Dan
Audioholic Chief
Swerd gave a nice summary of things that matter and I agree so I won't elaborate. Here is what I think (mostly) doesn't matter although there are caveats.
Grinders: It highly depends upon your method of brewing. If you use the Melita (aka pour over method) into a cone with a filter the grind doesn't matter at all. Burr grinders can get very expensive several hundred dollars, and a blade grinder is cheap 20-30 bucks. What the burr grinder gives you is UNIFORMITY of the grind that a blade won't. If all the grinds are caught by a filter uniformity isn't very important. This included drip coffee machines and units like the Technivorm.
Grind does matter if you use a French press where you want a uniform coarse grind so you don't get too much sediment in you cup. It matter very much for the fancy espresso machines where you make a puck of grinds with a tamper for the water too go through. If the grinds aren't uniform or the puck is not evenly tamped, the water will find the path of least resistance and blow a hole in the puck rather than evenly pass through it. The result will be a poor extraction and a weak cup. I don't find this to be as much of a problem with the stovetop Moka type pots that are much cheaper and more commonly used. I don't have a fancy espresso maker but I am told that the expensive ones do make a better cup once you master the technique. For two grand I need a new receiver more than that.
Filters: Maybe you have a better sense of taste than I do but I can't taste the difference between paper and other fancy filters like gold. So true to from I go with cheap.
To reinforce Swerd's point briefly, I think the most important things are good quality beans freshly roasted 2-3 to 7 days prior, and water fresh off the boil for a good extraction of the oils that have the flavors. Most of the rest is individual preference.
Grinders: It highly depends upon your method of brewing. If you use the Melita (aka pour over method) into a cone with a filter the grind doesn't matter at all. Burr grinders can get very expensive several hundred dollars, and a blade grinder is cheap 20-30 bucks. What the burr grinder gives you is UNIFORMITY of the grind that a blade won't. If all the grinds are caught by a filter uniformity isn't very important. This included drip coffee machines and units like the Technivorm.
Grind does matter if you use a French press where you want a uniform coarse grind so you don't get too much sediment in you cup. It matter very much for the fancy espresso machines where you make a puck of grinds with a tamper for the water too go through. If the grinds aren't uniform or the puck is not evenly tamped, the water will find the path of least resistance and blow a hole in the puck rather than evenly pass through it. The result will be a poor extraction and a weak cup. I don't find this to be as much of a problem with the stovetop Moka type pots that are much cheaper and more commonly used. I don't have a fancy espresso maker but I am told that the expensive ones do make a better cup once you master the technique. For two grand I need a new receiver more than that.
Filters: Maybe you have a better sense of taste than I do but I can't taste the difference between paper and other fancy filters like gold. So true to from I go with cheap.
To reinforce Swerd's point briefly, I think the most important things are good quality beans freshly roasted 2-3 to 7 days prior, and water fresh off the boil for a good extraction of the oils that have the flavors. Most of the rest is individual preference.
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