Coffee Grinders

One only needs to look around on the Internet at auction sites specializing in antiques to discover how popular the vintage coffee grinder has become to collectors. Grandma’s old wooden coffee grinder gathering dust in the attic is now a valuable collector’s item to many people. These coffee grinders vary in size, shape and cost and can be as old as the 1890’s. Their attraction is a combination of their decorative charm and simple but effective operation.

Home antique coffee grinders were usually either stand-alone or wall-mounted grinders. Wall mounted grinders were quite popular and more ornate than the stand alone grinders. Wall mounted grinders that are popular among collectors include those models with intricate carvings or crafted porcelain figurines on them. There are models with windmills adorning them and others that are porcelain figurines.

Table-top coffee grinders from days of old are typically simple wooden boxes with hand cranks either on the side or the top of the box. The ground coffee is deposited into a drawer on the bottom of the coffee box. These are beautiful examples of wood crafting and are also popular among collectors.

Other vintage coffee grinders are the wheel grinders that are large and bulky. These were typically found in the local general store and used to grind customers’ coffee beans when they came to purchase groceries. This was a benefit to customers who didn’t have their own grinders or to travelers passing through to get supplies for their hunting trips or cattle drives and would not have access to their grinder. Many of these vintage grinders are now in museums on display for the world to enjoy.

Purchasing vintage coffee grinders can be a long, tedious and expensive task. Collectors typically join groups that specialize in collecting and restoring coffee grinders. This allows them to share information with each other and also to put out locators among members if a particular grinder is being sought. The cost of the grinder can be high if it is a very rare or if there are many people trying to get one.

Some collectors of vintage coffee grinders learn to restore them. This skill allows them to purchase grinders that need repair or are in less than perfect shape, thus saving them money on the purchase. They can then restore the grinder to its original condition and increase its value. This part of the hobby of collecting vintage grinders is rewarding in more than a financial way, when the owner sees the finished product there is a sense of pride in having restored a piece of history to its original condition.

Vintage coffee grinders belong out in the open for younger generations to see and admire. Collectors realize this and they see the beauty in the workmanship and want to share it with the world. Although most vintage grinders are not used to actually grind coffee they are still valuable and highly sought after.

-Sharon Chapman

Tags: Vintage Coffee Grinder

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