Everything you need to know about a Manual grinder

Andito nanaman tayey!

For this week’s Coffee 101 Session, we will talk about… ten tenen!

Manual Coffee Grinders!

What is a Coffee Grinder??

If you go to some online shopping site and search Coffee grinders, you can get overwhelmed since there are so many choices but our goal here is to help you first choose the correct grinder, second is how to properly use the said grinder and third is to care for your grinders (Yes! Grind lang ng grind!)

So, how do we choose a coffee grinder? If you were able to read our first article I mentioned that the best grinder for coffee beans is a burr grinder as this does not get hot and crushes the beans in consistent and uniform size which is very important for brewing and retaining the freshness of your coffee grounds.

There are 2 types of Burr grinders, Conical grinders have 2 cone shaped burrs with ridges and a Flat Plate burr grinder have 2 identical and parallel rings that are serrated on the side that faces the other. Both burr grinders have one stationary burr while the motor turns the other. The beans are then drawn between the two burrs and crushed into uniform size.

The Conical burrs are usually used on the very low-speed gear while the flat plate burrs are used on all qualities of grinders from low-priced high-speed grinders up to the low-speed commercial grinders.

Why use a Manual grinder?

Besides consistency, using a manual grinder gives us more flexibility in terms of the type of grinds we would like to get and of course it’s CHEAPER (yes, dapat practical tayo mga beshy!). Manual grinders in the market ranges from P300 to P1000 depending on the brand while electric or commercial grinders range from P2500 to P15000. So, if you’re just starting I would highly recommend that you get a Manual burr grinder first. Just make sure to do some stretching as it can be a work out when you grind your beans manually. (ready na ang pang aerobics outfit!)

Manual Grinder Parts

Glass Jar – this is where the coffee grounds go after you grind them

Bean hopper and bottom ceramic burr – this is placed on top of the glass jar, it is where you put the beans and serves as half of the grinder

Ceramic burr with metal shaft – this is the 2nd half of the grinder, this is the one that crushes the beans into different sizes

Plastic washer – this protects the adjustment nut from wear and tear when grinding the beans

Adjustment nut – this is used to adjust/choose your preferred grind

Nut stopper – this will secure the adjustment nut

Handle – this is used to control your manual grinder

Fixing cap – this is use to lock the handle to the metal shaft

So, we’ve discussed the parts. Now we’ll talk about how to use and adjust your Manual grinder

Normally, when you purchase a manual grinder, its already assembled and refrain again REFRAIN from adjusting or playing with the adjustment nut. Why? Kasi sabi ko wag! Charot!

When you buy a manual grinder, the standard setting is on 0, this means that you can use it as a starting point for adjusting to your preferred grind.

Manual grinder settings go from 0 – 7; 0 being extra fine and 7 being extra coarse. Move the adjustment nut counter clockwise, 1 turn (pabebe lang mga besh hindi bonggang ikot) equals 1 setting/type of grind. Patience is very important when you're starting specially if you’re having issues attaining the grind that you are going for. Just practice, you’ll get it eventually. (aja! Try and try until you succeed!)

After adjusting, place the nut stopper, handle and fixing cap to secure your settings. Move the handle counter clockwise and start grinding.

Below are your Do’s and Don’t when using a manual grinder

• Do not crank your adjustment nut too tight

• Do not try to “grind” without any beans in the hopper as this might break or damage the burr

• Do a test grind first before grinding your beans to make sure you achieve the grind you are going for

• If your setting is on 0 move adjustment nut counter clockwise, move clockwise if you want a finer grind

• When grinding; a slow and consistent turn in the handle is ideal (nakakangawit besh pag binilisan mo)

• Always clean your grinder after use, I normally brush the grinder to remove residue or excess coffee grounds. You can purchase a brush that is intended for the manual grinder but you can use any clean small brush that you have if you want to save up (practical dapat tayo besh, tooth brush lang pwede na)

• Clean your grinder with dish soap once a week using a soft sponge, if you use it every day. Pour warm or hot water after using and brushing. We don’t want the smell of the soap to stick to your beans so use a small amount as much as possible

The gallery is a step by step process on assembling your manual coffee grinder

That's it! i hope this article helps you in your coffee journey! See you again next week and as always if you liked this blogag 😆, please do like and and follow our social media pages for more updates, tips and tricks and high quality coffee beans from the Philippines! #supportlocalph