# How to Grind Coffee Beans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591 "2010-02-19T03:52:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/1 "2010-02-19T03:52:11Z")
My wife bought me some gournet coffee (by mail), but she didn’t realize the contents were not ground! Lacking my own coffee grinder, any ideas how I can grind these beans? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/2 "2010-02-19T03:54:06Z")
Got a blender? It’ll do in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/3 "2010-02-19T03:57:17Z")
Note that simple coffee grinders can be had for as little as $20. And IME freshly ground coffee is meaningfully better. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/4 "2010-02-19T05:50:42Z")
You can use a blender, or a mortar and pestle. I bought my Cuisinart burr grinder for $20 online, including shipping. It was being sold for only $39 in the store. Burrs are better than blades. They stay in good condition longer and give a more consistent grind. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/5 "2010-02-19T11:56:29Z")
Thanks, I’ll look into it. A Cuisinart attachement sounds reasonable…I don’t want yet another kitchen appliance as I am no coffee conneauseur [nor a spelling conneauseur, c’nnow? 😉] ---
**Author:** ![ghostman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ghostman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghostman)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/6 "2010-02-19T12:03:15Z")
You also can probably bring it to a local Starbucks, and if you purchase a coffee there, i’d be really surprised if they wouldn’t run it through their grinder for you. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/7 "2010-02-19T12:55:16Z")
Lots of grocery stores have grinders you can use as well. At least, they used to. If not, a coffee store oughta be able to help you out. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/8 "2010-02-19T14:43:35Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Lots of grocery stores have grinders you can use as well. At least, they used to. If not, a coffee store oughta be able to help you out. Careful with this if your coffee does not have a flavor added to it. Most groceries that sell whole bean coffee in bulk with in-store grinders also sell artificially flavored coffee (i.e. Hazlenut, Irish Cream, etc) and the grinders are caked with various flavored coffee which can mix with your coffee ruining the flavor. Those things don’t get cleaned as regularly as the should. Not to mention the fact that commercial grinders should be calibrated regularly and it’s more likely a place like Starbucks calibrates their grinder equipment than grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/9 "2010-02-19T14:46:36Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Careful with this if your coffee does not have a flavor added to it. Most groceries that sell whole bean coffee in bulk with in-store grinders also sell artificially flavored coffee (i.e. Hazlenut, Irish Cream, etc) and the grinders are caked with various flavored coffee which can mix with your coffee ruining the flavor. Those things don’t get cleaned as regularly as the should. Not to mention the fact that commercial grinders should be calibrated regularly and it’s more likely a place like Starbucks calibrates their grinder equipment than grocery stores. What’s to calibrate? If it grinds the coffee, isn’t that good enough? Yes I realize that it might not be as course or as fine as you’d like but if it’s close… who cares? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/10 "2010-02-19T14:48:15Z")
As other mentioned, the blender will work, just make sure to do it for a pretty short amount of time before checking the coarseness of the grind (maybe 10-15 seconds), otherwise you might end up with coffee powder. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/11 "2010-02-19T14:56:35Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > As other mentioned, the blender will work, just make sure to do it for a pretty short amount of time before checking the coarseness of the grind (maybe 10-15 seconds), otherwise you might end up with coffee powder. Though, coffee powder can make a damn devilishly strong brew. Perhaps bitter, but devil strong. Your tastes may vary. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/12 "2010-02-19T15:13:15Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I realize that it might not be as course or as fine as you’d like but if it’s close… who cares? The coffee cares man. The _ **coffee** _ cares! * * * - -Off to make _another_ cup! ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/13 "2010-02-19T16:04:09Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > What’s to calibrate? If it grinds the coffee, isn’t that good enough? Yes I realize that it might not be as course or as fine as you’d like but if it’s close… who cares? Ideally, the grind should match your preferred method of extraction in order to get the best flavor from your coffee. If you’re pressing your coffee, a fine grind will result in a bitter, nasty, over-extracted sludge. If you make espresso with a coarse grind, you get a weak, under-extracted, flavorless coffee. Slightly less precision is needed for brewed coffee, but grind absolutely affects quality of the final product. If you don’t care about that, there’s no sense caring about the details of preparation. If you do care, well then, you probably don’t need to grind your coffee at the grocery store. Calibrating the equipment ensures that the grind you select on the dial is actually what you get. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/14 "2010-02-19T17:32:15Z")
Just buy a good burr grinder (gives better control than the whirring blade types over the fineness of the grind). Your wife has given you a bag of crack, you’re going to need the appropriate paraphernalia from now on. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/15 "2010-02-19T17:52:27Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > If you’re pressing your coffee, a fine grind will result in a bitter, nasty, over-extracted sludge. And a filter screen that’s a bitch to get clean. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/16 "2010-02-19T18:40:28Z")
Don’t bother with a burr grinder, you can get a blade grinder for much cheaper. I have two Krups models (one’s for spices, one’s for coffee; you can use a single for both if you’re willing to clean it often). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/17 "2010-02-19T18:47:14Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I have two Krups models (one’s for spices, one’s for coffee Hey, me too! They work great on nutmeg, caraway, anise, chili peppers and the like. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/18 "2010-02-19T19:02:01Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > And a filter screen that’s a bitch to get clean. 🙂 There once was a guy from Racine, Da da da da da da da deen, Da da da da da, Da da da da da, But, oh, what a bastard to clean. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/19 "2010-02-20T01:22:44Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Don’t bother with a burr grinder, you can get a blade grinder for much cheaper. I have two Krups models (one’s for spices, one’s for coffee; you can use a single for both if you’re willing to clean it often). I started with a blade grinder, then went for a burr grinder because it was ‘better’, the burr grinder was a royal PITA, it had to be taken apart and cleaned constantly and IMHO made no difference in the taste at all, when back to a blade which is faster to use, faster to clean, and the last blade grinder cost all of $10. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591/20 "2010-02-20T01:43:09Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I started with a blade grinder, then went for a burr grinder because it was ‘better’, the burr grinder was a royal PITA, it had to be taken apart and cleaned constantly and IMHO made no difference in the taste at all, when back to a blade which is faster to use, faster to clean, and the last blade grinder cost all of $10. OTOH, I have had my burr grinder for nearly 10 years, have never had to take it apart and it still gives me the uniform grind that I never got from my blade grinder. And it makes a huge difference when making espresso or french press. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-grind-coffee-beans/529591.md?page=2)