The 7 Best Coffee and Espresso Grinder Reviews
There are a couple different ways to make your favorite drink, and your choice of methods will determine what accessories you need. If you want to have freshly ground espresso and the machine you choose does not have a grinder on board, you’re going to have to spring for one.
There are two kinds of grinders to consider: burr and blade.
The blade grinder will look the most familiar to you if you’ve ever had a blender. It has a blade that spins in the bottom of the grinder, and it chops up your beans a lot like a food processor does. All the beans are ground at the same time, and several times, in order to achieve the desired result of the small pieces (or grounds) you need to end up with the espresso you want.
The burr grinder is going to look a lot different and, obviously, work differently. Burr grinders are named for the main grinders (burrs), which are located inside. A few at a time, the coffee beans get between these very scratchy, flat-ish surfaces (burrs) which rub against the beans to actually grind them into small particles. When the particles are small enough, they slip through right along with their coffee ground comrades, and then they can be made into your espresso.
Without going into detail (I do that on this page – link to come), burr grinders are the better choice. But as with many things in life, better also means more expensive, which is why I also listed a couple of very decent blade grinders.
Best Burr Grinder Overall
Capresso 565 Infinity Stainless Steel Conical Burr Grinder
The best burr grinders offer a lot of functionality that you may not have even realized is possible. You can choose how large or fine you want your coffee grounds, with a wide variety of sizes you can try. The Capresso 565 lets you experiment with just about every option you can think of, from really coarse to super fine, so you can determine the best size grind to get the flavor out of your beans you’re looking for. There are 16 different options, so it might take a little time to figure out which one gives you the perfect flavor.
The material the burrs are made from is really important, because that will dictate how long the grinder will perform the way it’s supposed to. The 565 has burrs made of stainless steel, so they won’t wear down too quickly. The machine is also very quiet (for a grinder), fairly compact, and you will get a consistent grind size each and every time you use it.
Not only will this grinder allow you to choose the size of your grounds, but you can also set the length of time it grinds. Seriously, if you don’t get the perfect espresso out of this grinder, it’s because you aren’t sure exactly how you like the beans ground yet, and you have some more playing to do.
Best Value Burr Grinder
Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder
Not every espresso lover has the option of spending a small fortune on it. Sure, it’s totally a first world problem that we even worry about how our coffee is ground, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get decent espresso. There are a lot of possibilities more moderately priced, and the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder is one of them. It still provides the burr power that gives you so much control over your beans, but you won’t end up in the poorhouse for giving it a shot.
At around $100, it’s priced at least $50 lower than the high end beasts on the market, but it’s still pretty good quality and offers features like anti-static (to keep your beans in place and make sure they go through the burrs correctly) and 14 different settings for the size of your grounds. You can also get this bad boy in different colors that are pretty bright and wonderfully ridiculous. Black, white, red, orange, lime green – a color to fit any kitchen decor.
If you don’t need a lot of coffee, you can get what you need by setting the grinder’s timer for a shorter length of time. If you want to grind up everything you have, you can set it for longer. Even though it’s not the top of the line, this grinder still gives you all kinds of control and is built to last.
Best Budget Burr Grinder
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
Being budget conscious does not automatically relegate you to the horrors of the Land of Bad Espresso. In fact, you can get a grinder that will work right on the spot so you don’t have to worry about your grounds being exposed to the air for too long and losing their flavor. No one wants to waste their money by letting their beans breathe too long. No one who knows good espresso, at least. Anyway, if you want to watch your wallet but still look into some pretty nice features, the DBM-8 has all the best qualities you’re probably looking for.
It doesn’t provide a huge amount of flexibility as far as number of cups, but that’s not always a big deal. You can still limit the grind to 4 cups or grind as much as 16 cups. It’s not as specifically geared for espresso as some other options are, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get a heck of a brew out of it. Even though this is the lowest priced of the burr grinders I’ve looked at, it actually has more settings than some higher end models. You can actually get 18 different grinds out of the DBM-8 to make sure you can get your grind on as exactly the way you like it. Seriously, this grinder gives you 2 more settings than some of the high end consumer models for a much lower price.
Best Semi-Professional Burr Grinder
Rancilio HSD-ROC-SD Rocky Coffee Grinder
I’m not sure that even I would spring for this intense of a grinding mechanism, but it’s definitely an option if you want high quality espresso in small batches of grounds that go in the machine only as you’re ready to brew. Really, that’s the only way to ensure your beans stay as fresh as possible, but it’s also going to cost you. Many people don’t even notice the taste difference, but if you’re an espresso connoisseur, grounds that are even a day old may seem to be missing something.
Priced well over $300, this grinder could cost more than you intended to spend on an entire espresso maker. But for some people, I’m sure it’s worth it. This grinder isn’t as powerful as a true professional model, but it really can make a difference in the taste of your drinks. Great espresso cannot be made without grounds of similar quality, done just right.
The biggest difference between this bad boy and lower priced grinders is the burrs. They are made just like the ones on professional grinders, and that makes a big difference when it comes to longevity and precision. Lower quality tools will wear over time and need to be replaced, but commercial grade tools should last for decades when used in the home.
Best Blade Grinder Overall
KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades
Blade grinders are a completely different beast than the burr grinders which have pretty much taken over the industry, but that doesn’t make them obsolete. They just take a slightly different route to getting your grounds the way you want them. They also tend to be less expensive and smaller than burr grinders.
If your countertop doesn’t have enough room for a burr, or your wallet doesn’t have enough room for a more expensive unit, there’s a lot that can be done with the KRUPS F203. While it may not be as powerful as some, the F203 is able to do a few things other than just grind coffee, it can also grind your favorite spices so they’re as fresh as your coffee. The versatility means this grinder won’t need as much space on your countertop to make a bigger impact.
If you’re looking for a regular coffee grinder, you can get up to 12 cups from this much smaller device. That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice space or taste, it just means you’re taking a slightly different means of getting there. If you take a peek inside, you’ll see something that looks like a food processor met a blender and had a coffee grinding baby.
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Best Design Blade Grinder
Bodum Bistro Electric Blade Coffee Grinder
A lot of coffee grinders look… well… clinical. They don’t have much going for them in the sense of looking fun because they’re made to fade into the background. They make enough noise when they’re in use that you don’t need them to be loud when they’re just sitting there, right? Hmmm. Sorry, but no.
I’m not saying you should choose a grinder based on how it looks, but I am saying if you’re in the market for a grinder in this price range and you want something a little out of the ordinary, this one is the way to go. The Bistro Electric Blade Coffee Grinder comes in 5 bright colors that will get your countertop noticed. And, if you just want it to be bright some of the time, it’s small enough to tuck away in a cabinet.
You have your choice of black, white, orange, lime green or red. And if the bright color isn’t exciting enough for you, you can also get a peek at what’s going on inside by looking through the transparent lid. Even better than that, you can get what you’re looking for in the right strength for your French press or try to get your grounds ready for the espresso machine. Granted, this grinder doesn’t have the precision for just a single espresso, but that doesn’t mean you have to waste the overage.
Best Budget Blade Grinder
Mr. Coffee IDS77 Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System
The difference between a budget blade grinder and a full price one is only a few dollars, but if you’re on a tight budget, that difference can be pretty important. The Mr. Coffee IDS77 does a few things I really like, and it even provides some features that more expensive units don’t.
The pieces and parts are dishwasher safe, so I can get my espresso ready without dealing with a lot of clean up afterwards. If you’ve ever had to handle coffee grounds that were stuck in just about every crevice and corner, you know how much fun they aren’t. I am more than happy to let my dishwasher take care of them.
Even though this grinder is priced for less than $20, it still has multiple settings for the size of your grounds. It’s certainly not as flexible as a high quality burr grinder, but if you’re like millions of other coffee drinkers, this little spaceship looking grinder will do just fine. You won’t be able to get down to a single espresso or two, but the IDS77 will let you grind as few as 4 cups or as many as 16 cups in a single grind.