Does Manual Coffee Grinding Make a Difference in Taste?

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If you enjoy your coffee, nothing will beat a steaming hot, aromatic, fresh cup in the morning. Fresh and aromatic are the operative words, so manually grinding your pre-selected coffee beans will taste better. 

There are more reasons why manual coffee grinding makes sense. You should weigh these before investing in more pre-ground coffee the next time you shop for groceries. If you already buy beans whole but use an automatic coffee grinder, consider returning it to the larder shelf and investing in a hand grinder. You may do more manual work before savoring that fresh taste and fragrant aroma every morning, but the effort will be worth it!

Why Buying or Growing Beans Makes More Sense

Ideally, growing your coffee beans is the ultimate way to achieve genuine caffeinated appreciation and enjoyment. Still, the germination process is long and arduous, taking up to six months alone. It takes patience and precision, as too little or too much water is liable to kill the seeds. After planting, it can take over three years to produce beans in the perfect climate or under stringently controlled indoor artificial lighting.

Buying Your Coffee Beans

Growing coffee beans is a testing process for even an elite connoisseur, so the best alternative is to buy them whole from a recognized coffee bean stockist offering broad choices.  Even then, you should consider several factors before purchasing the beans that are perfect for you.

• Type and Roast: Coffee beans are usually either arabica or robusta. While robusta beans are more straightforward to grow and less pricey, arabica beans will likely produce higher-quality coffee. Choose your favorite roasts in either of these types to grind your perfect coffee. Roasts range from light to darker, with the lighter being more sour-tasting, and darker roasts can have a slightly charred aftertaste. So the choice is yours alone.
• Production Regions: Over 50 countries globally produce coffee beans on a large scale. The most well-known coffee producers are South America’s Colombia and Brazil, Kona in Hawaii, Kenya and Ethiopia in Africa and Indonesia in Asia. Finally, there’s Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, which produced the famous Mocha Java blend along with the island of Java. You could sample coffee beans from around the world to pick a favorite. 
• Storage: Coffee beans lose freshness quickly, so buying smaller quantities more frequently and keeping whatever you don’t use in an airtight container is better. Perhaps buy enough to last a couple of weeks before replenishing, and store it in a cool, dark spot away from ovens or sunlight. 

After you’ve bought your manual coffee grinder and freshly ground the coffee you choose, you’ll likely want to try different variants from across the world in search of that ultimate, unforgettable, tasty morning cup of Joe. Only then can you call yourself a true coffee connoisseur, and the following reasons will help you understand why:

Why Grind Coffee by Hand?

Some argue that quicker electric coffee grinders produce the same taste, while others still swear by buying pre-ground coffee. That’s alright. The proof is in the taste and other factors that make manual grinding a more sensible coffee-making choice. You’ll only realize it once you sample the difference and realize the other benefits. 

Manual Beats Electric for Taste

Manual coffee grinders allow you to grind your beans as finely as you choose, while only the most upmarket electric grinders offer espresso-size grinding options. Why is this important? The finer the coffee grind is, the greater its exposed area. The surface area is where the water draws the coffee’s caffeine and flavor during brewing. More exposure to the water means more robust coffee with a richer taste.

Sure, you can spend half your paycheck on a top-of-the-range electric grinder that will do the similar thing, or you can expend a little elbow grease to get the same, if not better, result for half the price of an entry-level electric machine. And you’ve done it alone and off the grid — there’s not much to beat being a sustainable coffee snob sometimes!

Other Reasons to Choose Manual

Manual coffee grinders produce fresher and more aromatic coffee than most electric grinders, but that’s only one factor in their preference. They’re also more straightforward to operate and, on average, more durable than electric models. You’re already aware of the price difference, but have you considered their portability factor, too?

When you’re out in the middle of nowhere on a camping or hunting excursion, don’t you miss your fresh and vital cup of ground coffee in the morning? There are other ways to enjoy coffee while out in the wild, like percolating or good old cowboy coffee, but having a manual coffee grinder will give you that taste of home.

Taking your manual grinder and a sealed container of prime coffee beans along on the trip affords you access to the same aroma, taste and familiar feeling you get every morning without the need for electricity access. 

What about the noise factor? If you leave early for work or the gym every morning, switching on the electric coffee grinder risks waking up the family, so you likely grind your beans weekly or every night. A strong, fresh cup of coffee before a gym session will increase your performance and concentration levels, and the same applies before work. You want that ultimate freshly ground caffeine boost before you get going. 

Considerations Before Buying a Manual Coffee Grinder

Like everything else, despite the many notable benefits, using a manual coffee grinder has some downfalls. One of these is definitely not the taste of the coffee, though!

Yes, manually grinding coffee takes effort, especially if you’re preparing it for a group of people and intend to try your hand at making coffee cocktails with your remaining bourbon later. Manual coffee grinders can only make one or two cups at once, so if you have one, you should pull your electric machine out of hibernation for larger gatherings. Alternatively, keep some pre-ground coffee or a high-class jar of instant coffee on hand and save the great stuff for yourself!

The other potential downfall is that a manual coffee grinder is so compact and small that you might misplace it! You can’t have that, so find a handy place to keep it where it’s easily accessible for that quick early morning grind when you wake up.

Go Manual or Opt for the Best of Both Worlds 

The choice is entirely yours. A manual coffee grinder will cost you next to nothing if you want to grind beans for a freshly brewed and aromatic cup of coffee every morning. If you already have an electric coffee grinder, hold onto it for those more suitable occasions. If you don’t, either splash out on a top-of-the-range model or choose another option mentioned for when you have visitors. Don’t miss out on the manual-ground, best-tasting morning coffee ever, though!