While there is a lot to be said about the convenience of instant coffee, very few people think it tastes as good as freshly ground coffee. With a home coffee grinder, you can create fresh pots of coffee made exactly to your taste with a minimum amount of effort. Many coffee drinkers find that an electric coffee grinder gives them the best balance between saving time and getting more flavorful coffee.

Unlike hand crank models, electric coffee grinders prepare your coffee beans quickly and at the touch of a button. When shopping for a coffee grinder, a feature to look for is a grind setting. You can grind your coffee beans anywhere from coarse to very fine--experimenting with different settings will bring out different flavors in your favorite coffee.

Instead of buying instant coffee crystals or pre-ground beans, you'll need to buy fresh coffee beans to put in your coffee grinder. Most supermarkets carry whole coffee beans in a variety of flavors. A number of coffee resellers like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts also sell their specialty coffee beans so you can enjoy their fresh ground taste at home for a fraction of the price you'll pay for daily gourmet cups from the store.

A vintage coffee grinder can make a wonderful addition to your home. Typically a wooden box with a porcelain bowl attached to the top, these original coffee grinders can be very ornate. Besides making wonderful decorations, they are fully functional. Fill the porcelain bowl with fresh coffee beans and use the hand crank to grind them. The coffee grinds collect in the bottom drawer of the grinder, which you can then empty into your coffee pot.