Hario's stainless steel water kettle, the V60 Buono, has been spotted popping up in coffee houses and the kitchens of baristas for some time now. A detailed search on the web will reveal, for the moment at least, that the Buono seems to be widely accepted as the most useful pouring kettle available. What makes this kettle so popular amongst pour-over enthusiasts? Several reasons stand out.
First, the thin pouring spout enables greater pouring precision as well as a slower, more consistent and controlled rate of pour, both of which are very helpful in achieving a precise, prolonged extraction.
Second, the stainless steel construction and large 1 liter capacity contribute toward keeping up the brew temperature for the duration of the entire brew cycle.
Third, the ergonomics involved in the design of the kettle help to make using it much easier. This may not seem like much, but if you're brewing large batches of coffee and pouring for three or more minutes per batch, doing several batches of coffee will quickly become a chore if your kettle doesn't cooperate with you.
Combine all of these facets with the fact that the Buono is manufactured by Hario, a very popular name in the coffee-brewing community, and the kettle's popularity is easily understood. For best results, combine the Buono with a
V60 Dripper or
Chemex to get a truly exceptional cup of coffee.
whew... that was long
Karen, first of all I apologize that it has taken so long for you to get an answer. The short answer to your question is yes; the grinder does have a lot to do with taste. The taste in your cup will be affected by the size, uniformity, freshness, and temperature of your coffee grounds, not to mention the degree of clumping of the grounds together, static electricity, precision in dosing, and old grounds left in the grinding path.
As far as what grinder I would recommend, that would depend on quite a few things. Everyone is going to have different situations and expectations. For your average home coffee drinker, depending on how much you would like to spend and how much effort you want to put into it, I would recommend either a Hario hand-mill grinder or a Baratza Maestro (or if you are willing to shell out the cash, a Baratza Vario). Then, if you are a serious espresso connoisseur or you are running a coffee shop, I would generally point you toward something like a Mazzer or an Anfim Super Caimano.
Stephanie, below are some short notes about the different burr configurations that you mentioned:
Ceramic Burrs:
-Harder surface which means they take longer to wear down
-Doesn't heat up as much as metal burrs
-Might take longer to break in (I'm not actually certain about that)
-Greater potential to crack than metal burrs (still, this doesn't happen often)
Plastic Burrs:
-Really? I've never heard of plastic burrs
Metal Burrs (including stainless steel burrs):
-More malleable than ceramic which means they wear down faster and will need to be replaced sooner
-Heats up more than ceramic
-Doesn't take as long to break in
-Far less potential for cracking than ceramic burrs
Titanium Burrs:
-Lightweight
-Doesn't heat up as much as other metals
-Takes longer to break in
-Resists both wear and cracking
Flat vs. Conical Burrs:
That is a complicated question that would need a complicated answer. Unfortunately, due to my lack of experience and limited knowledge, I'm just going to give you a vague simplified answer. Coffee (and especially espresso) is a very new drink and the art of making it is still changing rapidly. There is a lot of debate about these kinds of things as the industry evolves. Bearing that in mind, conical burrs tend to produce more fines (really really fine particles of ground coffee) which are not good at all for a normal cup of coffee. So for regular coffee, flat burrs are usually the way to go. However, fines aren't always bad when brewing espresso. In fact, most people seem to prefer conical burrs when grinding for espresso for various reasons. So it is generally the case that flat burrs are preferable for coffee and conical burrs for espresso, but this is by no means hard and fast. There are many exceptions and I'm sure there are many people that would have differing opinions. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Kudos!
That's an excellent question! I'm curious as to that as well. I've seen grinders with ceramic burrs, plastic burrs, stainless steel burrs, titanium burrs? Which is the best? Also, is a conical burr or flat burr better? Sorry to make the question more intense, but inquiring minds would like to know. :)