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If you don’t have a coffee grinder, then you might be tempted to try grinding coffee in a Magic Bullet. Blenders can grind coffee, but not as well as a legit coffee grinder.
The question is, “Can you grind coffee in a Magic Bullet?“
The short answer is yes. You can grind coffee in a Magic Bullet, but it won’t work very well. If it’s all you have, it’ll get the job done but I’d recommend using a different blender or buying a burr coffee grinder.
We tested this out with our MB and will tell you some of the problems with using a Magic Bullet to grind coffee beans, and I’ll show you the best way if you have no other option.
Can a Magic Bullet Grind Coffee Beans?
A Magic Bullet can grind whole coffee beans into smaller pieces. However, it is not a good substitute for a proper coffee grinder.
The Magic Bullet is limited in how finely it can grind coffee and it doesn’t allow you to closely control grind size. This means that coffee beans ground in a Magic Bullet are likely to be too coarse and inconsistent to produce quality coffee.
Coffee ground using a Magic Bullet tends to clump between the blades and on the side of the cup, which makes it difficult to remove the ground coffee and leads to wasted coffee beans. The Magic Bullet will also heat your coffee beans, which harms their flavor and draws out acidity prematurely.
The problem is that Magic Bullet’s just aren’t powerful enough to do it. You can’t crush ice in a Magic Bullet either.
5 Problems with Grinding Coffee in a Magic Bullet
While it is technically possible to grind coffee beans in a Magic Bullet, you are likely to run into five problems that will reduce the quality of your coffee compared to using a proper coffee grinder.
1. Clumping
The Magic Bullet is a blender, not a coffee grinder. If you try to use a Magic Bullet, you’ll find that the coffee clumps together on the side of the cup and around the blades.
Clumping will lead to an inconsistent grind and will waste coffee beans, as you won’t be able to remove all the ground coffee for brewing.
The best solution to this problem is to stop and shake the container mid-grind and dislodge some of the clumped coffee beans. However, this won’t completely solve the problem.
2. Coarseness
The Magic Bullet isn’t designed for grinding coffee. As such, it can break whole coffee beans into smaller pieces, but it just isn’t capable of producing very fine ground coffee.
The best way to produce a finer grind is to grind your coffee beans for longer. However, the fineness of your grind will still be limited by the Magic Bullet’s capabilities, and grinding for longer can kill the flavor of your coffee.
3. Inconsistency
A consistent grind is crucial for making high-quality coffee. With the Magic Bullet, you will find that your coffee grounds are inconsistent, with some beans being finely ground while others remain in large pieces.
Grinding for longer may help to make your coffee grounds more consistent, but you’ll still find some lumps and larger pieces, as the Magic Bullet is simply not designed to produce finely ground coffee. Sometimes the blender will also get stuck on the beans and this can cause your Magic Bullet to smell like it’s burning.
4. Lack of control
Unlike a proper coffee grinder, the Magic Bullet doesn’t allow you to control the grind size of your coffee beans. The Magic Bullet is a one-speed device – it does not come with multiple speed settings – so you will have no control over the speed you use to grind your coffee beans.
If you want finely ground coffee, your only option will be to grind the coffee beans for longer. However, this doesn’t give close control and it introduces another problem too. As you grind for longer, you increase the temperature of the coffee beans, which harms their flavor.
5. Heating beans
Magic bullet blades spin quickly. This causes friction, which in turn causes the coffee beans to heat up. Unfortunately, high temperatures cause coffee beans to lose their flavor and can result in coffee that tastes burnt and stale.
Heating the beans is a major downside of using a Magic Bullet to grind coffee, particularly when compared to using a burr grinder, which won’t heat the beans anywhere near as much.
The solution to avoid overheating your coffee beans when using a blender or food processor is to not grind them for as long or to use a slower setting. However, the Magic Bullet only has one speed setting, so you can’t use a slower setting, and if you grind your coffee for a shorter amount of time then you will end up with a coarse and inconsistent grind.
For all of these reasons, a Magic Bullet won’t produce great results. However, it is possible, and it may be your only option in some circumstances.
Next, I’ll explain how to grind coffee beans in a Magic Bullet, so if you’re stuck with only a Magic Bullet to grind your coffee beans, you can still make the best of a bad situation!
How to Grind Coffee Beans in a Magic Bullet
If you really must grind coffee in a Magic Bullet then I recommend this five-step technique:
- Put your coffee beans into the Magic Bullet cup. Only use a small handful of coffee beans and take care not to overload the blender to reduce clumping.
- Make sure you’re using the flat blade (not the cross blade) as it is best for grinding hard ingredients.
- Pulse grind your coffee beans for a total of 10 seconds. Pulse grinding means turning the Magic Bullet on and off every second or two.
- Shake the container to dislodge coffee that has clumped together on the side of the cup.
- If the coffee looks too coarse or is not consistent, grind again for a few more seconds.
Remember: while this is the best way to grind coffee in a Magic Bullet, it still isn’t an ideal solution. A Magic Bullet will not produce anywhere close to the quality that you would expect from a proper coffee grinder.
Common Questions about Grinding Coffee Beans
The best Magic Bullet blade for grinding coffee is the flat blade, as it is designed to grind hard ingredients. However, even using a flat blade, a Magic Bullet will not produce the same quality as a coffee grinder.
When it comes to grinding coffee beans, a coffee grinder will always produce the best results. However, if you don’t have a coffee grinder, it is possible to use alternatives such as a blender, a food processor, or even a mortar and pestle.
The best way to grind coffee beans is by using a burr grinder. Burr grinders allow you to precisely adjust the grind size and are designed to produce consistent coffee grounds. Unlike blade grinders, burr grinders don’t heat the coffee beans, which helps to retain flavor.
Our Verdict: Can You Grind Coffee Beans in a Magic Bullet?
You can use a Magic Bullet to grind coffee, but if you care about getting a consistent grind for your morning brew, you’ll be disappointed.
Grinding coffee beans in a Magic Bullet will produce ground coffee that is too coarse, inconsistent, and lacking in flavor.
The experience of grinding the coffee beans will also be more frustrating, as you’ll have less control over grind size and you’ll have to deal with difficult clumps of coffee and wasted coffee beans.
You don’t have to have a grinder though. You can grind coffee in a Vitamix much better than a Magic Bullet!
If you’re a coffee connoisseur deciding whether to buy a coffee grinder or simply use your Magic Bullet, you should definitely go for a proper grinder. A small investment in a burr grinder will make a huge difference to the quality of your coffee.
