Whether you like a Long Black on a rainy day, a Cafe Latte post lunch or an Espresso on your way to work, a grinder is a must to enrich the coffee drinking experience. The balance between strength, flavor and texture can only be gotten when you know how your coffee is ground.
Any Barista will tell you that a grinder is the most important thing at any coffee shop, as poorly ground beans can leave your coffee tasting like hot water. The care that goes into grinding your own coffee will let you appreciate and relish the end product.
If you are a coffee connoisseur like us, a grinder must be the first and most important thing in your inventory. A good coffee bean’s potential is only fully realized when paired with a good grinder.
If you ever wondered why coffee from cafes seem to taste leagues better than the one you make at home despite using the same beans, it is more than likely that the grinder, or the lack thereof leaves you with a flat taste in your mouth.
- Improves the flavor and texture: A coffee grinder can give you ample control on whether you want your grounds coarse or fine. This impacts the flavor drastically, and is what results in the different styles of coffee. The espresso requires the grounds to be really fine, whereas a French Press coffee uses slightly coarser beans to get the flavor variety and subtle bitterness.
- Consistency: Grinders, especially of the Burr variety (which will be discussed in the next section), offer a consistent flavor profile day after day of usage. An espresso setting will ensure that the fineness of your grounds is consistent, which in turn ensures that the flavor is consistent.
- Customization and control: Coffee grinders, both stepless and step (which will also be covered in the next section), have variable grind settings. The variations on stepless grinding are near infinite, which lets you grind the coffee to your liking. This opens up the coffee making experience to many possibilities. Strength can be tweaked to just the way you like it, and different styles of coffee can be brewed.
- Pre-ground coffee goes stale: Every consumable product undergoes the process of oxidation. This is the reason why your bread may go stale or fruits may start to decay. Store bought pre-ground coffee usually sits on the shelf for a while, which makes it go stale through the process of oxidation. Hand grinding your own beans is the best way to ensure that your coffee is fresh and flavorful.
Burr grinders vs Blade grinders
Burr grinders
Not all grinders work the same way. Different grinders have different features that ultimately impact the flavor of the end product, i.e., your cup of java! Burr grinders are favored by Baristas and coffee enthusiasts the world over. It is one of the vintage grinding machines that you may find in your grandmother’s loft.
Burr grinders are made of one revolving surface and one fixed surface between which the coffee is ground. Burr grinders involve less heat and friction, unlike the blade grinders, which ensures that the coffee beans don’t lose their flavor.
Burr grinders offer a lot of customization in terms of the degree to which the beans are ground. The gap between the two abrasive surfaces can be adjusted with a knob to grind the coffee as fine or coarse as you like. Different Burr grinders offer a variety of adjustment levels, with some fixed and others unfixed. Here are the two types of adjustments that Burr grinders offer:
- Stepped adjustment: This adjustment offers a few set levels of customization that have both a lower limit and an upper limit. The adjustment can vary from machine to machine, with some offering over a 100 levels, and others offering only up to 5 levels. The more levels a grinder offers, the more customizable it is.
- Stepless adjustment: The steeples adjustment, unlike the stepped adjustment, has neither an upper limit nor a lower limit in the levels of adjustment. This means, the levels of adjustment are practically infinite! You can adjust the grinder to get precisely the level of grind that you are looking for, so that you get your cup of coffee just the way you like it.
The Burrs on the grinder are also of two types, which also alter the grinding experience substantially. So pay close attention to this one!
- Flat Burr: The Flat Burr offers the most consistent grind experience due to the two abrasive surfaces being flat. This Burr, however, makes grinding slightly slower. The flat burr can provide the most finest of grinds, so this one is for all you espresso lovers out there!
2. Conical Burr: The Conical Burr is faster, and are not as consistent as Flat Burrs, although the difference is very narrow. Conical Burrs are best used for drip, French press or pour over styles of coffee.
Burr grinders are usually either automatic or manual.
- Automatic Burr grinders: These types of grinders work through electricity, and with the flip of a switch, your coffee will be ground to your liking. This is for people who want quality and do not want to compromise on efficiency. However, these grinders are often times bulky and may occupy a lot of space. They also use a lot of power, so you might want to watch your electricity bill if you pick this one!
- Manual Burr grinder: are time consuming to use, but are very portable. They can be carried right in your handbag, so you never have to suffer hotel coffee again! Manual grinders have burrs that work through a lever. The lever is rotated to generate the torque required to crush the coffee beans. Manual grinders are for coffee purists who don’t mind spending some time to get to know their coffee!
However, for people looking for speed and efficiency, the manual grinder may not be the way to go. Manual grinders can be slow and may make a mess if not used properly. For this very reason, however, you can find them for less than $20.
Blade grinders
Blade grinders, on the other hand, work a lot like a blender or a food processor, where two motorized blades spin and chop up the beans into small fragments. The limitation of this type of grinder is that the grounds are not very consistent. Blade grinders are easy to use, cheap and get the job done without any hassle.
The reason why coffee aficionados prefer Burr grinders to Blade grinders is the fact that beans are ground uniformly in the former, which means that the flavor is consistent. Blade grinders usually chop up the beans unevenly, which may make the flavor of the coffee inconsistent. In the case of Burr grinders, coffee beans are ground in the space between the two abrasive surfaces, which yields a very customizable and consistent grind.
To summarize, let’s look at the pros and cons of both these kinds of grinders:
Pros and cons of Burr grinders
- Consistent grind
- Adjustable ground size by adjusting
the space between surfaces
- Flavorful coffee
- Relatively time consuming
- Expensive
Pros and cons of Blade grinders
- Quick and efficient
- Done with the press of a button
- Inconsistent grind
- Flat or overly bitter coffee
- Grinds can get heated, which can
ruin the flavor
Top 16 Best Coffee Grinders
Keeping all of above factors in mind, let’s look at the 16 best coffee grinders that will give you the best experience for the best price!
1. Capresso 560.01 Infinity Conical Burr grinder, Black (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
The Capresso brand name has earned its praise by delivering quality, consistency and durability. This is a commercial-grade coffee grinder that has four settings: extra fine, fine, regular and coarse, which makes it a stepped grinder. The coffee container can hold upto 4 oz of ground coffee, which has a safety lock system that ensures that you never drop your grounds.
Capresso is known for its attention to detail, and the auto-off feature proves that very fact. The machine turns off automatically if the bean container is not locked securely; this is a plus point for safety and efficiency! This machine uses a conical burr, which makes it good for a French press or a pour over.
Heat buildup on this machine is almost non-existent as the grinding speed is very slow, which preserves the rich, nutty aroma of the coffee. This machine uses 100W of power, which is standard for most Burr grinders.
One thing to note is that Capresso tests all their products with coffee beans before sending it out for shipment, so don’t worry if you find a little coffee residue in your product!
Features:
- Low static buildup: Ensures maximum flavour retention as heat is not transferred to the beans.
- See through bean container: The container lets you see and measure the exact amount of coffee that you require.
- Top notch safety lock system: This product features the best in class safety lock system, and we were surprised at how snappy it was!
- Slow grinding: Slow grinding ensures that no heat through friction gets transferred onto the beans.
- Easy to clean Burr: The burr can be removed and cleaned with ease, and made of steel, which makes it extremely durable.
- Commercial-grade, durable,
- Slow grinding speed ensures no
heat transfer
- Low noise
- Built-in 60 second timer
- Comes with a cleaning brush and
scoop
- Bulky and large size.
- Time consuming
The Capresso is best for people looking for quality, but may be slow. The bulkiness of the product results in less portability. The conical Burrs are from the range of infinity burrs, which are built to last, and create a wonderful and consistent coffee experience. It is one of the finest, if not the finest Burr grinder available on the market.
2. JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder (Type: Manual burr grinder)
This grinder has over 18 adjustable click-settings, which gives you extremely precise control over how fine the ground is. It has a conical burr, which means that it lets you ground the beans to make a mean cup of a French Press long black. It is also efficient for fine grinding, so you can have a Turkish brew whenever you like. The low price point is definitely another plus point.
Your favorite Java grinds can now be made without any noise! The removable hand crank eliminates over 90% of the noise, making it great for your midnight coffee adventures. The body is made of brushed stainless steel, and is very compact. You can carry it in your bag if you go for a hike or if you are an avid camper.
Features:
- Removable hand crank: The removable hand crank is easy to use and eliminates noise. It is perfect to use in an office space, where noise reduction becomes very important.
- Ceramic combo burrs: These patent pending burrs are tested to last 5x longer than steel burrs! This means that you never have to change the burrs, as they last a very, very long time. The burrs also reduce friction due to having ceramic in them.
- 18 grind settings: These settings are perfect. Whether you use a percolated or a drip to brew your coffee, these settings give you ample control over the output.
- Easy-to-use mechanism
- Brushed stainless steel body
- Extremely portable
- Long lasting burrs
- Very cheap
- Very time consuming
- Make only small doses of grinds
This grinder is perfect for people who enjoy the experience of grinding their coffee. Its portability makes it the best option for all the outdoor adventurers out there, and the low noise is perfect for offices.
3. KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder (Type: Electric blade grinder)
Electric Grinders are known for their speed of grinding. The KRUPS F203 provides a large grind in less than 10 seconds! It has an elegant design and holds upto 3oz of beans, which is a lot for the portability that it offers. This product is best for people who want a quick grind to brew their morning java, and want a hassle free experience.
With just the push of a button, the coffee beans are ground to perfection. The oval shape of the machine allows for some level of consistency, which is not found in other electric grinders.
What’s more, you can grind not just coffee beans, but also herbs and spices. The versatility on this product is unparalleled. This product is also very pocket friendly, so if you are looking for a quick and cheap grinder, this is the one for you!
Features:
- Large capacity: Most of the body is for holding the beans, which can yield large amount of grinds. According to KRUPS, grinds for upto 12 cups of coffee can be made!
- Multipurpose grinding: Grind not only coffee beans, but also herbs, spices and anything dry that can be ground.
- Lid activated safety lock: The grinder does not work unless the lid is securely placed. This improves the overall safety and stability of the product.
- Fast grinding
- Grinds in large doses
- Stainless steel blades
- Safety lock for added protection
- Can grind herbs and spices
- Low price point
- May adversely affect coffee flavor
- Poor quality and value
- Not exactly automatic
Electric grinders have very less consistency that Burr grinders, but are cost effective, durable and very cheap. This grinder hits all those points, and is the best in its class. Most electric grinders do not have a high bean capacity like the KRUPS does. So if you are looking for a good electric grinder, this is the one for you.
4. Cuisinart DBM-Supreme grind automatic Burr mill (Type: Automatic stepped Burr grinder)
Cuisinart, made popular by their stellar coffee machines, make some of the best Burr grinders on the market. The DBM supreme is no different, as it is nothing short of great! It is an automatic burr grinder that has a dial that runs from ultra fine, fine, to medium, to extra coarse so you get a customizable grind. It has a conical burr, making it ideal for a variety of coffee styles.
It also has an electric timer, and the bean chamber can hold up to 8 oz of beans, which can make up to 32 cups of coffee. It has a heavy duty motor and a one touch function which makes it ideal for office spaces.
Features:
- One touch function: Forget dials and knobs that make life so hard! With the one touch function, grind your coffee beans instantly and without complication.
- Large bean chamber: This grinder features one of the largest bean chambers, which can make grinds for up to 32 cups!
- Auto off feature: The unit automatically shuts down after one cycle of grinding completes. This ensures that you save electricity and money!
- 18 level slide dial: This product can grind a variety of grind styles, which makes it extremely versatile.
- Has auto off feature
- Easy to use with one touch
function
- Large bean chamber
- 18 position grind selector
improves variety
- Large and bulky
- Hat and static buildup may occur
This grinder is one of the best grinders available on amazon, and is perfect for office spaces because of it’s one touch function and large yield. This may be a great addition to the break room, and is also relatively cheap, with few cons and a lot of pros to consider.
5. Baratza Vario-W grind by weight flat burr coffee grinder (Type: Stepped Flat burr coffee grinder)
This award winning grinder is the best in its class. It comes with a whopping 230 grind settings, making it one of the most precise stepped grinders available on the market. The 54mm ceramic flat burrs are durable, and maintain their sharpness for a long time.
This device also has a built in digital scale to exactly measure out the coffee that you need. This grinder is professional in every sense of the word, with lab tested accuracy in coffee grinding.
This grinder is also very fast in terms of time taken, but the burr itself rotates at a slow rate, providing very little heat buildup.
Features:
- 230 grind settings: This machine has two knobs for grind settings, where one sees the overall coarseness of the grind, and the other knob fine tunes and tweaks to get the perfect grind coarseness that you desire.
- Built in scale and 3 presets: The built in scale offers accurate measurement of coffee beans, and the 3 presets let you set your preferences, which can be selected again for multiple uses.
- 54 mm Ceramic burr: The 54 mm ceramic burr remains sharp, and provides the most consistent grind on this list. The output is high power, and therefore yields the grinds very quickly. The ceramic burrs ensure no heat conduction.
- Low bean wastage and shut off hopper: This machine comes with a shut off hopper to avoid any mess, and also has very low wastage, up to 10g for every 300g.
- Fine tunable grind setting
- Accurate scale
- Ceramic burr
- Consistent grind with no heat or
static buildup
- Extremely expensive
This is one of the best professional grade grinders on the market. It is a perfect grinder for offices and homes, and has a very elegant design. It is easy to use and give accurate readings of coffee beans on its digital scale. However, the very high price point pushes it down in the list.
6. Baratza Virtuoso (Type: Stepped Conical burr grinder)
The Baratza range of coffee grinders has gotten many accolades for their professional grade grind quality and customizability. These grinders are used by Baristas all across the world, and are best in their class. The Virtuoso is no exception. This grinder is one of the most stylish looking products on this list, and fits perfectly in any setting.
The virtuoso has 40 grind settings for the variety of brewing methods. It has commercial grade conical burrs, made of hard alloy steel that ensure minimal heat or static build up. It also has a digital timer which can be adjusted to tenth of seconds, giving you maximum accuracy and customizability.
Features:
- 40 grind setting: The 40 grind settings gives you a variety of grind sizes perfect for the various brew methods. The settings are accurate and distinct, so you can grind for French press, Turkish coffee, pour over, or chemex.
- Digital timer: The digital timer is extremely modifiable, with customizability of up to one decimal point offering maximum variety of grinding.
- 40mm conical burr: The burrs, made of alloyed steel, are the most durable one’s on the list. The burrs are made to last, and promise durability and efficiency.
- Fast grind: The burrs move at a slow speed, but the grind yield can be as fast as up to 2g/second.
- Fast grind
- 40 grind setting
- Low static buildup
- Consistent grind
- High price point.
- No ceramic burr
This grinder is professional grade, with lab tested accuracy. It is perfect for coffee enthusiasts who don’t mind spending a bit to get the perfect coffee experience. Its elegant design makes it great for office spaces and homes alike.
7. Breville BCG820BSSXL The smart grinder pro coffee bean grinder (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
The Breville brand name is well established because of their products’ reliability that has been tested time and time again. The brushed stainless steel grinders on this grinder provide the least heat and static buildup, even after prolonged usage. The timer is also very accurate, with an increment of 0.2 per turn.
The coffee bean and grind chamber are intuitively removable, which ensures no mess when being removed. What’s more, the grinds can directly be obtained in a portafilter, filter basket or a paper filter. The machine comes with both a small (50-54 mm) and large (58 mm) portafilter cradle.
Features:
- Brushed stainless steel burr: The burr is engineered to have the least amount of static and heat buildup. This ensures that the coffee retains the essential oils and flavor.
- LCD display: the display is bright and beautiful to look at. The controls are very intuitive and provide ease of usage.
- 60 grind settings: 60 variable settings provide maximum customizability to obtain the best coffee experience.
- Portafilter cradle: The portafilter cradle lets you transfer the beans in any container you like. It comes in two sizes for different portafilters.
- Precision electronic timer: The precision electronic timer increments in 0.2 seconds, and is very accurate, which offers the efficiency that you pay for.
- Intuitive display
- Sleek design
- Portafilter cradles
- High price point.
- Slow to grind
This product is great for people who don’t mind spending some money on a good grinder. It fits perfectly in office spaces as well as homes.
8. OXO BREW conical burr coffee grinder (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
This product is a small, compact and efficient grinder that does not compromise on quality and consistency of grinds. The OXO BREW can sit comfortably on a table top without taking up much space, and is a great addition to your coffee inventory.
The machine has stainless steel conical coffee burrs, with one touch start, and 15 grind settings. The hopper can hold up to 0.75 lbs of beans, and the grinder can hold coffee for upto 12 cups.
Features:
- 15 grind settings: The 15 settings offers variety in the grind size, which is best for people who like different coffee styles.
- 40mm stainless steel conical burrs: The conical burrs offer a consistent grind, and the 40mm size ensures that the beans are consistent.
- One-touch start: the one touch start feature ensures that the coffee grinding experience is uncomplicated, and does not involve multiple dials and screens. It is perfect for a quick, effortless and unhindered coffee grind.
- Compact size and stylish design
- Sleek design
- Easy to use
- Double conical burrs
- May have some heat and static
build up
- High price
The machine is slightly on the expensive size and does not offer anything new to justify it. However, it is still a solid grinder which does a lot of things really well. This grinder is one of those instances where back-to-basics works.
9. CUISINART DCG-20BKN Bar Coffee Grinder ( Type: Blade grinder)
This is one of the cheapest and most affordable blade grinders on the market. Cuisinart is known to deliver products par excellence, and have done so consistently over the years. The DCG-20BKN is small, cheap and efficient. It yields a good grind and is extremely easy to clean. The blades are placed lower in the machine, so no beans escape them.
The machine is portable and compact, and comes with efficient cord storage. It has a 2.5 oz capacity, which can make enough coffee grinds for 2 cups. This is a serendipitously large yield for its size.
Features:
- Large capacity for a small size: The yield of 12 cups is quite a lot for the size of the machine, and is one of its prime selling points.
- Cord storage: Now you never have to worry about the ugly and overly long cord that sticks out of most machines. With the convenient cord storage, you minimize on space used and the machine becomes very portable.
- Easy to clean bowl and lid: The machine can be dismantled with just a twist, and cleaning becomes very easy.
- Very compact
- Large yield
- Extremely low price point
- Quick grind burrs
- Low blade placement
- Inconsistent grind
- Heat and static buildup
This machine is great for its utility. It does not provide a consistent grind, nor a professional grade variability. But it gets the job done, and is the best electric grinder in its class. It is extremely pocket friendly and is great for people who want a quick and decent grind.
10. Manual coffee grinder by OSM (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder - Manual)
This manual grinder is extremely cheap, and classy to look at. It would make a great addition to your shelf top inventory, and also in an office space. It is entirely made out of stainless steel and looks phenomenal. Being a manual grinder, it is extremely portable and can be carried with you wherever you go.
Manual grinder comes with its own advantages. For one, it is very silent and does not make much noise. It is cheap, and the conical burrs mean a consistent grind. This grinder is a perfect gift for anyone who loves a mean cup of coffee!
Features:
- Conical burr: The conical burrs ensure consistency. The conical burrs are perfect for many brew methods like Chemex and pour over.
- Portable: The grinder is extremely portable and can be carried right in your bag!
- Adjustable grind selector: This is one of the few manual grinders that offer customizability and portability in a great package! The adjustable grinder makes this a stepless grinder with a lot of variety.
- Portable and compact
- Affordable
- Grinder adjustment
- Noiseless
- Elegant looking
- Time consuming
- Low yield
This coffee grinder is perfect for people who are constantly on the move and who also love coffee. The grinder comes with a level of customizability with portability, and makes it one of the best manual grinders out there.
11. Bodum Bistro Burr grinder (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
This grinder has a continuously adjustable grind system, which means that the grind size is in your hands from start to finish. It offers 12 grind sizes that can be changed with the dial on the machine. This machine has a push button which makes grinding that much easier. It also has a pre-set timer which lets you grind to be fine or coarse grinds.
The burrs have a friction clutch, which reduces static and heat buildup, as well as stops pebbles or small stones in ruining the burrs. This machine is also dishwasher safe, which makes it very easy to clean and use.
Features:
- Borosilicate coffee catcher: Some people prefer plastic. However, to be environment friendly, this machine comes equipped with a borosilicate grind chamber.
- Silicon grip: the strategically placed silicon grips ensure that you never drop the machine and spill the beans. The grips are placed in convenient places where one would generally hold the machine.
- Friction clutch: The friction clutch is a wonderful addition to the machine, and protects it from any internal damage. It also reduces heat and static build up.
- Very durable
- Easy to use
- Very less static and heat buildup
- Comes in attractive colors
- Can sometime break down
- Flimsy body
This machine, although offers a range of features and benefits, is somewhat problematic during use. Many users have reported faulty machinery which can break down. However, this can be attributed to a few defective products, as most experiences have been positive. This machine is great for office spaces and homes.
12. KRUPS 1500813240 GVX212 coffee grinder (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
This grinder is very easy to use, and is a no nonsense way of obtaining your grinds. It offers a simple 17 levels of mind from fine to coarse for the standard experience, and delivers consistency and reliability. The KRUPS brand name has never failed to deliver and this machine is one of their standard experiences.
The machine looks a bit dull, but makes up for it with fast grind, safety features like the lid lock startup and also has the auto off feature. It also has a quantity selector, which shuts off the grind after desired amount. All of this for an extremely cheap and pocket friendly price makes this machine one of the best coffee grinders for it’s price.
Features:
- Auto off feature: The machine turns off automatically once the grind is completed, saving power and making it eco-friendly.
- Safety lock: The machine doesn’t start grinding unless all the lids are closed and in place. This gives added safety so you never have to worry about damage
- 17 levels of adjustment: The machine has 17 levels of adjustment, from fine to coarse. It offers plenty of variation which is an added point to versatility.
- Quantity selector: The quantity selector allows you to add as many beans as you want in the airtight container, and select the amount to be ground. The machine stops automatically when the grind is done to the quantity you set.
- Very durable
- Safety features
- Consistent grind
- Variety of features
- Durable and sharp burrs
- There may be some heat and static
build up.
- Very dull looking
This machine is for utility more than anything. It has some solid set of features, with a lot of thought given to customizability, speed and efficiency. This machine is perfect for office spaces, and would fit right in.
13. Chefman Coffee Grinder Electric Burr Mill (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
This machine holds up to 8 ounces of beans, and can brew coffee for upto 12 cups. The machine can also be dismantled in order to make cleaning very easy. It comes with 17 grinding options, with 17 being the finest and 1, the coarsest. The machine is very moderately priced and comes with a 110 watt motor that is very consistent in delivering the grind.
The grinder is very easy to use, with the one touch function. With just the press of a button, you can begin grinding. You never have to wait around either, as the machine offers a quick grind. The machine also comes with a cleaning brush.
Features:
- 17 grind settings: The 17 grind settings offer a good variety of grinds, which can be customized to your liking.
- One touch function: the one touch function offers a quick, effortless grinding experience that removes all the confusion of dials and knobs out of the equation, leaving just you and the coffee.
- Large grind holder: The machine can hold up to 8 oz of beans, which can make up to 12 cups of coffee.
- Easy to use
- Large grind yield
- Good price
- Powerful motor
- Quick grind results in heat buildup
through friction
- Bulky and large
This coffee machine is perfect for your home. We do not recommend this for office spaces due to its bulky size. It has a strong set of features that are simple and make coffee grinding easy!
14. Ariete Delonghi electric coffee grinder (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
This professional grade grinder comes with conical stainless steel burrs and provides 15 grind settings. The machine provides an ultra fine grind, which is extremely fine and perfect for making espressos.
The bean hopper is very spacious, and can hold up to 13.3 oz of beans. However, the base is very sleek, and can fit any part of your kitchen top.
This machine is very portable and still grinds a lot of coffee. It also has an adjustable cup size so you dispense the exact amount of coffee that you need.
Features:
- Detachable body: the body can be dismantled to make cleaning easy and very efficient to do.
- Large container: The bean container is extremely large and can hold 13.3 oz of beans. The coffee grinds container is also very large, which can hold upto a whopping 6.5 oz of coffee.
- Ultra fine grinds: Ariete Delonghi are known for their espresso machines, so it comes as no surprise that their coffee machines are also known for ultra-fine grinds.
- Ultra quick with one touch option: It has a start/stop switch, and is extremely quick in making the grinds.
- Extremely quick
- Portable
- Large yield
- Ultra fine grind
- Heat buildup due to quick grinding
- Heavy
This machine is for all the espresso fanatics out there. It can grind a very fine powder that is best suited for a French press or an espresso. This machine is a bit overpriced for the features that it has, but is a good option for people looking for ease of cleaning and thin grinds.
15. Baratza encore conical burr coffee grinder (Type: Stepped Conical Burr grinder)
This is yet another coffee grinder by the famed Baratza, and makes some of the most consistent grinds in its class. This is the perfect coffee grinder for your home setting and is a great starting point into professional grade coffee grinding.
It has 40 grind settings and a commercial grade conical burr made of 40mm alloyed steel. It is one of the most durable blades available in any coffee grinder. It has a pulse button as well as a one touch function.
Features:
- 40 grind settings: Baratza, being a baristas favorite, provides a lot of variety. The 40 level grinding provides ample control over the level of coarseness/fineness of the grind
- Pulse button: The pulse button lets you grind the amount of coffee that you desire. The Burrs work at your command, and you get the maximum customizability on the grind.
- One touch function: The on/off switch provides ease of usage and makes it very easy to use the grinder.
- Pulse button for ease of use
- Lot of different grind settings
- Easy to use and clean
- Durable burrs
- Virtually no heat build up
- Consistent grind
- Expensive
- Large size
- Loud noise
This machine is for coffee aficionados that want the bang for their buck. It is an entry-level machine that every aspiring barista must get their hands on. It is good for homes, but not so much for offices as it is loud and a bit large.
16. Mueller Austria HyperGrind precision electric coffee grinder (Type: Blade grinder)
This electric grinder has a large capacity, and can grind more than just coffee. It is suitable for spices and herbs and is a good buy for all-round utility. According to Mueller, the hyperGrind technology with the blades grinds consistently
This machine is best for a quick and large grind, however, as consistency is not really apparent. It is like any other electric grinder but with a large capacity.
Features:
- HyperGrind: The HyperGrind technology supposedly brings consistency in grinds
- Large capacity: For its size, the Mueller Austria hyper grind provides a very large yield. It is a good product to use for office spaces.
- Cheap price
- Large yield
- Portable
- Inconsistent grind
- Heat buildup
This machine is for people who want to get a large yield and quickly, perfect for hectic office spaces. This machine is a low effort, but very efficient tool to grind coffee and grind it quickly.
The Mueller Austria HyperGrind can be purchased on amazon.com for $19.97:
Buyer's Guide : Factors to be considered to select the best coffee grinder
1. The type of Grinder (Blade/Burr): The very first thing that you must consider is the type of grinder. The types vary in terms of utility. For example, a blade grinder is useful for quick and effortless grinding, whereas the Burr grinder provides a more customizable, albeit time consuming experience. Both have their benefits, but you as the buyer, must consider this before purchase.
Burr grinders provide consistency and retains most of the flavor of the coffee beans, but are usually not very portable and are very expensive, which brings us to the next point:
2. Price point: Professional grade coffee grinders can go up to $500 or more, whereas a manual grinder or an electric grinder may cost only up to $15. The price range is one of the most important determinant factors regarding quality and must be considered before purchase.
There are machines that are cheap and great, but if one is looking for the best coffee machine, spending upwards of $100 becomes necessary.
3. Type of Burr: This is only for people who want to purchase Burr grinders. Burr grinders have two types of Burrs, that is, Conical and Flat. Flat Burrs are usually best for a really fine grind, which is used for preparing espressos and Turkish coffee. Whereas Conical Burrs are used to make an all-round, consistent coffee experience on different ranges of brewing methods.
The material of the Burr is also very important. Ceramic Burrs usually do not transfer any heat on the beans, as that can deter the flavor. Metallic or steel burrs, being conductive, can sometimes transfer heat onto the beans.
4. Step/Stepless grinders: This, again, is applicable to Burr grinders only. The level of adjustment that a coffee machine offers is an important factor to consider, as it is the primary determinant of the coarseness and texture of your grind.
Stepless grinders have near infinite adjustment of the coarseness/fineness of coffee as instead of having levels, they have a knob that turns infinitely.
Step grinders on the other hand, provide set levels of grinds that can be adjusted to get a more consistent experience.
5. Size of the Burr: larger burrs usually have more flavorful coffee, as there is a lot more surface area on the burrs and heat retention is never a problem. Whereas, if a burr is too small, it may heat up and spoil the coffee beans’ flavor. So, you must have a cool down period in case of smaller burrs so the burr comes back to room temperature.
6. Timed or weight based grinding: Some machines offer weight based grinding, where the beans are measured on a scale and put into the machine. The machine then grinds them accordingly to get the required grind size.
Time based grinding on the other hand, grinds a large amount of beans to a set duration of time to obtain the amount of coffee grinds required.
7. Position of blades: For blade grinders, one must always ensure that the blades are placed low in the machine. This is because if the blades were to be placed high up, a lot of beans would stay under the blade and not be ground up.