Switched from my $18 hand grinder to a $40 electric burr and the difference hit me like a wall

William Schmidt · 2026-09-11T01:20:05.666921+00:00

I know everyone says the grinder matters more than the brewer but I always figured that was just something people repeat online. For 8 months I used a cheap hand grinder I got at a garage sale in Boise for $18. It worked fine, or so I thought. Then my wrist started hurting from cranking 40 turns every single morning and I caved and bought a basic electric burr grinder for $40. First cup after the swap I just stood in my kitchen staring at it. The sour taste I had blamed on my beans was gone. Same beans, same water, same pour method. Turns out my old grinder was making a mix of powder and boulders, and the powder was messing up the whole brew. I feel dumb for going 8 months thinking my local roaster sold me weak beans. Anyone else make this same switch and feel like they got tricked?

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Switched from my $18 hand grinder to a $40 electric burr and the difference hit me like a wall | Coffee Enthusiasts - Rigidtalk