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Many an electric coffee grinder screeches almost as loud as a circular saw in the kitchen. Especially in the morning this noise is extremely exhausting and annoying.
A quiet coffee grinder can give you a more relaxed start to the day. For yourself and also for your neighbors.
Our neighbor’s loud coffee grinder
It started some time ago. In the morning around 6 a.m. we were suddenly woken up by a very loud noise that came from the apartment above us. It sounded like someone was drilling something into the wall or using a circular saw. Well, we thought, maybe there are craftsmen at work there. However, this early time made us suspicious.
The next morning this noise was repeated. And unfortunately we were not spared on the following days either. So we asked our neighbor about it and asked what the cause of this really piercing noise in the early morning was.
As it turned out, the neighbor had bought an electric coffee grinder, which was used every morning. Somehow we had already suspected it, but we were a bit surprised that grinding coffee can make such a noise that it can penetrate our apartment.
But of course, it’s logical. The coffee grinder is on the worktop in the kitchen and when it is in use, the noise propagates down through the walls and ceiling. Straight to our apartment.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t convince this neighbor that she might prefer to grind her coffee the evening before, as she simply attached great importance to freshly ground coffee.
Well, this house was very badly soundproofed anyway and let every tenant participate in the life of the others. Fortunately, we didn’t stay in this apartment for long.
However, loud coffee grinders are of course a problem in many homes. These electric grinders are often extremely loud and we can imagine that this noise often leads to irritation among neighbors.
Incidentally, it looks very similar with various fully automatic coffee machines, as these also usually have a grinder installed. A quiet fully automatic coffee machine is therefore often at the top of the wish list.
Sure, fortunately the noise only lasts for a short time, but it is often so loud that you are woken up immediately.
The desire for a quiet coffee grinder is a bit like the desire for a quiet hair dryer . Both products are mostly used early in the morning and cause quite a bit of noise. And it is not uncommon for you to have a guilty conscience when you start making such noise in the morning.
Good reasons for a quiet coffee grinder
The behavior of other people can usually not be influenced, but of course you can do something yourself. Just out of consideration for neighbors, it is not wrong to ensure as little noise as possible.
In addition, the noise of a loud coffee grinder is not only annoying to neighbors, roommates and family members. Even those who operate the machine could wish for a little more quiet in the morning. Because shortly after getting up it is of course not exactly desirable to generate such a loud background noise.
But is there a quiet coffee grinder at all?
Quiet electric coffee grinder
Finding a quiet electric coffee grinder is not easy. Because everyone perceives noises differently and what already bothers one is still absolutely acceptable for the next.
In addition, it is not always just about the absolute volume, but also about the sound that is produced during operation. If you compare different coffee grinders with each other and measure their volume, it can happen that you perceive some devices as louder than they actually are. The reverse is also possible.
In these cases, tone plays a role. You can see and hear that very nicely in this English-language video, in which the noise level of different electric coffee grinders was compared with one another.
If you don’t have the opportunity to measure and compare the noise level of the coffee grinders in question – and when do you have such an option – you could only compare the volume of electric coffee grinders with each other if all manufacturers provide information on volume would.
However, this is not always the case.
In the technical data of the electric coffee grinder Arendo, which can be bought here at Amazon * , you can read in the technical information for example: Low operating noise (below 70 dB). You can do something with this value.
But as long as volume information is not available for every grinder, a comparison is very difficult in this regard. Apparently the volume of an electric coffee grinder is not in the foreground.
Therefore it is probably much easier to turn to the hand mills in this regard.
Grind coffee gently with a hand mill
If you are looking for a really quiet coffee grinder, you should use a high-quality hand mill. Hand mills have some practical advantages:
- grind quietly
- are mostly small
- don’t take up much space
- can be easily stowed away
- can be taken with you (vacation, camping, etc.)
- do not heat the grist as much
- do not need electricity
Hand mills also have their fans among professionals and coffee lovers. And you hear more and more often that something like a trend has emerged around hand mills.
In order to achieve good results with a hand mill, one should pay attention to high-quality products. When it comes to very good hand mills, the Comandante C40 MK3, for example, is often mentioned and can be bought here on Amazon * . This very nice professional hand mill has its price, but good electric mills have that too.
However, it should be clear that you have to do the work yourself with a hand coffee grinder. So it takes a certain amount of force. With a grinder with good power transmission, however, this is not as difficult as one might think.
Tips so that grinding coffee with an electric coffee grinder does not become an ordeal
Even if there are quite a few differences in volume and sound with electric coffee grinders, it has to be said, unfortunately, that such grinders are naturally loud when in operation.
Nevertheless, there are a few things you can watch out for so that grinding coffee does not become an ordeal.
Use a fast coffee grinder
If the coffee grinding is already making so much noise, one can at least make sure that this noise is only of a very short duration. This can be achieved by using a fast coffee grinder.
Because a fast coffee grinder does its job short and crisp and is accordingly quiet again quickly. Because it naturally makes a considerable difference how long a disturbing noise can be heard.
Use anti-vibration and damping mats
In order not to spread the noise of an electric coffee grinder downwards so strongly, it can also help to operate the grinder on an anti-vibration and damping mat like this one here * . This mat is available in different sizes and can also be easily cut to the right dimensions with a carpet knife.
Such a mat also works well as an anti-vibration mat for the washing machine or as a base for loudspeakers and other electrical devices.
Grind coffee in the evening
If you have peace in the morning and don’t want to bother your neighbors and roommates, you can grind your coffee the evening before.
The coffee grinder is of course equally loud in operation at any time of day, but in the early evening such noises are usually much less disturbing than in the early morning when the house is largely quiet and many people are still sleeping.
For many coffee lovers, however, this is not an option, because coffee beans lose their aroma quickly after being ground. Freshly ground coffee simply tastes best.
Conclusion on the subject of a quiet coffee grinder
There are few other home appliances that make as much noise as electric coffee grinders. The often screeching noise of such a mill disturbs neighbors, family, roommates and, last but not least, those who operate the mill.
But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Because the morning coffee can also be ground much more quietly with a hand mill.
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