When it comes to producing flavor clarity in your coffee, grind consistency is key. Different grind sizes will extract at different rates, muddying up the flavor profile. And unfortunately, the best machine for such a precise task can be anything but. Though many companies have made incredible leaps in producing consistent grind sizes, grinders are by their very nature imprecise crushing machines turning large fragile particles (coffee beans) into smaller ones. This deficiency has created a cottage industry of aftermarket sifting tools to help separate the desired particle size from the rest, but the process of sifting is often a fussy one; manicuring coffee grounds isn’t quite suited for your day-to-day brewing.
Enter the Airmill coffee grinder (stylized AIRMILL). Now on Kickstarter, the new grinder automatically separates the fines from the rest of the coffee grounds in order to create a better cup.
The Airmill is the work of Coffee Chaps, a Hong Kong-based coffee technology company whose previous works include the Brewvie II automated pour-over system and the Brewvie syphon beam heating element. For their introduction into the grinder market, Coffee Chaps look to improve on the traditional conical burr grinder with the addition of an “air-sifting system.” The Airmill works by passing the ground coffee through a gentle stream of air, separating out the lighter weight fine particles—as well as any chaff—and the larger, heavier grounds into different compartments. Per the Kickstarter, the air-sifting system also works to cool the grounds, “which helps keep the coffee flavor intact.”
The Airmill features 23 different grind sizes, ranging from moka pot to cold brew.
With just over a month left in the campaign, the Airmill has nearly $19,000 of its $25,600 goal. Would-be backers can nab their own Airmill grinder for the early bird price of $295 (or the super early bird prices of $552 for two), assuming the Kickstarter makes its goal. Rewards are expected to begin shipping out in April of this year.
Admittedly, some may consider sifting the fines out of coffee grounds a wasteful practice. (Some would suggest that removing the fines also removes some of the complexity in a brew.) But if you’re pro-sifting but don’t quite have the motivation to do it manually every morning, then perhaps the Airmill may be the answer to all your flavor problems. For more information, visit the Airmill’s official Kickstarter page.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
