Burr Grinders and French Press

I've been using a Braun burr grinder for a couple of years. I bought it for a dollar at a church rummage sale and have always wondered why the course grind never was uniform. There were always large chips and a clumpy powder mixed in which led to grit in the mug, see the pic.

One upside to the french press is the crema you'd get was really nice and espresso-like.  The flavor is also great and mellow but the fine powder seeps through the mesh in the plunger. I prefer the press, small pots are quick and the machine's easier to clean than a drip.

Since I really only drink french press coffee, I figured it was time to get a better grinder.

 Enter the Cuisinart grinder. My in-laws have one and it always seemed to work well. I set the grind for coarse and let it rip. While it gave me a consistent maximum size grind it still blew out this powder. See the other pic. Which resulted in the rings in the first pic. My solution is to sift the grounds in a strainer but it's a crap solution as it takes time, dirties another thing in the kitchen, and I lose coffee that way.

Sorry to say but the home solution is the strainer... saving the fine grind for pots of drip. I have an idea that would solve this for the manufacturer but it wouldn't work at home. Maybe they'll call me. Until then I'll either be drinking grime or sifting grounds.

Comments

[E L]

time to invest in a quality grinder, like a rancilio rocky (entry level) or a mazzer mini.

you get a much more consistent grind, you can make better adjustments to the coffee's freshness, oilyness, etc, and if you ever step up to an espresso maker, you're set.

i own a rocky and am very pleased with the results i get from my espresso maker.

[Josh]

So you're not getting any powder?

[E L]

well, i use mine for an espresso machine, so i do a much finer grind than you'd do for a french press. but what i do get is very consistent. i've never tried using it for a coarser grind, but i think you'd end up with what you're looking for.

oh, also, are you cleaning your grinder regularly? that powder you're getting might be the residual buildup that sticks to the burrs and then at some point dislodges itself. i take mine apart and clean it after every couple pounds of coffee, or when i change coffees.

i highly recommend reading on the forums at the coffee geeks website for advice. it's pretty comprehensive.

[Foodista]

Great post! I've often thought about getting a coffee press instead of the coffee maker. Happy New Year!

[Burr coffee grinders]

he blade and burr are the two basic kinds of modern coffee grinders. The burr grinders are considered the best.

[Burr grinders]

he grinder has a helical gear which controls the delivery of coffee to the burrs. This gear helps in achieving precise consistency of the coffee grounds.

[arizona vacation rentals]

Thought the burr grinders are for pipe burrs that needed grinding. LoL

[Paul]

I Like French Press more!