(no subject)

[wildestranger]

Hello friendslist,

I need your help! I accidentally bought a bag of coffee beans instead of ground coffee (these things can happen whilst wondering around in an undercaffeinated daze), and now I wonder if grinding my own beans (that sounds filthy somehow. Um. Maybe I'm just a pervert.) would actually be a good idea. Do any of you practice this habit? Would you recommend it? How does it contribute to your coffee experience? What brands of coffee grinders would you suggest? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Comments

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

I say take it to any local coffee shop and they'll grind it for you. (Starbucks does this for free, even on non-Starbucks brand coffee.) Just tell them what kind of filter you have.

If you really want to grind it, though, it can be nice; you only grind enough to drink that day and the rest tastes fresher longer.

(Hi, I used to work at Starbucks.)

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

I'm not convinced that my local Starbucks would do it at all, let alone for free. *glares at them suspiciously*

If you really want to grind it, though, it can be nice; you only grind enough to drink that day and the rest tastes fresher longer.

That's the thing, really - this does sound most tempting, and I like the idea of being even more of a coffee aficionado. But I'm confused by the coffee grinder information that I've found, and somewhat disturbed by the prices. Didn't they used to do this by hand?

Also, boypiles!

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

Well, they SHOULD. If you go in and ask them, buy a small coffee or something to be polite. They're REQUIRED to do it. *hates on people who suck at their jobs*

I have a little grinder. It cost maybe $20 American. They don't really need to do anything, although it's nice if you can adjust the grind depending on the kind of machine you have.

And now I am off to work, where I will get the WORLD'S BIGGEST COFFEE, because I only got 5 hours of sleep due to some extremely silly boys. <3

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm going to a Starbucks tomorrow so I shall ask them. But I really wouldn't be surprised if they won't, since the UK is not that great on customer service and frankly, I'd be astonished if that was a nationwide mandate here. Then again, I don't know anyone who grinds their own beans, so it's also possible that there isn't much demand for that here.

World's biggest coffee and ridiculous boys seem like a good combination to me. :D

[lyras.livejournal.com]

If you have any organic/health food shops nearby that sell coffee beans, they might be a better bet than Starbucks. My local one (OK, this was in Chiswick, natural home of Nigella Lawson and yummy mummies everywhere) used to have a grinder by the coffee beans, so you could buy either freshly ground coffee or whole beans.

OTOH, coffee grinders are cheap (or should be) - think we got ours from Whittard for about £15.

[red_squared]

You can dispense with the brewing altogether, because coffee beans are nummy for snacking on as is.

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Hmm, really? Shall have to give that a try!

[red_squared]

Betcha can't eat just one :D (They are scarily addictive)

Oh, and following on harriet_vane's suggestion, if Starbucks won't do it, what about taking it back to where you bought it and asking them?

Some of the supermarkets in Aus. have a commercial-grindy-thingy in the coffee aisle where shoppers can grind their beans (you're right - it does sound filthy) in the store and take them home.

[archon-mentha.livejournal.com]

I've got a little grinder - it wasn't expensive, probably about the same price as an electric can opener. I've found that it does make for a fresher, better-tasting cup of coffee. (Although I'm too lazy to use it all that often.)

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

I'm confused by the notion of an electric can opener. I'm vaguely aware that they exist, but can't see why anyone would use one, since manual ones are so easy and cheap. </has no idea how much an electric can opener would cost. Anyway, can you tell me the brand of your grinder (*filthy grin*)?

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

I grind my own beans (and usually don't feel as filthy doing it as I do now typing it) - I never buy ground coffee, because I don't drink it all that often and whole beans stay fresh longer. In Germany, every (larger) supermarket where you can buy whole beans has a commercial grinding machine, but I've never used one yet. (It would somewhat defy the purpose: I buy whole beans, because I want to grind only a handful at a time.) I've got a manual coffee grinder which looks a bit like this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XKOX82?&camp=212361&creative=383957&linkCode=waf&tag=coffeedetecti-20) and which I use when I've got a lot of time (or want to impress someone), as well as an electric one which I bought in the household appliances section in a supermarket and which cost well under 20 Euros. I'd say it takes marginally longer than using ground coffee, but you've got the added bonus of the scent of freshly ground coffee, which is nice. I also use either a stove-top espresso maker or a Bodum coffee maker and don't even own a normal coffee maker.

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Can you tell me the brand/name of your electric grinder (okay, yes, that sounds utterly filthy)? The manual one looks lovely (in fact, I've got a feeling that my mother owns just such a one from early 20th century), but I don't think I could acquire one easily.

I don't tend to worry about the freshness since I use approximately one package per week - it doesn't have time to grow old. ;)

[sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com]

For all the hullabaloo about different grinders, a cheap one will do the job just fine. Mine cost about $10 - and I agree with what others have said about it being a good way to have the freshest tasting coffee.

I'm also in total agreement with you about Starbucks in the UK being rat bastards. Not the company, per se, but just - there's such a different ethos in the US an the UK about customer service. As in there isn't any in England :D

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

That's the thing, really - it wouldn't occur to me that they might provide such a service, let alone for free.

Could you recommned a specific brand of coffee grinders? All the ones I've been able to find seem to be 50 pounds and rubbish.

[sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-6918599-6599959?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coffee+grinder&x=0&y=0

On this first page are several I've had that have done a great job - the Krups, the Braun, and the Bodum. They're more expensive for you - but I think that's, sadly, the way it is; whenever I buy anything on Amazon UK to send to my family back home, it's pound-dollar, so something $20 here would be twenty pounds back home. Suck!

But if you keep scrolling down that page you'll see hand crank grinders - the kind that people used in the 19th C. I don't know anything about how good they are, but since you mentioned those, I thought I'd point them out!

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I've only ever had a manual coffee mill (inherited from my grandma) so can't share any useful advice, except that mmh, yes, freshly ground is *very* nice!

And I can also second the snacking on coffee beans ;)

[dissident.livejournal.com]

many people prefer to grind the beans themselves every morning, it helps it stay fresher.

and grinders aren't expensive...i myself use a small attachment that came with my food processor, which i believe is meant to use on herbs and such.