Such a Fine Grind

Photo courtesy of Ditting U.S.A.

Your coffee deserves an excellent grinder

By Maura Keller

Coffee grinders are fundamentally about creating the proper level of grind for a variety of coffee concoctions. While traditional grinders are versatile, durable and long lasting, today's leading-edge grinding equipment offers retailers state-of-the-art efficiency and durability that can dramatically impact your coffee product.

Leading the pack
As with most commercial-grade equipment, manufacturers consistently make improvements on their product lines. And coffee grinders are no exception.

Recently BUNN released its Multi-Hopper Grinder, which allows operators to offer multiple coffees from one grinder. As Scott Mazzini, vice president of product management at BUNN explains, the new grinder features BUNN's BrewWISE technology, which allows each hopper to communicate with the grinder via an RFID chip.

“The communication includes the type of coffee to be ground," Mazzini says. The grinder is automatically adjusted to meet the proper grind volume for that specific type of coffee. “Using the information about the type of coffee ground, the brewer then brews the specific recipe for that coffee–automatically," he says.

According to Nancy Wideman of Ditting U.S.A., the company's revolutionary new grinder, Model KR905 will have a big impact in the industry.

“This grinder provides the same high Swiss-quality that the market expects in both the design of the grinder and the uniform and consistent grinds," Wideman says. “With a grinding speed of about 1.5 pounds per minute, this grinder is faster than our 804 series grinder and offers a more compact, modern design." The grinder also has a plethora of built-in safety features, including a mechanism that does not allow the grinder to be turned on if the hopper is not in place.

“Another key and very innovative feature of this Ditting grinder is that the grinding discs are not held in place by screws," Wideman says. “Instead, they are gripped tightly in place with the use of magnets, which decreases the amount of time it would usually take to clean the grinding chamber or change the grinding discs. That's also eight less screws to be lost during routine maintenance."

Ditting and Mahlkonig continue to partner on the KE640 on-demand espresso grinder. Also in the works is a dual-hopper espresso grinder, the KED640. “The new dual-hopper espresso grinder will contain two espresso grinders, complete with two separate computers, on a smaller footprint than two individual KE640 grinders," Wideman says. “Both grinders can be run simultaneously, allowing faster espresso doses with one or two baristas at a time." As with the single-hopper KE640, the key feature of this grinder is the grind ‘on-demand' allowing operators to grind exact single or double shots only when needed, resulting in the freshest espresso to the customer.

Considering every aspect
When purchasing a grinder, it is important to pay close attention to portion-control grinders. As Mazzini explains, having portion-controlled grinders eliminates the need for staff to weigh beans before grinding as is required by a bulk grinder.

If you want to sell ground coffee to your customers for at-home use, you will want to invest in a quality bulk grinder. “Bulk grinders have easily adjustable coffee grind sizes and grind directly into a take-home bag," Mazzini says. Key features to look for in both types of grinders are burr quality, motor horsepower rating and brewer interface.

According to Lisa Klein with Grindmaster, retailers also need to note that there is a clear–cut distinction between retail coffee grinders (by the pound) and portion–control grinders.

“Grindmaster offers a full line of both distinctions," Klein says. “Retailers should consider the grinders intended use–portion or by the pound. Also consider the expected grinding volume and desired grind profile selections needed. Pricing, warranty support and service should also be considered." And in terms of new grinding technologies coming over from Europe, Klein notes that the emphasis for retailers is on finer-ground coffees and the precision in grinding.

As with most types of equipment, it pays to purchase a good, quality grinder, which can last for 5-10 years. “Depending on the volume of coffee ground, burrs should be replaced every 3 or 4 years, around 30,000 or 40,000 pounds," Mazzini says.

For Wideman of Ditting, the grinder retailers choose must live up to the bean and the roast. “A bad grinder can ruin the flavor of your bean," Wideman says.

Wideman recommends the following tips to retailers:
* Look for a grinder that produces a very uniform and consistent grind sample.
* Make sure that you choose a grinder that will provide the output you need without overheating. “If you want to grind 10 pounds in one shot, make sure that the model you are considering can be run for that long without heating up the beans," Wideman says.
* Make sure you choose a manufacturer and model that can provide all the different grinds you are looking for. “If you want to be able to grind very fine Turkish grind, make sure you choose a manufacturer and model that will provide this," she says.
* Determine the average life of the grinder.
* Make sure you allow for some growing room. "If you expect to grind 20 pounds a day, don't choose a grinder rated for 20 pounds a day. Choose the next model up so that it will allow you room to grow."

Photo courtesy of Ditting U.S.A.

She also says you want to examine the ease of use and maintenance of the grinder, namely:

* How easy is it to use the grinder? How about cleaning? The average retail store has store employees, not a service technician, clean the grinders. What is involved in cleaning?
* If maintenance should be needed, what kind of technical support is there? For instance, Ditting offers free technical support via the phone, e-mail, fax or at www.ditting.com. “In addition to the information found in the owner's manual, we also provide full schematics and step-by-step instructions to the most common procedures, and our technicians can walk you through it by phone." Wideman says.
* Also ask about the availability of spare parts. Are they kept in stock? How fast are they available? And determine the average life of the grinding discs and if they are resharpenable.
* Finally, determine what kind of warranty, if any, is offered with the grinder.

“Retailers want to focus on grinders with burrs, rather than blades," says Mary Schmidt of Europa. “Blades can result in inconsistent grinds." Europa offers two distinctive grinders–automatic and semi-automatic. Both grinders offer preselected portion control and an attached pressure. Europa's Andrea grinder is a smaller rendition of their popular commercial-grade grinders and is ideal for home use or smaller commercial applications.

“Don't skimp on your grinder," Wideman advises. “Make sure you budget for a good grinder and find the grinder that best suits your needs, making sure requirements for speed, capacity, grind fineness and electrical requirements are met."

Klein with Grindmaster adds that a good maintenance program will prolong the useful life of most grinders to 5 years and beyond. “Of course, proper grinding burr calibration is critical," she says.

If you simply cannot afford the perfect new grinder that matches your needs, perhaps you can find a reconditioned or used grinder that does. For example, Ditting U.S.A. reconditions Ditting grinders back to factory specs.

“While reconditioned grinders often have a bit of scratches on the body, they will produce the same high-quality grind that you'd expect with a new grinder at a fraction of the cost," Wideman says. “If you opt for a cheaper grinder based solely on price, you may very well find yourself replacing your grinder in the short term because it does not meet your requirements."

Exploring new sales avenues
While purchasing grinders for retail or commercial use is at the forefront of many specialty coffee retailers, more and more are looking at ways to enhance equipment sales within their stores. Enter Baratza, a grinder manufacturer that sells mostly home equipment.

Photo courtesy of Baratza

“Many roasters purchase our equipment to resell to their customers," says Kyra Kennedy, owner of Baratza. “Roasters want the customers that purchase beans for home use to purchase whole beans and grind them fresh seconds before they brew the coffee. Our grinder is popular with this group because it is accurate and has the range to grind for any style."

In December 2005, Kennedy introduced the Baratza Virtuoso. The Virtuoso is a semi-commercial grinder, designed to be a good size for the home, but with commercial-quality components. For instance, the Virtuoso features a 40-mm, commercial-grade conical burr, which was specially designed for accurate grind and long use. “We also added an innovative calibration system, so each grinder can be fine tuned to grind for any style of coffee," Kennedy says. “A speed reducer was also added, to slow the rotation of the burrs. Slow rotation improves the feeding of the beans and ensures cool operation."

In March 2007, the company made a huge upgrade of the Maestro and Maestro Plus grinders, incorporating the calibration system and speed reduction of the Virtuoso into the Maestro and Maestro Plus.

Baratza also has roasters that are using its grinders in offices and small restaurants and as decaf grinders for low-value areas that do not want to spend $500 for a commercial grinder.

“We have noticed that almost all home grinders say they can grind for any style of coffee from espresso to French press," Kennedy says. “Recently we hired a coffee expert and purchased all kinds of home equipment, so we could determine what the best-selling home grinders really did. What we found is that most grinders could not grind fine and consistent enough for a home espresso machine. We also found that they did not grind course or consistent enough for French press."

If a retailer is looking for grinders to resell or simply to add to their grinding capabilities, Kennedy recommends they test them and determine what the grinder is capable of. “Some grinders are great for drip only," Kennedy says. “But I think it is important for the roaster to tell the customer, because most consumers do not have the knowledge or the ability to test different products to find the one that meets their needs."

With commercial equipment the resellers should understand their customers' needs including:

* Does the grinder grind fast enough for the demand?
* Does the grinder grind for the style of coffee being brewed?
* Is the grinder sturdy enough for the usages?
* Can grind consistency and accuracy for any style of coffee?
* Does it have a calibration system that ensures the grinder has the
range of grind necessary for any style of coffee?
* Does it use a DC motor so the grinder can be used for extended grinding?
* Does it use a combination of gears and electronic speed controllers reducing the grinding speed to 450 RPM, which reduces heat, noise and
static electricity?

Whether you are looking for a new grinder for your own operations or are interested in selling home grinders in your store, one thing's for sure, specialty coffee retailers are demanding grinders that can run continuously with no problems.

“Today's grinder customers are looking for products that use state-of-the-art material and design, including grinding discs that can cope with any type of coffee," Wideman says. “They also want a grinder that is easy to operate and adjust, offers a compact design, is easy to clean and maintain, and it must comply with the latest safety and sanitation standards."