The Simple Hack To Grind Coffee Beans More Evenly

Without a commercial-grade grinder on hand, getting a consistent grind on your coffee beans can be one of the biggest issues when it comes to brewing coffee at home. While grinding your beans fresh before brewing will get you scientifically better-tasting coffee than using pre-ground beans, you might still have to contend with inconsistent ground sizes depending on the quality of your grinder. Blade grinders are especially guilty of patchy grounds, but that doesn't mean you have to invest in an expensive burr grinder to get an optimally brewed coffee.

The next time you're hacking down a batch of beans for a fresh cup, try lifting and shaking the machine gently while it's working to get a more even grind. The feasibility of this depends on the size and shape of your machine, of course. However, the general idea is to move the beans around to help the machine grind everything at a more even pace, as opposed to some areas getting less contact with the blades than others. The more consistent grind will result in a more even flavor extraction while your coffee is percolating, decreasing the chances of a weaker brew and keeping notes of unexpected bitterness out of your morning cup.

Ideally, you would be lifting your machine off the counter to give it a good shake. If this isn't possible, you can still get similar results by firmly holding the top of the unit and wiggling it enough to get the coffee mixed around in the chamber while grinding. Another thing to keep in mind for more consistent coffee is to grind in pulses instead of one continuous push. Not only does this help with circulating the coffee more evenly, but it also avoids the issue of the built-up heat from the blades affecting the taste of your beans. (Make sure to also shake the machine during the pulses to get the grind as even as possible.)

While this tip doesn't really apply if you're using a conical burr grinder instead, giving burr grinders a shake isn't a bad idea either. Shaking the machine at the end of a grind cycle will help dislodge any beans that might be hiding in the crevices or balancing over the burrs, making sure you're not getting one or two stale beans the next time you fire it up.