tara793•23h agoOG Member

That time I realized my grinder was the problem, not the beans

I spent 2 years blaming my local roaster for bitter espresso. Always thought their roast was too dark. Turns out my $60 blade grinder was creating a ton of fines, which overextracted everything. Got a refurbished Baratza Encore 3 weeks ago and suddenly that same bag of beans tastes sweet and balanced. Anybody else have a gear upgrade that totally flipped their opinion on something you used to hate?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy97422h ago

Same thing happened to me but with my French press. Was using a cheap blade grinder for years and always thought I just didn't like French press coffee because it was always muddy and bitter. Got a hand grinder from Timemore last month and holy cow, total night and day. That same $12 bag from the grocery store now tastes like actual berries and chocolate instead of burnt sadness. Now I'm going back and trying all the beans I wrote off before. It's ridiculous how much the grinder matters.

the_elizabeth20h ago

8 years with a blade grinder and 4 with a burr grinder here, and I actually think people overhype the difference lol. @amy974 I’m glad it worked for you, but I’ve had the opposite experience with my Cuisinart burr grinder. That $12 bag of beans still tastes like burnt sadness to me no matter what I do. I think a lot of the flavor talk comes down to how fresh the beans are and your water temp, not just the grinder. I tried a hand grinder from a friend and honestly couldn't tell the difference from my blade one in a French press. Maybe my taste buds are broken, but I’ve been drinking coffee for 20 years and the grinder just hasn’t been that big of a deal for me.

grace_campbell11h ago

Stick with the blade grinder if it works for you honestly. Burr grinders can be super hit or miss based on the model. A cheap electric burr grinder is often worse than a decent blade one. Try single origin light roast beans from a local roaster instead of grocery store stuff. That made way more difference for me than switching grinders ever did.