Hopper grinding

Loading a large quantity of beans into the grinder's hopper and dosing shots on demand throughout the day or week.

Why it matters — Hopper grinding is fast and convenient for cafés but exposes beans to oxygen, light, and grinder heat — staling the bean supply over 1–2 weeks. It also retains traces of bean character between bean changes.

Good to know

• Most modern commercial cafés still use hoppers because the workflow speed is hard to beat at volume.
• Home users who brew 1–3 shots a day usually do better with a single-dose grinder — bean turnover is too slow to keep a full hopper fresh.