Coffee Bean Grinding
The grinding of the coffee bean changes the coffee bean from being a bean into a form that can be turned into coffee. The grinding turns the roasted bean into coffee grounds. These coffee grounds are then the basis for what is brewed, dripped, pressed, or otherwise turned into coffee.
Most people prefer to do their Coffee Bean Grinding as close to the time they make their coffee as possible. This is because the shorter the time the coffee is ground before it is made into coffee, the fresher the cup of coffee. The reason it stays fresher in bean form is because the natural properties of the bean protect most of the coffee from the air and other elements. Once ground, the bean does not exist and cannot protect the majority of the coffee.
There are several methods that are used for coffee bean grinding. These include burr grinding, chopping, pounding, and roller grinding. The method of coffee bean grinding used is specific to the way in which the grounds will be prepared.
Burr grinding is where the bean is torn apart between two rotating parts of the grinder. On these rotating parts are burrs that assist with the grind. This is a type of grinding that can be completed at a very low rate of rotation therefore avoiding the overheating of the grounds during the grinding process.
Chopping is a method that requires a very high speed rotating chopping blade to pulverize the bean into grounds. These units use a blade similar to that of a traditional kitchen blender. The method of pounding the coffee bean is not really anything other than actually pounding the bean until it turns into ground coffee. Roller grinding of coffee beans is where the beans are crushed into grounds after passing through two rollers. Each of the rollers have burs on them, similar to the burr grinding methods.
All of the mentioned methods of coffee bean grinding are highly effective. Only one does not need a specifically designed machine. All of the mentioned methods do require a certain amount of expertise. The reason is that if you grind coffee beans too little or too much it will significantly alter the taste of the coffee. Therefore, to produce a truly great cup of coffee, coffee bean grinding should be done by someone that understands the required consistency of the ground coffee. This can only be gained by experimentation and experience. This can be an interesting and fun past time to perfect the art of coffee bean grinding.
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