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Coffee Hack - The Best Blade Grinder by James Hoffmann

Three-Stage Blade Grinder Hack​

1. The Shake (Simplest Hack)​

This initial step helps ensure a more even grind size by preventing the burrs from spinning continuously.

  • Technique: Instead of holding the button down, grind for a short burst, stop, and shake the grinder to redistribute the grounds before continuing to grind.
  • Purpose: This breaks up clumps and ensures the large pieces fall back into the path of the blade to be cut again.

2. Sift and Re-Grind (Addressing Boulders)​

This stage targets the large, unevenly ground pieces (often called "boulders") that create a sour, under-extracted taste.

  • Technique: After the initial grind, pour the coffee through a kitchen sieve.
  • Process:
    1. The majority of the grounds will fall through the sieve.
    2. The remaining "boulder" pieces are collected.
    3. Grind the large pieces again until they are the desired size.
  • Note: You may need to grind about 10–15% more coffee than you need for your brew to account for the waste.

3. The Paper Towel Rub (Addressing Fines)​

This hack, attributed to Ben Kaminsky, removes the super-fine powder ("fines") that cause bitterness and sludge in the final cup.

  • Technique:
    1. Place the freshly ground coffee onto a paper towel.
    2. Gently spread the grounds around and rub them into the paper.
    3. Carefully decant the grounds back into your brewing vessel.
  • Purpose: The superfine particles stick to the paper towel due to static electricity and friction, effectively removing them from your final grounds.

The grounds produced after these three steps are described as "really, really pretty good," significantly reducing the inconsistency that ruins a brew.