The lifespan of a burr grinder depends on its quality and the burr material.
Ceramic vs steel burr grinder.
The cup flavors are complex and usually have more body and mouth feel in comparison to the steel burrs depending on the coffee.
By barbara chacon monument co a chemex brewer and kyocera hand coffee grinder.
Ceramic burrs are harder than steel and last on average about twice as long as steel burrs.
They also have the capability of grinding for espresso.
On the other hand stainless steel burr grinders tend to cost less up front but their blades will warp and become blunt faster than ceramic ones.
Image courtesy of wikipedia.
They are great for blends and particularly coffees roasted for espresso.
The difference between a burr grinder and a blade grinder is a burr grinder doesn t add any heat to the coffee whilst grinding which ensures the coffee flavour isn t affected.
It s just my husband and i at home but for when company comes i was thinking of getting a large chemex.
Ultimately as with the burr shape the ceramic vs steel issue is going to be about personal taste.
Ceramic vs steel burr coffee grinders.
The main thing that impacts the cost of a grinder is whether it is automatic or manual though not the blade material.
That means your first steel grinder probably isn t going to be your last one.
In general the low speed high rpm motors are in less expensive 200 range grinders.
Ceramic burr are less thermally conductive than steel this means these burrs transfer less heat than steel burrs see below on heat.
Ceramic vs stainless steel burr grinders.
Ceramic burrs are more brittle than steel so you could chip the ceramic burr if a very hard rock was hiding in the beans.
High speed vs low speed grinders.
Contrary to popular belief steel burrs are not just designed for brewing.
Stainless steel burr grinders typically make it through 500 to 1 000 pounds of coffee.
Specifically ceramic burr grinders usually last through 1 000 to 1 500 pounds of coffee.
If you re brewing mostly espresso you might steer more toward a ceramic burr grinder.
I normally use a french press and just yesterday bought an aeropress.
Although ceramic burr grinders have been preferred by a majority for some time now results of recent taste tests clearly show that steel burr sets also have some desirable properties.
The two types of grinders used in automatic coffee machines these days are either manufactured.
In these cases using a grinder with a ceramic burr is recommended.