There are so many different coffee machines on the market. Whether you want something to automate the process and allow you to control it via your phone, or you’re happy to learn the skills required to become a barista, there is something on the market for you.
Photo: coffeefriend.co.uk
Coffee machines with grinder options attached are very popular at the moment, and it is easy to see why this is the case. People are taking much more of an interest in the types of coffee they drink and this means that they also want to have control over the grind of the beans, too. It has many different benefits as we’ll explore in this guide, even though you may need to pay a little more for a coffee machine with a grinder.
You Won’t Need to Buy an External Grinder
Even if you start your coffee journey using pre-ground coffee there is a chance that in the future you will want to buy and grind your own coffee beans. If you do end up having to buy an external grinder in the future, and it is external to your coffee machine, it has some downsides.
- Extra cost. Buying a grinder separately is much more likely to cost more money. Like most things, if you buy items bundled together they tend to be much more affordable than if you wait and buy them separately.
- It may take up more space. With combined coffee machines with grinder attachments it will be built into the mechanism, but if you buy them separately then you will need an extra space to store and use the grinder.
Fresh Coffee is Best
There is no denying that coffee that is freshly-ground is best. Once it has been ground it tends to start to degrade in quality due to the fact that it makes contact with the air. Airtight containers are essential for storing your coffee beans, for instance.
We know that the ideal time for brewing is straight after grinding, and if you’re the sort of person who really cares about the quality of the coffee drinks you are serving up, then a grinder is ideal.
It is Easier to Store Coffee Beans
We think it is much easier to store coffee beans than ground coffee (and there’s less chance of a mess from those coffee beans, too.
Coffee beans can easily be put into a container and frozen. This means that they will stay usable for much longer. It is largely accepted as the best way to store coffee, but it doesn’t have the same impact if you freeze ground coffee, which can become watery when defrosting.
You’ll Have More Options to Experiment
When you buy pre-ground coffee you will be limited to the options that are on the shelf. There is no way to change the grind size once you’ve purchased your coffee, of course.
However, if you buy beans, you have the chance to experiment with different grind sizes. In fact, we know that grind sizes make a huge difference. A barista will tell you that you need to use a fine grind if you are making an espresso-based drink, but if you are going to make something that has a longer extraction time then you do not need to use a fine grind. Coarser may be better.
It is also possible that you will find your own preference by tweaking the grinder settings and coming up with the ideal grind size. If you have bought coffee beans and a coffee machine with a grinder you will probably have control over these settings, meaning that you can make tweaks. One bag of coffee beans can turn into many different grind sizes and many different styles of coffee.
Photo: coffeefriend.co.uk
They Have Become More Reasonably-Priced
One of the things that can help you to justify the price of the coffee machine is the simple fact that they have become cheaper. Like virtually anything, when the market gets bigger and more products are introduced the price tends to come down. This has definitely happened with coffee products.
It means that buying a coffee machine with a grinder is far from extortionate, and can actually be very reasonable.
Why Investing in a Coffee Machine with Grinder is Worth the Price
A combination of the new and exciting features, plus the fact that coffee machines have come down in price, means more and more people are investing in models with grinders attached. It can be far more convenient as well as giving you a lot more choice in terms of the types of drinks you plan to serve up.
If you’re happy just drinking one type of coffee the whole time then you might not be too worried about a grinder, but those who are passionate about coffee may well choose to get a model with an attached grinder.
