Burr Type Comparison
Understanding Burrs
Burr type and material are two elements of your espresso or brew grinder that can seem overwhelming. Hardened steel vs. ceramic, conical vs. flat, and more unique materials like Red Speed and Titanium, it’s enough the make the process of selecting a burr seem very complicated. We’re here to help simplify this process a bit and assist you in understanding the burr set in the grinders you’re considering for purchase.
Burr Material
Burr material is an important aspect of the construction of any burr coffee grinder. The material of your grinder affects things like service life, durability, grounds retention, and heat. One of the biggest secrets of burr material is the fact that for home use, you’ll get plenty of life out of any set of burrs. Things like service life and heat mostly come into play with commercial burr grinders that grind pounds of beans per day. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some common burr materials.
Hardened Steel
This material is one of the most common for any home coffee grinder. Hardened steel burrs are affordable, which is why they’re so popular. Aside from this, they really serve as a baseline. They are sturdier than ceramic burrs, but generally have the shortest service life, retain more grounds, and can build up heat faster than ceramic or other burrs. The biggest upside beyond affordability is the sturdiness. If you’re buying your first grinder, one with hardened steel might be a good choice if you worry about foreign objects damaging your burrs. Hardened steel burrs are more likely to survive small stones or other objects making their way into your hopper.
Ceramic
Ceramic burrs generally last longer than hardened steel, and have a lower rate of retention and heat than their metal alternatives. The downside is that burrs of this material are harder to tool, making them more expensive and less common for larger grinders. You see them most in smaller footprint espresso grinders and superautomatic espresso machines. The biggest danger with ceramic burrs is the risk of foreign objects. A screw or rock can cause these burrs to explode, totally destroying the entire grinder.
Titanium
Burrs made from titanium are largely used in commercial settings like specialty roasters and coffee shops. These burrs consist of a hardened steel core with titanium coating. The result is an improved service life with the benefits of steel burr sets as outlined above. The biggest downside with titanium burrs is cost. These are expensive to tool and manufacture, so they tend to be out of reach for home users. Sometimes different manufacturers use special branding to refer to Titanium coated burrs, such as Nuova Simonelli’s “Mythos Burrs.”
Red Speed
Red Speed burrs are similar to titanium burrs, but are hardened steel coated with a titanium/aluminum nitride coating. This is a similar coating to what is often used on industrial drill bits. The result is harder burrs with a longer service life. Red Speed burrs can even have heat benefits in bulk grinding situations, but this is dependent on other manufacturing and environmental factors as well. Like titanium burrs, Red Speed burrs are sometimes referred to with manufacturer specific branding.
Burr Type
You’ve probably seen product descriptions that refer to “conical” and “flat” burrs. These descriptions are pretty simple, and just refer to the shape of the burrs as you might expect. While not complicated, there are benefits to each style of burr design. Conical burrs feature two interlocking cones that the beans drop through from the hopper. Flat burrs work as two flat plates that beans are pushed out through as they enter from the hopper. Both burrs feature roughly the same grinding surface, and smaller burr sets result in lower retention. On the flip side, larger burrs can provide more consistent grinding as the beans have a larger grinding surface to traverse.
Putting it All Together
So what does all of this mean for a home user? For starters, general burr quality matters more than type or size. Additionally, while there are things to consider when comparing steel and ceramic burrs, both types should last you many years as a home user. As such, there isn’t really a need for more expensive commercial burr sets in a home grinder. The best thing you can do is focus on the grinder as a complete package. A poorly designed and constructed grinder will never function as well as a higher quality alternative, regardless of burr set.