Free 3.2 oz coffee grinder

[Fred Stevenson]

http://www.oldethompson.com/store/category.asp?category=17
I needed the refill for my pepper and salt grinders anyway. I filled it up with coffee beans to test it and have used it daily for two weeks now. The large ones weigh 3.2 oz with no modification required.

[Terry G]

Brilliant idea. If you are offering to send your old one, I would definitely use it.

Email me at tgaliney at gmail.

Terry

[Joshua Mitchell]

What grind are you using this for? Coarse grind or more of an espresso grind?

Oh, and are you using the mini one or the standard one? How many days of coffee are you getting from a full load?

[Fred Stevenson]

http://coffeegeek.com/guides/turkishcoffee
It may not be as fine as espresso, but finer works better.
The fine grind settles to the bottom of the pot very well so you do not have to filter it. I am still playing with it, so I have not kept track of the number of cups. I plan on puting marks on the side for usage. The cap holds enough for a strong cup and 1/2 of coffee. I leave the cap on to grind because it is easier than grinding it into a stationary pot. The 3.2 oz is the large one. I think it may be less tedious to grind. You can get a full mit on it.

[Fred Stevenson]

I mean that it is pretty much free if you buy it as a refill for your salt and pepper grinders at home. I bought it at Target instead of just buying the refill sea salt and pepper.

[Michael Skwarczek]

I've never been able to determine whether a coarse or fine grind has a relationship to method or rather just a requirement of mechanics. For instance: I pre-grind my coffee for 2-3 day trips and fill 2 tbls into large tea bags folded over. The bag can contain any grind, the method is similar to a french press. But does that mean I should use a coarse grind, or it doesn't really matter? Hmm…

Well, I'm going to follow up on this light weight spice grinder. Was the 3+oz with the glass bottle? Or did you remove the grinding cap for weighing?

Cool idea.

-Michael "sawchuck"

[Michael Crosby]

The finer the grind, the more surface area and less needed for each cup–Depending on your taste preference.

Edit: I like using the tea bag method also easy to use and easy to pre make for a trip.

[Michael Skwarczek]

Thanks for pointing that out Michael.

So, here's another thought. DISCLAIMER: The coffee thread comes up often but I suddenly took a greater interest. Now, it's agreed that ground coffee degrades pretty quickly, but so does a coffee bean in the wrong environment. Basically, the bean should be stored air and light tight in room temps (I'm only assuming room temp) and that can't quite happen on the trail. So from a taste perspective (and maybe preservation) are we gaining anything by not pre-grinding and packaging for even the longer trips. Will the whole bean, improperly cared for, hold up better than the ground, over time, such that we would consider packing a grinder of any weight? Cause it's all about weight.

And, I'm thinking more about these grinders. It's gotta be exceedingly tedious to use. I use a burr grinder at home and it rips through the beans. But with the limited aperture of these spice grinders, those beans are just getting continuously nicked by the grinder and with little downward force, it must take a while. Fred?

-Michael "sawchuck"

[Fred Stevenson]

The "glass" is a sturdy lightweight plasic. The glass and the grinder only weigh 2.8 oz. There is a cap on top that I use to grind into. It holds just over 2 TBLS of uniform finely grinded coffee. I can grind that much in about 4 minutes. A little longer if you want to go crazy fine. I have read reviews on other hand crank coffee grinders, and they don't seem to be any faster. This is not tedious like some pepper mills with a crank I have tested at the store. You can get a full hand on it and crank fast. You do have to listen to tell if it is grinding well, bet a little shake or tap gets it grinding quite well. I have looked everywhere around here to find a Traveler 2 to compare it to, but have had no luck. Sure, the extra cap on top weighs an extra .4 oz, but that is what makes it so effortless except for the time. Besides, all these pepsi stoves still take longer to boil water than to grind the coffee.

[Joshua Mitchell]

"so does a coffee bean in the wrong environment. Basically, the bean should be stored air and light tight in room temps (I'm only assuming room temp) and that can't quite happen on the trail. So from a taste perspective (and maybe preservation) are we gaining anything by not pre-grinding and packaging for even the longer trips. Will the whole bean, improperly cared for, hold up better than the ground, over time, such that we would consider packing a grinder of any weight?"

Er… yes and no. In all modes of storage whole coffee beans will last longer and retain taste better than ground.

Realize, Coffee Beans travel a long way to get to you, and not in climate controlled semi-trailers. Also, bags of whole beans can sit on the shelf in the store for a very long time.

Rule of thumb, all other things being equal a chemical reaction will proceed approximately twice as fast with every 10 deg F temp rise. This would seem to support your initial query, however realize that, realistically, you're only looking at maybe a 10-20 deg F temp rise as compared to 'normal storage conditions' during the hottest part of the summer. Typically the inside of your pack stays somewhat cooler than the outdoors.

Also, the degradation of whole bean coffee is nearly all due to oxidation. There is relatively little free oxygen in a sealed container so there is a limit to how much oxidation is capable of happening. Now, a less full container will have more oxygen and, theoretically, could spoil the coffee quicker (that's why the preferred container of choice is those roll top bags). However, this is more theory than practicality.

Shoot, if you have a whole-bean grinder with a hopper at home it typically violates all the above: exposed to light (easier to see when to refill), not air tight, significant free space for more oxygen (on average it's probably half full), in the kitchen (one of the warmer places in your house). However, most hoppers hold half a pound to a pound and a half of beans, and no one (or I should say only the most persnickety) complains when it takes a week or two to go through a hopper.

Now, contrast this with the reasons Ground Coffee spoils quicker.

1) Surface Area.
The surface area for Ground Coffee is orders of magnitude greater than Whole Bean. This causes any oxidation to proceed at a MUCH more rapid pace. Oxidation rate will increase along with surface area.
Note: this surface area is why we brew with ground rather than whole beans, and why fine grinds brew 'faster' than coarse grinds.

2) More sensitive surface area.
As with any heat treated food, the exterior surface area is going to me more resilient than the interior areas. Heat / roasting is going to 'seal' the skin to some degree.

3) Escape of volatile aromatics.
From my understanding, this is the worst part of pre-grinding your coffee. Much of the tasty goodness of coffee comes from compound that can evaporate (volatilize) fairly easily. Pre-grinding exposes these goodies to the atmosphere. In whole bean coffee they are trapped inside do to the opposites of 1) and 2).

In short, you'll be ready for a resupply on a grinder this small before you experience any noticeable degradation in your whole bean coffee. Unless of course you're a super-coffee-snob, in which case the weight penalty of the grinder and a special container (one of those roll top bags inside a large ziploc bag) is not going to matter to you as you would rather not hike than hike with pre-ground coffee.

Basically, this is a brilliant little find for those who like fresher coffee.

[Terry G]

On my way to Target. Thanks

[Fred Stevenson]

I saw the same grinder on a Kirkland container today. Looks identical, but the bottle shape is different. The salt or pepper at costco may cost less. I did a little comparison today. The coffee in a .1 oz Folgers coffe singles (tea bag) weighs .2 oz in the package. I can grind .2 oz fresh in 4 minutes. If I use the same .1 oz per 8 oz water, the fresh ground is stronger and less bitter than the coffee in the tea bag. This is only as scientific as my scale that only measures to .1 oz and my eyes, and of course my taste buds. WARNING: watch out for the little spring under the grinder. I think it might keep the grinder from getting too tight and dulling the burrs on the grinder.

[Rog Tallbloke]

>But with the limited aperture of these spice grinders, those beans are just getting continuously nicked by the grinder and with little downward force, it must take a while

How about modyfying it with a spring and plate to force the beans onto the grinder? You could drill a hole through the bottom and fit a knotted pull cord through the plate to keep the spring compressed while you replace the grinder head.

[Ben Feldman]

really like this thread, but the link to the grinder in question has expired!

can one of you all post a current link to the grinder, or to a similar one?

thanks!!

[Ken Thompson]

http://www.oldethompson.com/product-index.aspx?PageID=10

[Brian Johns]

Multi purpose bartenders' mini spice mills. I have one. It's probably 1.5 oz. (weighed it and forgot but under 2). I did not think about – and this thread is great for – the idea of putting coffee in a spice mill. Funny. I worked in restaurants for too many years and we always used electric coffee grinders for spices. This is exactly the opposite. Here's a link to what I have. I am going to consider a second for coffee for those short luxurious trips like the next GGG – only 364 more shopping days to GGG 7. Thanks, Ken.

http://barsupplies.com/pocketsized-pepper-mill-inch-assorted-colors-p-12384.html

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