine.
- Open the lid and pour out the ground grains.
Advice! When using a coffee grinder with a small volume of beans, you can slightly rock the device so that the knives grind the raw materials evenly.
What is important to know?
- What types of coffee grinders are there?
- What grinding is needed for different methods of brewing the drink;
- How long does it take to grind coffee in a coffee grinder?
Let's start with the first point about coffee grinders. They come in knife, millstone and hand-made types.
Knife grinders are quite convenient to use, suitable for medium and coarse grinding. The downside is that the blades can heat up the coffee itself, causing the beans to lose their aroma.
Millstones are necessary for fine grinding. With such coffee grinders, you need to monitor the distance between the millstones, otherwise the coffee will turn out bitter.
Manual coffee grinders are fun, but time-consuming. Also, this method will not allow you to make coffee of the desired grind. Although there are also obvious advantages - the grains do not heat up, which means they will not taste bitter.
What is the best way to grind coffee? There is no correct answer; you should choose a device based on the desired result and the method in which the drink will be made.
By the way, about this. Each coffee brewing method requires a different grind.
The French press requires a coarse grind. The size of the final result should resemble black peppercorns or sea salt. If a Chemex is used to make the drink, the grind should also be coarse, but still somewhat smaller.
For coffee makers, it is better to grind the beans medium. This coffee will look and feel like sand.
Turks need fine grinding, literally like flour. Only an electric device will help here.
If you don't have a coffee grinder
If grinding coffee beans and preparing an aromatic drink occurs rarely, then you may not have a specialized coffee grinder in your kitchen. For one-time cooking, you can use improvised means or other kitchen aids.
- An electric meat grinder with a spice attachment (if the grinding is uneven, you can repeat the process twice).
- A blender with a lid and durable blades (if the set does not include a grinder), but the body will need to be turned or shaken for even grinding.
- Using a regular stone mortar or a manual spice mill, having thoroughly washed the tools beforehand so that there are no foreign odors left that could spoil the taste of the drink.
- Using a hammer or rolling pin on a kitchen board, pour the grains into a disposable ziplock bag.
Such methods are suitable as emergency methods, but it is almost impossible to regulate the grinding quality without a coffee grinder. Therefore, the grains will be crushed unevenly.
Methods for grinding coffee beans
Methods for grinding coffee beans without a coffee grinder are divided into mechanical and manual. Let's look at them in more detail.
Mechanical
Coffee ground using the methods listed below will not be able to compete with the quality of beans ground in a professional coffee grinder . Therefore, take the information with a slight exaggeration. But there are situations when a coffee grinder is not available. In such cases, the following recommendations may help.
Using a meat grinder you can grind coffee beans
Hand mixer
If you don't mind the sound of hard coffee beans smashing against the steel blades, grinding coffee in a hand mixer is fairly easy. The advantage of this method over other methods is that it does not use energy (electricity). Don't forget to cover the container in which the beans are ground with a cloth. This will prevent them from falling apart. Using a hand mixer will not create a high-quality grind. But it can be used to prepare the drink in a French press or geyser coffee maker.
To avoid damaging your hand mixer, do not use it as a coffee grinder every day! Buy a special device.
Smoothie blender
A more suitable assistant is a blender for making smoothies. It will produce fairly well-ground beans, but at the cost of making some unpleasant noises during the process. His blades are very powerful. Therefore, if your goal is not to grind too finely for Turkish coffee, check the condition of the powder from time to time and stop grinding in time.
Meat grinder
Coffee can be ground in a meat grinder. But this method may affect the taste. Also, microscopic residue from whatever has passed through the device may become mixed into the powder. This option is only advisable if the meat grinder has never been used or has been perfectly cleaned.
Manual
If your standard is properly brewed espresso, you won't get it after grinding the beans with a hammer. But with some effort with a mortar or rolling pin, you can “grind” coffee almost the same way as in a classic coffee grinder.
Hammer
The process is simple - use a hammer to create the finest possible powder from the coffee beans. It sounds easy, but it is important to follow a few principles:
- Place the grains into a resealable bag.
- Place the bag between 2 cloth napkins.
- Start smashing with a hammer.
Don't expect an even grind. Use the resulting raw materials to prepare a drink in a coffee maker.
Mortar
Probably the best way to prepare ground coffee is by grinding it in a mortar. Using a pestle, you can crush the grains into a fairly fine powder. When grinding, it is better to cover the mortar with a towel; the grains tend to fall out. The powder prepared in a mortar will make good Turkish coffee.
rolling pin
When using a rolling pin, follow the same procedure as when “grinding” with a hammer (wrap the grains in a bag, cover with a cloth). Using a rolling pin, press down on them. Compared with a hammer, you can better control the degree of grinding of the resulting powder. Using a rolling pin you can achieve a consistency suitable for making espresso.
Using a mortar you can achieve fine grinding of grains
Terms and rules for storing ground coffee
To always be able to brew high-quality coffee, it is important to adhere to the rules for purchasing roasted beans. If it is possible to order raw materials for two to three days of roasting in a sealed ziplock bag, then such grains can be safely ground and cooked within the next month. The condition will retain maximum aroma and will not oxidize under the influence of oxygen when opened for a short time.
Important! Gourmets recommend not grinding beans “in reserve,” since when the beans are destroyed during grinding, the coffee oil evaporates very quickly, even if the storage container has a tight rubberized lid.
The correct solution would be to do a full cycle of preparing the drink, which will begin with grinding and end with brewing.
How to grind flax seeds and oatmeal?
Flax seeds are a valuable source of omega-3. However, in order for the body to absorb the nutrients, they need to be ground. This can be done in several ways :
- Mill for grinding flax . This special device should be in the kitchen of everyone who constantly uses seeds as a topping for cereals, smoothies and drinks. Outwardly, it resembles a symbiosis of a coffee grinder and a spice mill. To grind, pour the seeds into the wide hole and turn the wide part of the device clockwise.
Reference! Using a grinder, one spoonful of seeds and oatmeal can be ground in less than 30 seconds.
- Mill for grinding spices and herbs . A versatile device, but in the case of flax seeds, be prepared for your wrist to get tired quickly. Open the mill and pour about 30 grams of seeds into it. Close the lid and start turning the handle until you grind the seeds to the desired consistency.
- Using a mortar . It’s great if the mortar is made of marble or stone - then its weight is ideal for grinding flax. To do this, pour the required amount of seeds into a mortar and rotate the handle (grinding pestle) in a circle, as if pressing the seeds against the walls. Keep pressing down on the pestle until the seeds reach the desired consistency.
- Food processor/blender . Using a powerful food processor, you can grind 3 cups of flaxseed at once, which is very convenient if you need it for future use. To do this, pour the seeds into the combine, set it to fine grinding mode and turn on the device. Stop the device from time to time and stir the seeds with a spoon to help them grind better. On average, the entire process takes from 5 to 15 minutes.
Important! Whole flax seeds can be stored for a year in a regular spice jar. The ground ones must be placed in a sealed bag or container and stored away from direct sunlight.
For better preservation of seeds, grind them only immediately before use.
