Beans, Grounds & Making Great Coffee at Home

Learnings along the way and how you can skip straight to the best brew

I do love the taste of a fresh delicious cup (with cream!) and I can tell the difference. But took me years of wrong turns to learn how to make the best coffee at home. This post shares my journey from pre-ground coffee to high-end grinding. It shows why freshly ground, the right way, makes all the difference.

I had thought then that a good cup came from a Chock Full o’ Nuts, “New York roasted”, “heavenly coffee” can. Rebecca, reviewing on Amazon, agreed calling it a nicely ground coffee with a satisfying flavor.

But, it did not taste as good as a Dunkin Donuts fresh cup and it did not taste “heavenly”. But why not? Because of the time between grinding and brewing (weeks or months).

Why Freshly Ground Coffee Matters

A good cup of coffee begins with freshly ground beans. Here’s why grinding your beans right before brewing makes all the difference:

• Preserving Aroma and Flavor: Coffee’s aromatic oils and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) degrade rapidly when exposed to oxygen, moisture, and light. Grinding accelerates this process.
• CO₂ Retention: Roasting produces carbon dioxide (CO₂), which carries aromatic compounds into your brew. Within one minute of grinding, up to 80% of CO₂ escapes, diminishing flavor.
• Avoiding Oxidation: Ground coffee’s larger surface area increases air exposure, leading to stale, flat, or cardboard-like flavors.
• Maintaining Oils: Coffee beans’ oils, essential for body and flavor, evaporate more quickly in ground coffee.

Handground.com references Scientific American’s analogy: “Think about what happens to an apple once you slice it open. It quickly turns brown when exposed to the environment. As volatile compounds react with molecules around them, the molecular structure of the apple begins to brown and decay. The same thing happens to coffee, especially after grinding.” Oxidized coffee grounds develop stale flat, cardboard-like, or dull flavors, like a cut apple.

Heather Calatrello, owner and head roaster at ShedLight Coffee Roasters, San Diego describes it this way,

“Pre-ground coffee will never taste as good as freshly ground coffee,” “This is because coffee beans begin to oxidize immediately after roasting, and the more exposure they have to the air, the faster the coffee beans expire.

And we’re not just talking about a difference of days or weeks.

Ground coffee has more surface area exposed to air, meaning it will go stale more quickly than whole beans. In fact, ground coffee goes stale within a few minutes of grinding.”

Our Next Step, a Blade Grinder

I was convinced. We needed to buy whole beans and grind at home. The most economical way to “home-grind” seemed to be the Braun bladed bean breaker also called Krups:

Then, after many years, I realized that it was not consistently grinding the beans. It was randomly fracturing them into uneven shards…  chopping the beans into smaller or larger particles using spinning blades. This inconsistency leads to uneven extraction, leaving some grounds over-extracted and others under-extracted to the detriment of the brew :

Next: Burr-y the Blade; Smooth the Grounds

So my readings and research led me to look into burr grinders.

Rachel Wharton and Liz Clayton writing in the NYT Wirecutter told me,

“If you want to make better coffee at home, the most important tool you can buy isn’t an expensive brewer or fancy filters, but a good burr grinder. No matter how you choose to make your coffee, even the best beans won’t be as delicious if they aren’t ground consistently.”

Burr Grinders crush beans between two surfaces, producing consistent particle sizes. Consistency is key to unlocking the full potential of your beans

Burr grinders came in at quite a few “price points” higher than a twenty five dollar blade grinder. They ranged from $100 to $250!

but….Rachel and Liz did like a “budget” version that did the job well. To quote,

“The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is the best we’ve tried in its price range of about $100. (We’ve found that any electric grinder below that price represents a significant step down in terms of grind consistency and durability.) The Encore offers a more consistent, versatile grind and a long-term maintenance and repair program, but the OXO hits the sweet spot in terms of price, grind quality, and ease of use.”

So we got an OXO…. and were thrilled. It ground beautifully, consistently, deliciously. Well done. Delicious.

Burr Fix – First, a 50% Solution

Then as 4 plus years passed, it took much longer to grind beans for our morning brew. I figured the burrs must be dulling.

Raj Jana, founder of JavaPresse, explains, “most consumer stainless steel coffee grinder burrs should be replaced after grinding around 500 – 600 lbs. of coffee ” Sure enough, we were approaching 500 pounds after four an a half years of 100 lbs. of coffee per year.

And sure enough, OXO offered a Top Burr.

But why only the top burr? and not the bottom cone burr? Why only 50% of a solution, OXO? I asked. They offered to replace grinder but never offered the lower burr. So we continued with the “50% Solution”.

Full Burrs Grinder Upgrade: Enter Etzinger

But it puzzled. There must be a way to replace both burrs.

Then I came upon a Coffee SubReddit post by RumuRaisin:

This post goes on about the burrs in language that, though familiar to aficionados, sounded foreign to me. I felt as commenter DumpsterFireT-1000 did when she wrote, “There are depths to brewing I had not dreamt of.” !

RumuRaisin, though, introduced some factoids that struck me,

• “…there is common criticism of this grinder [OXO] because of poor burr quality. I was curious to see if this burr could be upgraded to give a better grind quality.”
  – so maybe that was my issue?
• “..The Lido is known for its heavy body and textured cups best for either espresso or medium/dark roasts but still can do a good light roast. Definitely not the burr if you’re into high clarity brews but will do a great FP/AP as well. “
  – a little arcane but decipherable.
• “..The grind speed slows down with these burrs but that’s probably a good thing considering that the lower speed may help reduce fines.”
  – OK. “Fines” ? — It turns out “fines” are excessively small coffee particles. And they disappoint fine tuned coffee experts. Too many fines imbalance uniform particle size, deteriorating flavor extraction – the bane of the brewer.

Mainly, RumuRaisin had figured out that the burrs for the Lido hand grinder models (Orphan Espresso) matched the OXO! — a major epiphany.

A Word About Lido’s — Expand section below for more.

Click here to Open the Section on Lido’s

In the world of coffee enthusiasts the Lido stands out as a top level, high end grinder. According to SmilingCoffeeSnob.com, “… the Lido [is]one of the best options available. It produces a consistent grind size and is made to last a lifetime.” and “Combine that with the large, high-quality burr set and you get one of the best large capacity manual coffee grinders on the market.” People who know coffee, and that is not me, like these fine precision hand grinders.

Products far below this Lido level of precision and excellence answer my coffee needs. But, I certainly like the idea of incorporating the “heart and essence” of a top of the line grinder in my lowly OXO! I could insert the “Etzinger hardened steel burr set (48mm OD Ring Burr, 32mm Cone Burr) –   made of tool steel, manufactured in Lichtenstein” and enjoy a high end grinder. According to RumuRaisin the Etzinger size and fittings matched and fit my down market OXO!

About those Etzinger Burrs?

I wondered what they meant by the “hardened”, “tool quality” steel in the Etzinger burrs and what advanced geometry meant?
From Etzinger:

“Etzinger, based in Liechtenstein, specializes in high-performance conical burrs and grinders. Their burrs, though compact at 32mm in diameter, deliver exceptional efficiency and durability. This performance stems from meticulous geometry design and the use of high-quality tool steel, which undergoes advanced hardening and special treatments to enhance durability and rust resistance.”

continuing… “Etzinger’s proprietary burr geometry optimizes particle distribution, reduces fines, and minimizes heat generation during grinding. This design ensures consistent grind quality and preserves coffee freshness. ”  

Here’s OXO’s original (left) vs. Etzinger’s (right):

High-end burrs typically use premium tool steels with exceptional hardness and wear resistance. This hardness, measured on the Rockwell scale, ensures the burrs maintain sharpness over prolonged use, contributing to consistent grind quality. Lower-cost burrs use softer steels which can dull more quickly and lead to inconsistent particle sizes

How Hard is Hard…Steel –– Expand the section below for more information

Click here to open the section on measuring hardness.

I wondered how they knew hardness. And I fount that the Rockwell Hardness Scale measures a material’s resistance to deformation, particularly indentation. It is widely used in engineering to evaluate the hardness of metals and materials, such as the steel used in grinder burrs.

Rockwell Scale Basics

• The Rockwell C scale (HRC) applies to harder materials like tool steels, commonly used for coffee grinder burrs.
• Higher HRC values indicate harder materials, which typically retain sharp edges longer and resist wear.
• Typical ranges:
  • High-end tool steels: 55–65 HRC (used in Etzinger burrs and similar high-quality grinders)
  • Mid-range steels: 40–50 HRC (common in budget grinders or mid-tier options like Oxo)

Etzinger Burrs Likely range: 60–65 HRC (high-performance tool steel).
Oxo Burrs Likely range: 40–50 HRC (lower-grade or stainless steel).

Setting Up the New Burrs

I ordered it from Orphan Espresso.

Then I followed carefully RumuRaisin’s instructions laid out here in Imgur. It required patience and attention but the results were well worth the time, cost and effort….. (click on picture to zoom in)

..it worked!!!

The grind quality improved. It is very consistent with fewer fines. The coffee is great! And I think it will last quite a long time with care.

Making the Upgrade: Final Thoughts

Upgrading to a burr grinder and then to Etzinger burrs made all the difference in our morning coffee. Whatever the beans you will make a great cup of coffee with enhancements like these. AND….

If you are still using preground coffee …or if you are still using a blade grinder:

• Get a good and reasonably priced cone burr grinder like the OXO grinder (now $75 at Amazon)
• Buy whole bean coffee and use the grinder for 4 years or so and…
• …then upgrade the OXO by adding the Etzinger burrs following RumuRaisin’s instructions

If you are one of the millions now using the OXO burr grinder

• Run it for four years and when it slows down …
• Upgrade it by adding the Etzinger burrs following RumuRaisin’s instructions

Either way, enjoy the wonderful taste and benefits of coffee. This process deepened my appreciation for the craft of coffee making. It also introduced me to the open sharing and dedication of the “coffee community.” I send a special Thanks to RumuRaisin and the coffee enthusiasts mentioned above for sharing your insights.

Some Resources:

• RumuRaisin’s instructions laid out here in Imgur.
• Lido Etzinger Burr Replacements from Orphan Espresso
• Review of Burr Grinders by Rachel Wharton and Liz Clayton in NYT Wirecutter