Burr grinder
A grinder that crushes beans between two abrasive burrs to produce a consistent, adjustable grind size.
Burr grinders use two rotating surfaces — conical or flat — set a fixed distance apart. Because every bean passes through the same gap, the grounds come out far more uniform than a blade grinder.
Consistency matters because uneven grounds extract unevenly, producing sour and bitter flavours at the same time.
Why it matters for small spaces
For small kitchens, a compact burr grinder (hand or electric) is usually the single biggest upgrade to cup quality.