It’s the grinder that gets ya.

I don't spend that much money on coffee beans but I have the cheapest blade grinder I could buy (one day I will be able to justify replacing it, probably with a Wilfa).

The trick is to shake the grinder up and down while it is cutting. I can get a surprisingly even grind that doesn't get too hot. Good enough for a trouble-free Aeropress plunge, anyway.

These days I am all about the cheap solutions; I'll probably treat myself to a lever-press espresso machine at some point.

An even better solution is just picking up a decent hand grinder [1] especially since you’re doing work anyway.

[1] https://www.hario-usa.com/collections/grinders

If you’re relying on anything other than your own fingertips, it’s time for some grip exercises. Lovingly hand-crafting your beans to fine powder—this is the way.

PSA: Buy a used Bunn G1 and put SSP burrs in it. I did mine for about $600, which seems steep, but it's way cheaper than comparable grinders and will probably last me decades.

Also check out the G-IOTA, it's sold under several different names but it's the best espresso grinder you can get for the money. It has flat burrs, which are superior to conical burrs.

https://reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/lw8pbo/probarista_gio...