How can I prevent ground coffee static?

by Tammy
(Canada)

QUESTION:

Why do my freshly ground coffee beans have static? Some brands of bean are worse than others. Some bags of beans start off fine with no static, and then over a period of weeks, static will suddenly develop. What causes this and what can be done to stop it? Thanks.

ANSWER:

We all face pretty much the same problems with static. I'm not sure of the science behind it, but the act of grinding coffee does cause a build up of static. In other words, when you have finished grinding and take the lid off the grinder, you'll find the ground coffee clinging to the sides of the grinding chamber.

This problem is usually worse with burr grinders than it is with blade grinders. It also seems to be worse with grinders that use a lot of plastic in their construction.

When it comes to a cure for static, there doesn't seem to be any surefire answer.

Some coffee lovers swear by their own special ways of dealing with static – like grounding the grinder immediately after using it by touching the grinder with one hand, while touching the kitchen tap with the other. You can try that and see if it makes a difference.

As for some brands of coffee beans being more prone to static than others, we have no idea why that might be.