For those who love coffee, there is very little in life that smells as good as freshly ground coffee. The aroma can wake the nearly living dead with eager thoughts of the cup that lies ahead. In fact, the aroma of coffee is a large part of its appeal as taste is greatly affected by the sense of smell. So for the true coffee connoisseur, grinding your own coffee is the only way to go.

There are several reasons that grinding your own coffee is better than buying coffee that is pre-ground. The first reason would be the fact that once ground; coffee beans tend to stale rather quickly. Where coffee beans will remain fresh, aromatic, and flavorful for up to two weeks, ground coffee will only maintain a fresh flavor for about two days. Second, smell affects our sense of taste (as I mentioned above) and coffee that has been ground most recently will have a much bolder aroma than coffee that was ground when packaged. Finally, finer grounds required for making espressos or cappuccinos are much more difficult to find in pre-ground coffees.

You will find that there are many different kinds of grinders on the market and the price ranges vary as greatly as the features and styles. Selecting the right grinder for your personal needs doesn't have to be as frightening as it may seem at first. Educate yourself on what you are seeking in a grinder and this guide should help you select the best one for you.

There are two basic types of grinders for home use. The first one is a blade grinder. Blade grinders use blades to chop the coffee beans into smaller pieces. With this method, the sizes of the different coffee grounds vary greatly resulting in poor brewing consistency. The blades can also produce heat, which may burn the beans leaving your coffee with a burned flavor. Blade grinders are generally adequate for typical drip coffee makers but are not recommended for use with espresso machines because the grounds are simply not fine enough.

Next, there is the burr grinder. A burr grinder uses a metal wheel that revolves in order to actually crush the coffee beans. These grinders provide a much more consistent size to the grounds which means a more even flavor and don't heat the beans during the process so there is a slighter risk of a burnt flavor to the coffee (from the grinding process at any rate) than with a bladed grinder.

There are two types of burr grinders. The first is called the flat plate burr grinder. This grinder uses burrs that are plate shaped and positioned so that one lies on top of the other. These grinders produce coffee grounds that are perfectly suitable for espresso machines but are nearly as quiet and efficient as the conical burr grinders (of course, these are typically less expensive as well).

Conical burr grinders tend to produce the most flavorful and aromatic grounds. If you are a true connoisseur of coffee, this is the only machine that will work for you. These machines are also well suited for flavored coffees as they are less likely to clog from the oils.

Any of these machines will be good for some coffee drinkers. It all depends on what you want from your cup of morning coffee. If you are looking for the richest scent and flavor, you will want the higher end grinders (of course this only works well if you are buying high quality beans as well). If you want consistently good, espresso quality coffee grounds, then a flat plate burr grinder will work well for you. If coffee is your wake up call in the morning or simply your extra shot of caffeine to begin your day, then a bladed coffee grinder will be perfectly adequate and inexpensive. Now, get out there and buy the coffee grinder that will get your day off to the best start.