Comparison Maestro MR-1629 vs Timemore Chestnut C2

— Knives. The grinding system is based on the use of a rotary blade (or blades) that spin at high speed. The main advantages of such a system are its low cost combined with decent efficiency. However, its capabilities are quite limited. For instance, the grind size in blade coffee grinders depends on the operating time and in most models is controlled solely manually, by turning it on for the desired duration (which requires some skill and familiarity with the device's features). And even if a separate grind size adjustment (see below) is provided in the design, the product turns out to be less uniform than when processed with burrs. Additionally, blade coffee grinders require caution when in use due to the presence of the blades themselves (though most modern devices have appropriate safety systems). Nonetheless, given the combination of cost and capabilities, such devices are considered optimal for home use.

— Burrs. In these systems, grinding is carried out by crushing coffee beans between two rotating discs (metal or ceramic) — the burrs.

Metal burrs are valued for their durability and speed, which is why they are often used in models for daily coffee and for those who love espresso and need precise grind consistency. However, metal burrs can heat the beans more during long grinding sessions and usually react more noticeably to build quality and cleanliness,...so regular cleaning and reasonable pauses are important.

Ceramic burrs are more often chosen for their “calmer” operation and less heat generation during grinding, which helps preserve the aroma, especially if grinding longer or frequently. Ceramic doesn't rust and is usually neutral to odors, so the taste is purer with careful maintenance, and the grind is even for alternative brewing methods and home use. However, ceramic burrs are more sensitive to impacts and hard particles, making careful handling and quality beans without foreign inclusions more important.

The maximum number of coffee beans that the grinder can hold and process at one time, without "refilling". Note that we are talking about the maximum capacity — a smaller amount of coffee can be loaded into the grinder.

The standard portion of coffee per cup is 5-7 g, and the capacity of a pack of coffee is 100 g. Accordingly, it is worth choosing a model according to capacity, taking into account how much coffee you need to grind at a time. For domestic use, a capacity of 100-200 g is considered quite sufficient, but in professional models designed for coffee shops, bars, etc., this value can reach 1.5 kg or even more. There are coffee grinders that allow you to grind only part of the coffee loaded into them.

The ability to adjust the degree of grinding of processed coffee beans (that is, to set how large beans of the resulting coffee are obtained). A number of characteristics of coffee depend on the degree of grinding — in particular, the brewing time (the finer the grinding, the faster the brewing), taste characteristics (the presence or absence of grounds). In addition, different preparation methods and types of coffee machines require correspondingly different grinds.

In models with a knife (see "Grinding system"), the degree of grinding is adjusted by automatic shutdown after a set time — the longer the device operates, the finer the grinding. With a certain skill, you can also adjust the degree of grinding manually, independently monitoring the time.

In models with millstones, the degree of grinding is adjusted by changing the distance between the millstones, which ensures the best quality and independence of the operating time from the selected settings.

The number of grinding levels provided in the coffee grinder.

For different cases may require different degrees of grind, see “Adjusting the grind” for more on this. The same parameter determines how many fixed settings are provided in the coffee grinder. The more of them, the wider the capabilities of this device, the more accurately you can choose the option for a particular situation.

Note that this characteristic is given only for models with millstones (see "Grinding system") — it is not relevant for knife devices. In the most advanced models, the number of grinding degrees can be in the dozens.