CASABREWS Tornado Burr Coffee Grinder: features, specs and who it suits

The CASABREWS Tornado is an electric conical burr coffee grinder with 77 grind settings and an LCD screen. It is designed to grind fresh coffee for any brewing method, from espresso to French press, and to grind straight into a portafilter or into a container. Here is what its features mean for your coffee.

Why a conical burr grinder

A burr grinder crushes beans between two ridged surfaces set a fixed distance apart, so the particles come out a consistent size. Blade grinders chop beans unevenly, leaving a mix of powder and chunks that extract at different rates, which can make the same cup taste both bitter and sour. In a conical design, a cone-shaped burr turns inside a ring-shaped one.

The Tornado's burr is stainless steel, and CASABREWS says it is designed to limit heat build-up while grinding, to help preserve the coffee's aroma and flavour.

77 grind settings, espresso to French press

Grind size controls how quickly water extracts flavour. As a rough guide, espresso needs a fine grind, drip and pour-over a medium one, and French press a coarse one. The Tornado's 77 steps run from ultra-fine for espresso to coarse for French press.

Having many steps matters most at the fine end. Espresso is so sensitive to grind size that a small adjustment can noticeably change how fast a shot runs and how it tastes, so fine steps make it easier to dial in a new bag of beans.

The LCD screen and dosing

The LCD shows the grind size, the grind time and the cup or shot selection. You can adjust the grind time, which is how a timed grinder controls the dose: with the same setting and time, you should get a similar amount of coffee each time. Weighing the grounds now and then is a common way to check that dose, since beans vary in density.

Manual and pause functions let you stop and start grinding as needed, for example to settle the grounds in a portafilter before topping it up.

Portafilter or container

Two cradles, 51 mm and 58 mm, hold an espresso machine's portafilter under the chute, so you can grind straight into it. For other brewing methods, the included grinds container collects the coffee for brewing or for keeping a short while. Espresso machines use several portafilter sizes, so check that one of the cradles fits yours.

Hopper, cleaning and size

The 14 oz (about 400 g) bean hopper locks securely in place, so it needs refilling less often. Beans stay fresher in an airtight container away from light, so many people fill a hopper with only a few days' worth at a time.

A silicone air blower pushes out leftover grounds from the grinding path, and a cleaning brush is included. Clearing retained grounds regularly helps keep stale coffee out of the next dose.

It measures 14.17 x 6.22 x 8.66 inches (about 36 x 15.8 x 22 cm, height x width x depth), with a brushed stainless steel finish. It suits coffee drinkers at home or in an office who want fresh grounds for anything from espresso to French press.

What to check before you buy

• Height: at about 14 inches tall, check the clearance under wall cabinets, including room to open and fill the hopper.
• Portafilter size: confirm that your espresso machine's portafilter is 51 mm or 58 mm if you want to use the cradles.
• Noise: electric grinders are loud while they run, which matters for early mornings in a shared home.
• Cleaning: check in the manual how the burr comes out for cleaning and how often to do it.
• In the box: the grinder, a grinds container, 51 mm and 58 mm cradles, a silicone air blower and a cleaning brush.

The short version

• Electric conical burr grinder with a stainless steel burr and 77 grind settings.
• The LCD screen shows grind size, grind time and cup or shot selection, and the grind time is adjustable.
• Grinds into a portafilter (51 mm and 58 mm cradles) or the included container, with manual and pause functions.
• A 14 oz locking hopper, a silicone air blower and a cleaning brush.
• About 14.17 x 6.22 x 8.66 inches; suits home or office coffee drinkers.

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