Cone grinder or disc grinder for espresso grinders?
Is it best to buy an electric coffee grinder with a cone grinder or would I prefer a disc grinder?
Our new article is all about the electric espresso grinder for Portafilter - the indispensable little sister of the espresso machine! We explain the differences between cone and disc grinders, go into advantages and disadvantages and at the end you are hopefully one step further in your decision making!
This is how an electronic espresso grinder is constructed from the inside
The most important thing in an espresso grinder is by far the grinder! The decisive factor here is the guarantee of a homogeneous grind, so that a perfect espresso succeeds.
What does that mean in concrete terms? The more evenly the coffee beans are ground, the better the flow through the Portafilter and thus also the aroma.
In the past, in addition to the two grinders that we will discuss here, there was also often the so-called impact grinder. Similar to a blender, the beans are ground in it by rotating blades. However, this means that the beans are not ground evenly, which is why this type of grinder is virtually no longer in use.
Instead, today you will find almost exclusively espresso grinders with cone grinders or the frequently used disc grinders.
The cone grinder
A coffee grinder with a cone grinder has - as the name suggests - a rotating cone or conical grinder (usually made of ceramic or steel).
The beans are ground between the cone and the side walls. Depending on the grind setting, the distance between the cone and the wall is reduced or increased so that the grind becomes coarser or finer. Thanks to gravity, the freshly ground coffee is carried downwards into a collecting container. The advantage of this is that it is not necessary to achieve a high speed, which carries the ground coffee to the sides via centrifugal force, as is the case with the disc mill. The low speeds prevent the coffee grounds from overheating and thus preserve the aroma of the ground beans.
The disadvantages that espresso grinders with cone grinders have are increased particle distribution and a louder noise level during grinding. In addition, it is not easy to find an espresso grinder with a cone grinder in the same price segment as those with a disc grinder. They are more common in gastronomic use, but are mainly installed in fully automatic coffee machines.
Espresso grinders with cone grinder can be found in our store, especially with the Bezzera brand.
The disc mill
Coffee grinders with disc grinders are much more widespread in the electric grinder market. This may be mainly due to the fact that production costs are lower here. Espresso grinders with disc grinders can therefore be offered at a lower price and appeal to a wider range of customers.
Therefore you will also find in our store a large number of manufacturers who have almost exclusively installed disc grinders in their espresso grinders for home use.
And this is how this grinding process works:
The degree of grinding changes due to the distance that two inwardly curved discs can have from each other. The beans are ground in this gap and the high speed generates a centrifugal force that moves the ground material outward to the disc parts that are closer together. This ensures that the coffee grounds are processed particularly homogeneously.
Since the grinding discs have a significantly higher rotation rate than the grinding cone, higher temperatures are generated inside the mill during the grinding process. This can have an influence on the aroma of the coffee.
A decisive advantage, however, is that espresso grinders with disc grinders are significantly quieter than cone grinders.
By the way: The espresso grinder manufacturer Eureka has perfected the reduction of grinding noise with its "Silent Technology" for its Eureka Mignon series!
Which grinder is now the "better" one?
The quotation marks already suggest it - it's hard to talk about "better" or "worse". Ultimately, as in most coffee matters, it is purely a matter of taste.
If you are no longer a complete beginner in the world of espresso, you can play it safe and simply try an espresso in a direct comparison. You can do this in one of our stores, or you can trust the judgment of one or two coffee connoisseurs in various forums.
But even if you can attribute small differences in taste to the grinder, you should always keep an eye on the price-performance ratio. The noise level should not be underestimated either, and in case of doubt, the decision may be in favor of the disc mill.
Still undecided?
No problem! Our knowledgeable staff in our stores will advise you at any time with questions about both the Espresso machineas well as the espresso grinder!
