To achieve uniformity, use a conical burr grinder instead of a blade grinder. The chop-chop-chop of a blade grinder is like hitting the beans with a machete, and the heat from the motor can activate the coffee's essential oils, producing wildly uneven results. A conical burr grinder, on the other hand, pulverizes the beans between two abrasive surfaces, allowing for more consistency. The Hario Skerton grinder does this simply, with a hand crank. Aficionados might try the motorized Baratza Virtuoso, which has a burr mounting system that can produce uniform particles in 40 sizes.
