It’s important to know how to control the amount of coffee you grind – by volume, time or weight. We cover these three big methods here, but long-story-short the very best of those is to grind coffee by weight.
“Grind-by-weight” is the term we use to describe using a scale to control a grinder. Rather than just turning it on and grinding away, this automatic process allows you to choose exactly how much coffee you want ground!
This advanced technology was introduced by us with the Esatto and Vario-W in 2011. Baratza revolutionized the home grinder market and won the SCAA Expo Best New Product award. It’s a must-have for serious coffee enthusiasts and professionals, but it will seriously enhance any home coffee setup for three reasons.
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Grind-by-Weight Wastes Less
If your dose is off, you either need to grind a little more (and potentially over-shoot) or throw away the extra coffee. This means you’re often grinding more than you need and tossing that spare coffee rather than brewing it. This costs you money and is also wasteful. Considering that the average coffee tree takes a whole year to produce enough coffee to brew just one cup, it’s definitely a bad idea to waste!
Grinding by weight stops the grinder from running after you have the coffee you need, eliminating a ton of waste!
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Grind by Weight Helps You Brew Better
Your grinder already gives you control over the size of your grind. When you can select your dose to within the tenth of a gram with grind-by-weight, you have a ton of control over how your shot or brew will extract. Pair that control with a little expertise and you’re already halfway to becoming an extraction expert! This lets you make café-quality coffee in your own home.
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Grind-by-Weight Saves Time
If you use scoops or have a machine that runs on a timer, that’s already a big improvement over just plain guessing. The downside however is that every dose of coffee will be a little high or a little low. If you’re looking to keep your coffee tasting consistent and “just right”, you’ll have to fuss with your dose to make sure you have the right amount (Is it high? Is it low? Maybe I’ll grind some more…). This takes time that you could be spending drinking your coffee!
Several of our grinders have grind-by-weight technology – the Vario-W, the Forte Series, and the latest addition: the Sette 270Wi – which significantly improved grind by weight technology by integrating Acaia’s scale technology with the ability to grind directly into the portafilter.
However you like your brew, it can help you elevate the convenience, cost-effectiveness, and taste of your coffee.