Please Stop Buying Pre-Ground Coffee. Get a Coffee Grinder Instead.

Coffee requires a coffee maker or espresso machine, whole beans, and a good grinder. Pre-ground coffee that sits for long periods should be skipped because grinding exposes coffee particles to air and oxidation, degrading aroma and flavor compounds. Fresh beans ground immediately before brewing are necessary for a flavorful cup. A burr grinder is recommended over an electric blade grinder because burrs crush beans evenly between steel or ceramic burrs, while blade grinders behave like blenders and produce uneven, mangled grounds. High-end burr grinders can be expensive, but grinders under $400 can be durable and sufficient for long-term use. After testing many models, four grinders are identified as worth investing in, with Baratza’s Encore ESP Pro added as a top espresso choice and long-term testing information included.

"If you like coffee, you need three things: a coffee maker (or espresso machine), whole beans, and a good coffee grinder. That pre-ground coffee at the grocery store that's been sitting around for god knows how long? Skip it. You see, when you grind coffee, those tens of thousands of tiny granules hit the air and immediately begin to oxidize, degrading the compounds that give coffee its aroma and flavor. The only way you're going to make a flavorful cup of joe is to use fresh beans and grind them right before you brew them."

"The best tool for the job is a burr grinder, not to be confused with an electric blade grinder. Burr grinders crush coffee beans evenly between two steel or ceramic burrs. Blade grinders function more like blenders, frantically whirring in circles, mangling the beans, and tossing them all over the grinding chamber. Burr grinders can get expensive. I've tested one that costs $1500, and it is, indeed, amazing."

"But you don't need to spend that much. For this review, I focused on grinders that cost $400 and less because I found that at that price, you'll be able to find something that's good enough and durable enough to sustain your coffee routine for a long time. After testing 22 models over the years, there are four coffee grinders I believe are well worth the investment. New in this update: I added Baratza's Encore ESP Pro to the top picks as my favorite grinder for espresso."

Read at Bon Appetit