Used to think pre-ground was fine, then a barista called me out

I was buying pre-ground beans from the grocery store for years because it was convenient. Last month at a small shop in Austin the barista asked what grinder I use and I said none, she just handed me a sample of fresh-ground beans and said try this. Now I'm using a $30 hand grinder and it's actually better, am I missing out by not spending more on an electric one?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_beth16d ago

That $30 hand grinder is honestly the sweet spot for most people. Electric grinders get expensive fast and unless you are making 4+ cups a day the hand grinder does the job just fine. I used a Hario Skerton for like three years before I finally upgraded to a Baratza Encore and honestly the difference was smaller than I expected for a $160 jump. The real game changer was just having fresh ground beans at all, not the motor. Stick with the hand grinder until it breaks or you get tired of cranking for 90 seconds every morning.

barnes.shane16d ago

Right? I did the same thing with my Skerton for years before switching.