Should I get a coffee grinder?

April 27, 2020 2 min read

If you're someone who cares about getting the freshest coffee possible and the best flavor possible, then you should be grinding your own coffee fresh every time you make coffee. While not required (some people value the convenience of pre-ground coffee more, and that's totally respectable!) freshly ground coffee does make a difference in the final result.

First things first, grinding your own coffee as opposed to having a whole bag of pre-ground coffee ensures that you are consuming fresh coffee each time. Once coffee is ground, its taste and flavor notes start degrading (think of it the same way you would cut up fruits and vegetables). If you consume pre-ground coffee, our recommendation is to finish it within two weeks ideally of breaking our heat seal.

With your own grinder, you can grind to your desired size for different brew experiences. When you buy a bag of pre-ground coffee, you’re going to get one grind size. If you buy a bag pre-ground specifically for drip, you’ll be drinking drip for a while. But with your own grinder, you can customize to your daily whims. Want phin brewed coffee one day and French press another? No problem. Grinding coffee yourself allows you that flexibility and control.

At the end of the day, grinding your own coffee has a variety of benefits. If anything, it’s also a part of the daily ritual of making coffee at home -- which can be a pretty relaxing experience. From measuring out your beans to grinding them to brewing them, the whole process can be a space for joy and comfort before diving into the day. There’s nothing inherently wrong with buying pre-ground coffee, but we hope you’ll learn to love grinding your own as well.

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Our personal favorite grinder? The Baratza Encore. We recommend a grind setting between 14-16 for a phin filter.

Learn more about how to grind coffee, grind size, and more here.