The Best Coffee Grinder
Nothing beats the aroma of a steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee. When you take that first sip, the flavor hits you and you can tell just how fresh the beans are. The secret to good coffee is not just in choosing the best beans – it’s also in the grind. Having a coffee grinder at home enables you to grind each cup fresh for maximum flavor, making each cup something to savor.
Our Picks for the Best Coffee Grinders
The key to a delicious cup of coffee lies in fresh, evenly ground beans. It may be convenient to purchase ground coffee, but you’ll lose some of the flavor. Keeping a manual grinder enables you to grind a fresh cup when you want it, but if you drink a lot of coffee the effort may not be worth it.
If you want to enjoy fresh, flavorful coffee on demand, it may be time to invest in a coffee grinder.
With a coffee grinder, you can control the size of the grind which is important for French press and cold brew lovers. Plus, you’ll be able to keep whole coffee beans which retain their flavor much longer than ground coffee. Coffee grinders come in all sizes and prices, so it’s easy to find the perfect one for you.
Here are the best coffee grinders on the market:
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Award: Best Overall
Product Headline: Professional Quality
Product Summary: Enjoy a professional-quality grind with user-friendly controls to create the perfect cup of coffee for every preference.
Enjoy the freshness and flavor you’d normally find at a local coffee shop right in the comfort of your own kitchen. With the Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder you can quickly grind fresh beans to the perfect level for espresso, pour over coffee, French press, and cold brew all with a single device. This coffee grinder offers 40 different grind settings and easy, intuitive controls that make it the best entry level coffee grinder on the market for at-home brewing.
The Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder comes in white or black and it made with premium materials including hardened alloy steel burrs and a powerful DC motor. This coffee grinder is user-friendly with a simple on/off switch and a front-mounted pulse button for convenience. It may cost a little more than some models, but the quality and convenience is hard to beat.
Pros:
- Commercial-grade quality and parts
- Choose from 40 different grind settings
- User-friendly controls with easy on/off switch
Cons:
- Somewhat pricy compared to other models
- Some users had trouble with clogging
Specs:
- Type – Burr
- Capacity – 8 oz.
- Grinding Mechanism – Steel conical burrs
- Grind Settings – 40
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder
Award: Best Value
Product Headline: Priced Under $20
Product Summary: This coffee grinder features stainless-steel blades and a removable grinding chamber for reliable function and easy cleaning.
For less than the cost of a week’s worth of coffee shop indulgence, grind fresh beans at home with the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder. This blade coffee grinder is affordably priced and easy to use, making it a great choice for those who want a simple cup of fresh coffee. This grinder grinds up to 9 tablespoons of beans (enough for 12 cups of coffee) and you can customize the grind manually, though it may take some time to get the hang of it.
The Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder features a removable grinding chamber for easy cleaning, and so you can fill it with whole beans or spices. This grinder offers hidden cord storage on the bottom of the grinder so you can tuck it neatly away, and it operates more quietly than its competitors. Stainless-steel blades make quick work of roasted coffee beans, yielding a fresh and flavorful cup of coffee each and every time.
Pros:
- Grinds up to 9 tablespoons of beans (12 cups of coffee)
- Hidden cord storage tucks away neatly on the bottom
- Durable stainless-steel blades grind with ease
Cons:
- Manual grind variation may take some getting used to
- May be less durable than more expensive models
Specs:
- Type – Blade
- Capacity – 4.5 oz. (12 cups)
- Grinding Mechanism – Stainless-steel blade
- Grind Settings – Manual
Breville Smart Grinder Pro
Award: Best Burr Grinder
Product Headline: Versatile Grind Settings
Product Summary: Precisely control your grind from the finest espresso to the coarsest French press to ensure the perfect cup of coffee each and every time.
As a coffee lover, you appreciate the difference between a fine espresso and a nice cold brew – it’s all in the grind. Unfortunately, many coffee makers on the market simply aren’t capable of achieving a precise grind at different settings. The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is different. This burr grinder offers 60 different grind settings and a precision electronic timer you can adjust in 0.2 second increments so, once you find the perfect setting, you can replicate it as often as you like.
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro may cost more than the average coffee grinder, but it comes with a variety of unique features. In addition to a generous 18-ounce coffee bean storage container, this grinder also allows you to grind directly into a portafilter or paper filter. It has an easy-to-read LCD display and comes with two portafilter cradles, a lidded grinds container, and a burr cleaning brush.
Pros:
- Choose from 60 precise grind settings
- Generous 18-ounce bean storage capacity
- Precision electric time adjusts in 0.2 second increments
Cons:
- Significantly more expensive than many models
- Plastic impeller may break down over time
Specs:
- Type – Burr
- Capacity – 18 oz. beans
- Grinding Mechanism – Conical steel burrs
- Grind Settings – 60
Krups Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder
Award: Best Blade Grinder
Product Headline: Most Popular Pick
Product Summary: With its large grinding capacity and affordable price, it’s no wonder this is one of the most popular coffee grinders on the market.
You don’t necessarily need to spend a small fortune on a luxury coffee grinder just to get a fine, even grind. Blade grinders take a little time to get used to, but a good one like the Krups Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder is worth its weight in gold. This blade coffee grinder is affordably priced under $25 and has over 25,000 customer reviews, making it one of the most time-tested options on the market.
The Krups Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder features a simple design with an oval-shaped blade to ensure an even, uniform grind. The large capacity yields up to 12 cups of coffee and it can even be used to chop nuts or grind dry spices. This coffee grinder features a lid-activated safety switch as well – the blades won’t spin unless the lid is placed securely. Simply put, if you want a customizable grind and reliable performance but don’t want to spend a fortune, this is the model for you.
Pros:
- Grinds up to 3 ounces (12 cups of coffee)
- Sharp, stainless-steel blades
- Features a lid-activated safety switch
Cons:
- Can be fairly noisy to operate
- Requires some manual operation (holding down the lid)
Specs:
- Type – Blade
- Capacity – 3 oz. (12 cups)
- Grinding Mechanism – Stainless-steel blade
- Grind Settings – Manual
Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder
Award: Quietest Operation
Product Headline: Great for Early Risers
Product Summary: Enjoy a fresh-ground cup of coffee without waking the entire household with this 16-setting burr coffee grinder.
You need that first sip of coffee to truly wake up in the morning, but if you’re an early riser you need to be careful not to rouse everyone else. The Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder is a quiet coffee grinder that makes it easy to achieve the perfect grind without waking the entire house with the noise.
The Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder features commercial-quality conical steel burrs that grind fresh beans to 16 different sizes. Achieve the finest grind for strong espresso or a coarse grind for cold brew simply by turning the dial. This coffee grinder is priced under $100 and offers a generous 8.8-ounce bean capacity with a 4-ounce container for ground coffee. The gear reduction motor grinds slowly and quietly but with the ultimate degree of precision.
Pros:
- Gear reduction motor for quiet operation
- Choose from 16 settings (Turkish fine to French press coarse)
- Large 8.8-ounce bean storage and 4-ounce ground coffee containers
Cons:
- Improper assembly after cleaning may render it inoperable
- Difference between grind settings is very minor
Specs:
- Type – Burr
- Capacity – 4 oz.
- Grinding Mechanism – Conical steel burrs
- Grind Settings – 16 (Turkish fine to very coarse)
Do You Really Need a Coffee Grinder?
People who like coffee tend to really like coffee. Coffee connoisseurs often have a wide selection of different beans at any given time and may have experimented with different preparation methods including French press, pour over, and cold brew. If you consider yourself a true coffee, lover, you may be thinking about getting a coffee grinder, but do you really need one?
Grinding your own beans at home yields the freshest, most flavorful coffee. The only real downside is the cost of buying another kitchen appliance and finding somewhere to keep it. It may take a few times to get the hang of grinding your own coffee but, once you do, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes each morning. Other than that, there’s no downside to having unlimited access to fresh ground coffee!
Tips for Choosing a Coffee Grinder
If you’re a believer that freshly ground coffee is the best coffee, you’re ready to start shopping for a coffee grinder. The first thing you need to do is decide what type of coffee grinder you want.
Here are the three most common types of coffee grinders:
- Blade Grinder – This type of grinder works much like a food processor. A blade with blunted edges spins inside the chamber to chop the beans. Blade grinders tend to be smaller than burr grinders but take practice to figure out how to grind the beans evenly to the desired size.
- Burr Grinder – These grinders work like a pepper mill, passing the beans through metal or plastic objects that grind them into smaller pieces. A burr grinder allows you to control the grind size, but they tend to be louder, larger, and more expensive than blade grinders.
- Manual Grinder – The smallest and most inexpensive option, manual grinders work like a pepper mill when you turn the handle to grind the beans. These grinders are virtually silent, but they can be tough and time-consuming to use.
When it comes to picking a coffee grinder, it’s largely a matter of preference but remember: an even grind is the key to optimal flavor. The grind size matters as well.
The finer the coffee, the stronger the flavor and the shorter the steeping time. Coarsely ground coffee is best for cold brew and French press steeping. Medium ground coffee works for drip coffee makers while espresso and Turkish coffee requires a fine or very fine grind.
If you’re not particularly adventurous with your coffee preparations, a standard blade grinder might be perfectly adequate. For more precise control over your grind, however, a burr grinder is best. Fortunately, you can find affordable options for both.
The Bottom Line
Whether you take your coffee black or with cream, what really matters is the quality of the beans and the precision of the grind. An uneven grind can impact the flavor and ruin the experience. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars a year at the local coffee shop, enjoy professional-quality coffee at home by investing in a coffee grinder. Not only will you save yourself a trip (and maybe get a few extra minutes of sleep), but you’ll enjoy the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee you’ve ever had.
All coffee grinders are not created equal and you shouldn’t shop by price alone. Consider the differences between the three types of coffee grinders mentioned above and peruse the recommendations we’ve made to find the perfect fit. Once you have your coffee grinder, all you need is a bag of your favorite beans and you’re ready to grind.