Coffee Grinders
There's nothing really wrong with pre-ground coffee if that is what you prefer. At Aurora's Cup our focus is on freshness so we only sell whole beans. If you really want to improve your coffee right away buy a good quality conical burr grinder first before you go pay hundreds of dollars for a fancy coffee brewer.
Conical Grinders
Conical grinders have a set of metal or ceramic grinding cones (similar to how Solo cups stack). The grind coarseness is set by the distance between the cones. Conical burr grinders produce the most uniform coffee grind. Uniform grind is important because the coffee bean fragments are all the same size and the brew process proceeds at the same rate across all of the bean fragments. The result is a uniform brew every time.
There are plenty to chose from. Check your favorite retailer (online or otherwise) to find a good deal. If you find one and it is expensive, shop around and don’t be afraid to buy a used one or one that have been returned. You can find high quality, dependable equipment at a low price! New, expect to pay at least $100, and more like $200 for good quality home models. Yes some are really are better than others. Others are just more expensive.
Blade Grinders
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy good coffee but consider this... Blade grinders produce a much less uniform grind some coffee bean fragments will be small and over extract. Others fragments will be huge and under extract. This size mixture does impact the quality of the brew.
However, if you have a small budget then by all means buy the blade grinder and save up for a conical. It will still be better than pre-ground.
What Coffee Grinders Do I Use?
Baratza Virtuoso+
I use a Baratza Virtuoso+ that I purchased on Amazon for $250. It is more than I wanted to spend, but in this case the extra cost bought me a very good grinder well worth the extra money. You can find this model as a return for around $200 but they go quick! I use it multiple times a day, every day. It has excellent grind uniformity for all grind levels. It is easy to clean and is surprisingly quiet.
Krups Blade grinder
I have an inexpensive Krups blade grinder that I used before I got the Baratza. Now though I mainly use it to grind herbs and spices for cooking, and don't use it for coffee anymore.
If you use it to grind herbs, spices and coffee, make sure you clean the inside thoroughly between uses with a clean damp cloth or paper towel to prevent unwanted flavors in your coffee.