"FERRANTE" > wrote in message
...
> I have a cheap coffee grinder, one that has just one button that
> activates the blade. Anyone have one of these and if so, how do you
> know how long to grind your coffee? I use a drip-method coffee pot.
>
> Mark Anthony Ferrante

I generally grind mine for about 15 seconds. The longer you grind, the
smaller the particles and the stronger the coffee will be. Some people
claim that burr grinders are superior because they don't heat the beans
while grinding them. Cooks Illustrated did a comparison and found that the
cheap blade grinders produced a better flavored coffee than the burr
grinders. You have to take anything that CI does with a grain of salt, but
it does show that the preference for one type of grinder over another is
subjective. To reduce the heating of the grounds and assure a more uniform
grind, you can shake the grinder while it is operating. It is probably
better to grind a large quantity of coffee in smaller batches rather than
prolonging the grinding time by overloading the machine.