Why use a burr grinder?

Baratza Virtuoso: Professional quality burrs

Next to freshly roasted beans and clean water, burr grinders are the most important component for making a great cup of coffee.

Inexpensive blade grinders are popular, but really just chop coffee beans instead of grinding them, leaving you with grounds that vary in size from huge chunks to a fine powder. This difference in particle size gives you inconsistent extraction, blending sharp, bitter over-extracted flavors with dull, sour under-extracted flavors. Not a very good cup, eh?

Baratza Maestro: Good value burr grinder

Burr grinders, on the other hand, grind beans between a rotating burr and a stationary surface. This gives you grounds that are uniform in size and shape, from which the sweet, smooth flavors of the bean can be extracted reliably.

Burr grinders are also easy to adjust, so you can find the perfect grind setting to set your brewing method. With a blade grinder, you have to shake while grinding and counting seconds to get the right type of grind. All that motion heats up the coffee while grinding, leading to scorched flavors in the cup.  Burr grinders grind quickly without heating up the beans.

Breville Conical Burr Grinder: Great choice for Technivorm and French Press

Once you try your freshly roasted, freshly burr-ground coffee, you will definitely taste an improvement, regardless of how you brew your coffee.