Is a blade grinder really that much worse than a burr for pour over coffee?

[preslove]

My sister just bought me a chemex pour over for christmas. Now I'm looking at grinders. If I'm just going to use the chemex, is a burr grinder really all that necessary?

 

[Born2bwire]

It's never necessary, it's just nice to have and is better at making a more consistent grind. With a filter like a chemex, I don't know if you would appreciate it much. I have a French Press so a consistent grind keeps sludge out of my cup and those with espresso machines need to get a very fine and consistent grind that would be difficult from a cheap blade grinder.

 

[IronWing]

With that title I expected a spaceman thread.

 

[disappoint]

Mortar and Pestle. Be a man.

 

[NetWareHead]

A burr grinder is usually preferred to coffee grinders were you deposit the beans in a sealable chamber with rotating blades (kinda like a food processor). These grinders heat the product up via friction, something usually undesirable when grinding coffee and spices. These grinders are also harder to get a consistent grind.

Burr grinders achieve a much more consistent grind by virtue of forcing everything through a pre-set grinding space.

 

[CA19100]

My sister just bought me a chemex pour over for christmas. Now I'm looking at grinders. If I'm just going to use the chemex, is a burr grinder really all that necessary?

If you're using paper filters, you can get by with a blade grinder, although the coffee will taste better with a burr grinder. (Either one will still taste better than pre-ground or store-ground coffee, however!)

If you're using one of those permanent metal filters, or using a French press as Born2bwire is, you absolutely don't want to use a blade grinder. With one, you're guaranteed to get sludge in your coffee from the smaller re-ground coffee pieces that can slip by the filter holes.

 

[RabidMongoose]

I would get the burr grinder.

 

[vi edit]

I would say even more important for that type of brewing. You more than likely will want control over the type of grind based on tastes. A burr grinder will let you do a fine vs course ground and do it consistently each time.

 

[preslove]

I decided to get a cheap burr grinder because the red version of this one went down to $30 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._ya_os_product

 

[blackangst1]

A burr grinder is usually preferred to coffee grinders were you deposit the beans in a sealable chamber with rotating blades (kinda like a food processor). These grinders heat the product up via friction, something usually undesirable when grinding coffee and spices. These grinders are also harder to get a consistent grind.

Burr grinders achieve a much more consistent grind by virtue of forcing everything through a pre-set grinding space.

Yes. This.

 

[rudeguy]

I decided to get a cheap burr grinder because the red version of this one went down to $30 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._ya_os_product

I have the same one and it does the job. I just hate how loud the damn thing is!


To answer the OP: Yes

 

[sygyzy]

I would say even more important for that type of brewing. You more than likely will want control over the type of grind based on tastes. A burr grinder will let you do a fine vs course ground and do it consistently each time.

Agreed. Consistency is key.