Powers of Ten vs Coffee Grinders

If you like to drink coffee, you should use a high quality grinder. In fact, the grinder's more important than the coffee machine. Spend a lot or a little, but whatever grinder you buy, it should cost the same or more than your coffee machine.



Here is the Macap grinder, which gets Much REZPEC from the afficionados. And from people who like coffee too. It will run you around $400. It is enormously overbuilt, which besides having a certain old-school Mercedes feel, allows it's motor to run at a lower speed and still grind quickly. The maker claims that the lower speed also imparts less heat to the coffee, although I don't think this matters.


It is not built like a tank, but you're not going to drive it into Normandy either. Here are a series of logarithmic plots summarizing my experiences with the two grinders:


On the particle size distribution "plot" the Macap is the second series, and each plot is supposed to represent one click on the adjustment ring.

The Cuisinart does a really good imitation of a garbage disposal. They may be related. The Macap isn't whisper silent, but people will attempt to have conversations while it's on (even if you're turning it on while they speak on purpose).



Use the Cuisinart with a French press and you will make good coffee. Don't use it with an espresso machine (a real one, anyway - if you have a fake one, then feel free to use a fake grinder). Use the Macap for either. Note - a good part of the Macap's "value" is its social cachet. It has broadened my social horizons at work, which is pretty impressive if you know me.