Manual or electrical Grinder? Which one is best for your lifestyle?

One of our readers recently asked us about the difference between using a manual and electric coffee grinder. We all know that freshly ground is best. Once you grind coffee it is exposed to oxygen which causes oxidisation, which means we miss out on the beautiful complex flavours in our cup of coffee. If you’re spending the money on good coffee beans, you want to do that bean justice.

So, after considering this if you decide you are going to venture out and purchase a coffee grinder, but don’t know whether to go electric or manual, we have a few considerations for you. First, whether you go the electric or manual route, burr-grinders are what you’ll be looking at. They produce uniform size grounds which is important for consistent coffee.

Now, manual or electrical? Well, it really comes down to what will suit your lifestyle, what your day to day looks like, how many people you are making coffee for, amongst other things.

Manual hand-held burr grinders are exactly that. They are manual and require a bit of labour. Manual hand grinders don’t have a wide range in terms of grind, or a button to choose exact grind sizes, but rather a dial to adjust the grind. This means that it may take some trial and error to get the exact grind or flavour you are after. A hand grinder is great if you’re not often needing to adjust. Of course, the labour of grinding is what turns some people off, and when it comes to finer grind for espressos, it will take a little longer. However, if you are mainly drinking AeroPress which is ‘one serve’ a hand grinder will be perfect. If portability is important to you, the hand grinder is the one for you as it can follow you to the office, uni, camping, and travelling. Check out our affordable manual hand grinder.

If you are frequently making coffee for a few people, the hand grinder will start to become very tedious. This is when a price difference for convenience starts to play into your considerations. You will pay a substantial amount more for the same quality grind that you get from a manual grinder. However, if you are after something that can sit in one spot, pump out the grind, and is quick to adjust, then I would suggest looking at the electrical grinder. Just check that the burrs can be replaced when they become dull.