Grinding Beans for a Single Cup Coffee Maker

Coffee Burr Grinder

...in a single cup coffee maker.

Coffee Burr Grinder

For those of you who are wanting to continue making your coffee with your own beans, that's perfectly fine! Especially when you have a Keurig single cup coffee maker! The information found here is for those who maybe aren't well versed in grinding their own beans, or who would like to give it a try.

Coffee Burr Grinder

Why Grind Your Own?

Coffee Burr Grinder

Well, for starters, some people prefer to grind their own beans for financial reasons. You can buy coffee beans in bulk, which can and will save money over time.

Another reason people will grind their own has to do with flavor and freshness. While you're going to get a great brew from a Keurig single cup coffee maker because of the way the K-Cups are made and because of the brewing process, you're almost always going to have slight differences in taste when you grind your own. This has to do with the beans having been freshly ground and therefore more of the oils are present that will flavor the water.

In addition, there are others still who grind their own coffee simply because they prefer to experiment more. This is where you can really have fun, because you can choose different roasts of coffee and beans that have been flavored during the roasting process and create your own blend. This is especially useful for those who are trying to create the sense of having a coffee shop in their own kitchen.

How to Store

One thing to talk about before launching into the world of grinding your own beans is storage. Why storage? Because if the beans aren't stored properly, they're going to lose their flavor and freshness.

The container you use to store your coffee beans needs to be dark, because you don't want sunlight breaking down the oils in the beans, and airtight, because you don't want your beans to dry out.

Grinding

Having a decent grinder is a key element to grinding your own beans. I highly recommend a burr grinder over a blade grinder. Blades can create heat and an uneven consistency in the grind, while the burr gives you more grind, and more consistent grind, in a shorter time.

When you're first grinding your beans, don't be afraid to stop and check the consistency of the grind. Different methods of brewing require different textures. The more coarse the grind, the less silt or fines you'll have in your cup, while the finer the grind, the better for, say, a filtered coffee maker - much like a Keurig - but you don't want to go too fine or you'll over grind and over extract during the brewing process.

Before you start, gauge about how much you'll need to put in. It will work out approximately the same - for however many tablespoons of ground coffee you need, it'll work out to that same number of tablespoons of whole beans. Or, if you'd like, buy your beans in bulk and grind them in bulk as well!

Now that you've got a few tips about grinding your own coffee, if you feel like being experimental, go out and try it! The reusable filter for a Keurig single cup coffee maker is not all that expensive and will last you a long time if you take care of it properly!

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and bring the coffee shop to your kitchen!

Grinding Beans for a Single Cup Coffee Maker

Coffee Burr Grinder

Coffee Grinding: Find Out Which Is The Best Grind For Your Coffee Brewing Method

Coffee Burr Grinder

Coffee grinding helps us get to those wonderful oils trapped inside the coffee beans. The oils are the key to providing rich flavors and aromas. This is also why we say to use the freshest beans. You don't want beans that are dried or stale. The oils from fresh beans generates the crema at the top of an espresso. This is the coffee bean oils rising to the top of the cup. How does this relate to coffee grinding? Well, choosing the wrong grind type for an espresso machine may have you risking the great flavors we all love.

Coffee Burr Grinder

Burr grinders are recognised as the best choice. While blade grinders are okay, the do not give a consistent grinder. Hand grinders are also good to use. (Note: you get what you pay for, so spend wisely, not necessarily thriftily).

Coffee Burr Grinder

Okay, now which coffee brewing methods work best with which coffee grinding methods.

Coffee Burr Grinder

Extra Fine grinds: Espresso machines.

Fine grinds: Drip Filtration, coffee makers with conical filters, Moka Pots.

Medium grinds: Drip Filtration coffee makers with flat bottom filters (not conical).

Course grinds: French Press (or Plunger), Percolator (if you still use one) and Vacuum Pots.

Who likes Turkish coffee? You probably already know that an ultra-fine grind is the right one for you.

What happens if we get the grind wrong? We will end up with a weak coffee if using a course grind in an espresso machine. Conversely, if we use an extra fine grind in a conical drip filter system, the filter will get clogged up.

A medium grind in an espresso machine has given me a drip filtered style of coffee. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it shows that you can experiment a little. However, the listing above will provide you with some good guidelines.

Cheers,

Craig.

www.the-java-cafe.com [http://www.the-java-cafe.com]

Coffee Grinding: Find Out Which Is The Best Grind For Your Coffee Brewing Method

Coffee Burr Grinder

Grinding Gourmet Coffee

Coffee Burr Grinder

Quality brewing always needs a quality grind of your coffee beans. And you must keep your coffee beans fresh and only grind them right before you brew them. So it's not so important how you grind but when you grind. It is not enough to grow superior coffee beans. If you are not having a proper coffee grind, then get ready for a worse brew. Costa Rica is best in both growing nice beans and grinding them in the right way.

Coffee Burr Grinder

The grinding is done only to get the best flavors out of the coffee beans while infused in hot water. There are three categories for perfect Gourmet coffee grinds, the fine, the medium and the coarse. The third kind i.e. the coarsest one is mainly used in the traditional pot method, the medium grind is required for plunger methods (methods used in drip filters) of coffee making and the finest one is needed for perfect espresso brewing.

Coffee Burr Grinder

If you try to bring in some alterations in the usage of these three diverse coffee grinds, you will surely fail. Trying the coarse one in espressos and the finer ones in drip filters will never work the wonders for you. Strong and mild brews are based on the quantity of coffee your use, not the grind.

Coffee Burr Grinder

The best flavor is obtained if you grind the gourmet beans just before brewing the coffee. This freshness and superiority exists only for a few days after the grinding. Moisture and oxygen oxidizes the coffee and it gradually looses the original flavor. So it is always better to grind the beans just before the brew.

However, health benefits are easily achievable if you learn to make a perfect cup of gourmet coffee. This will make your kid drink at least a glass of delicious coffee everyday. Learn different other gourmet coffee recipes, so that the taste of coffee doesn't become monotonous to your child. Desserts like Caramel Macchiato, Cappuccino and Latte can be some nice options for you.

Grinding gourmet beans is quite a simple task to pursue. The market holds a large variety of coffee bean grinders, which can also add up to the exquisiteness of your kitchen. The most hugely used coffee bean grinders of the past are mortar & pestle. The grinds obtained from these devices are not consistent and also requires a lot of time. However, the present day electronic grinding devices have made the task a lot easier.

The electronic motor-grinders are either with powerful blades or crushing burr-plates. The first one is a lot cheaper compared to the burr-grinders. But the burr-grinder is more liked by the mass due to its attractive appearance. Once you become comfortable to grind your own gourmet coffee beans, having a pot of healthy coffee daily will no more be a dream for you.

Grinding Gourmet Coffee

Coffee Burr Grinder