Are you looking for the best grinder to improve your coffee flavor and brew better coffee? If you want to achieve these aspects, you need to find the best burr grinder that does the job perfectly.
A coffee grinder is indeed essential, and one of the key elements of having the perfect coffee. Controlling this variable gives you the ability to grind the beans to any size suited to your preferred brewing method.
In this guide, we will compare some of the best and tested coffee grinders to help you upgrade your coffee making experience at home. We hope this guide can help you find the best coffee grinder possible.
What to Look for in a Coffee Grinder?
Performance
Your coffee will likely taste awful no matter how skilled you are if your grinder doesn’t work correctly. The performance of your burr grinder can affect the coffee taste. It can influence the coarseness of your coffee beans.
Not all tools available can deliver the performance we want. Not all equipment can impress us. What’s worst, not all grinders can work the way it is advertised.
We all want our tools to translate into a great-tasting coffee. Therefore, choose a piece of equipment that provides high-quality performance. With our guide and recommendation, I hope it can help you find the best coffee grinder.
Durability
Although we all know that nothing lasts forever, you may still want to invest in an excellent burr grinder that will last long, a sturdy device that can do the job decently.
I’ve always wanted to buy something that I can keep. And I know that quality equipment will become sentimental and worth it once it lasted for an extended period of time.
Consistency
If your grinder doesn’t work consistently, that’s indeed a problem. Once you’ve picked the wrong grind size for your preferred brew, it can break the coffee taste.
So, go straight for a burr grinder that produces a consistent and precise result.
In this guide, you may find that a conical burr grinder is a best-recommended tool. This type of grinder provides accurate performance to get the right grind size.
Navigation and Technicality
Some people owned a particular grinder but aren’t familiar with its functionality. It is said that you should have control over the grind sizes to have a great-tasting coffee. But to control the grind, you need to know how to use the tools to provide a consistent and flawless ground coffee.
Whether you’re planning to have a burr or a manual coffee grinder, it’s still essential that you know how to control that particular device.
However, this aspect is less critical if you know how to google or research things. If you’re not an expert in the field, it’s expected that you still need to figure out how to use this and fine-tune it to your own needs. It will take you a bit to adjust with your beans and get it set correctly.
Capacity
Should you consider the capacity of the grinder? It depends.
If you’re always serving cups of coffee to your friends or family, then it’s best to choose a burr grinder that can contain enough ground coffee at once. But if you’re alone, it’s practical to buy a compact grinder that can hold the right amount of ground coffee.
Price
The thing that’s been holding people back is the price. In my experience, your intention will define the price. Some people want to buy expensive equipment because they want to learn – to improve their coffee brewing skills.
Besides, if you’re really serious with your coffee making, I recommend not buying the cheap under $50 coffee grinders (except for manual coffee grinders). Just think of it as a great investment.
On the contrary, you don’t have to spend $500 if you only make coffee once or twice a month. But if you’re getting started with coffee making and you want to explore it, I suggest you choose a grinder with a range price of $80 – $100.
Burr Grinder Vs. Blade Grinder
Again, grind consistency is the most important factor when it comes to a coffee grinder.
A blade does a poor job in grinding. It does not really grind but slashes the beans into smaller and inconsistent particles, resulting in a mixture of fine and coarse grounds. Meaning the ground particles are inconsistently shattered.
That’s not the case when using a burr grinder. A burr grinder does not only produce an excellent and more consistent grind but will also eliminate some of the hassles and spillage of a blade grinder. It keeps your ground coffee well contained with minor spillage.
So, in the end, it’s always recommended to use a burr grinder rather than a blade grinder. Although burrs are more expensive than the blade ones, it’s worth buying them. Don’t mind the extra expense of a burr grinder as long as you’re satisfied with it.
Besides, if you’re always looking for the best method for grinding your gourmet coffee beans, this kind of device is a significant investment.
Best Burr Coffee Grinders for Home Baristas
1. Baratza Encore
What makes us trust this coffee grinder is the fact that it comes from an established brand. You can’t go wrong with Baratza grinders because they will get the job done, even though most of their devices are electrically powered.
Baratza produces great and user-friendly coffee machines, a best-selling grinder, and world-class support. But there are also some reasons why you need to try this brand. We highly recommend it because coffee professionals prefer it. Also, it’s an industry’s award-winning grinder.
Having that said, the Baratza Encore is an incredible electric grinder that will help you get a good feel for coffee making.
Budget-Friendly and Quality – If you want an affordable option, it’s ideal to start with this burr grinder without sacrificing the quality and performance. In my opinion, the price is fair enough, especially if you really want to invest in something you love – making coffee.
What’s more, the Baratza Encore is a sturdy and durable machine. You can assure longevity. Besides, it does the job accurately. And I think this is the best choice for brewing coffee at home, considering the small footprint it produces.
A Convenient tool – Another feature I want to highlight is its convenience. Suppose you want to get started to explore the grind consistency of your coffee. In that case, I recommend this equipment because it is designed for coffee professionals of all ages and experience levels. It comes with a convenient, front-mounted pulse button, plus a simple ON/OFF switch, making it easy to grind fresh coffee.
2. Baratza Virtuoso+
If you want to upgrade your coffee experience, you would also like to upgrade your equipment. I know many aspiring baristas started out with this grinder because it does the job “professionally.” I think maybe because it is the industry’s choice. Coffee professionals tend to care about their crafts, and therefore, when it comes to grinders, they prefer those expensive and quality ones.
The Baratza Virtuoso Plus has some awesome features and great reviews aside from its excellent performance. This grinder may not be the perfect choice, but it is designed for more precise and accurate grinds. What’s more, it’s a good-looking grinder on the inside and the outside.
Upgraded Feature – It comes with a digital timer, which can be set for any specific time, allowing you to have more time on other things.
I think this grinder is an excellent choice for those who want to experiment with grind sizes. The time will determine the coarseness or fineness of the ground coffee, which is easy to implement in the Virtuoso plus as it lets you program your grind by time.
More Accurate Grinder– But in the end, it gets your beans to be ground more accurately, and that’s more important. Since this burr grinder creates a more consistent grind, you can explore an extensive range of brew methods such as espresso, Aeropress, Hario V60, French Press, and so on.
It comes with an accurate fine to coarse grind for almost all brewing methods available. If you want a finely ground coffee for your espresso or a coarsely ground coffee for French press, this equipment does the job more accurately.
It’s fast – Let’s talk about the speed. The common problem I encounter with a fast-rotating grinder is the accumulated heat from the equipment itself. The faster the equipment is, the more heat it generates. And that heat will affect the final coffee taste if not regulated.
However, the Virtuoso+ is designed to reduce friction and heat with its enhanced commercial-quality conical burrs and motor. Al in all, it grinds the beans at a speed of 2g/second. And while its DC motor is powerful, it’s relatively quiet. That only means it doesn’t generate so much heat.
So, if you’re fun of making quality coffee in the comfort of your home, then this burr grinder is perfect for your coffee journey.
3. OXO Brew
OXO is an excellent company that’s on the higher end when it comes to high-quality products. What makes us trust this brand is how they make things simpler, easier, and more thoughtfully designed–better.
The OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is designed to help your beans unlock their full potential. Nothing stands between you and your first cup using a durable, precise, and simple but powerful conical burr. This equipment is also a great investment for anyone to get started with coffee making.
Simply Powerful – When it comes to a coffee grinder, the brand believes that if a burr grinder creates uniform grinds, it will result in a better coffee flavor. That is true because nothing beats freshly ground coffee beans, guided by a powerful burr grinder.
The OXO brew is a powerful electric conical burr grinder that helps maximize your coffee beans’ potential by producing a uniform grind to bring out the best coffee flavor and aroma.
Durable Grinder – If you want a coffee grinder that will last for a long period of time, get started with the OXO Conical Burr Grinder.
This equipment has a 40-millimeter stainless steel conical burr (the rotating metal that crashes the beans), making the grounds uniformly shattered. At the same time, it comes with a durable container that accommodates up to 110 grams (enough for 12 cups) of ground coffee.
One-Touch Start – Another feature that many people want in a burr grinder is simplicity. The Oxo Brew Grinder comes with a one-touch start timer that offers an effortless grind. Just press the button, and you can have a fresh coffee in the morning.
What’s more, it comes with 15 settings (plus Micro settings) that let you easily adjust your grind to suit your taste preference. It’s indeed a user-friendly device suitable for household and office use.
4. Bodum BISTRO
Being one of the most iconic companies in the industry, Bodum produces excellent quality tools for your coffee-making needs. You may think about French presses, but burr coffee grinders are not excluded from this rating.
If you’re looking for something cheap, you don’t want to spend a ton of money on a burr grinder, then try the Bodum BISTRO Burr Coffee Grinder. It may not be the best burr grinder, but considering the price, it’s still a quality tool.
Just like the Baratza Encore, I think this is also a perfect burr grinder to start with if you want to upgrade from an old ‘spinning blade’ grinder.
Consistent – The Bistro Burr Grinder consistently crushes beans between stainless steel conical burrs. It produces a more consistent and uniform grind than a blade and flat burr grinder.
It has 12 adjustable grind settings that allow users to have a wide range of grind sizes with ease, no matter how coarse or fine they are. However, while it’s suitable for French press and other home-brewing methods, it may not be ideal for espresso because it’s hard to calibrate to reach the right grind consistency for espresso.
Glass Pot Container – The unit is relatively compact, which one thing I like about. But most importantly, it has a closed glass container. The container keeps your ground coffee well contained to prevent waste. Besides, the beauty of having a glass pot is not only to keep your ground coffee fresh but also to reduce static.
5. Baratza Vario
Although I’m not a big fan of higher-priced equipment, I still recommend this grinder because it comes from a company that makes some excellent gear. This grinder has been designed and crafted by one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty coffee equipment.
But is that the only reason to buy the Baratza Vario Flat Burr Coffee Grinder? No.
This commercial-grade burr grinder has a lot of features and functionality that helps you get a great coffee experience. The Baratza Vario is a high-performance, versatile, and quality coffee grinder that features a digital timer and an adjustable grind range from 250 to 1200 microns.
Commercial and Home Use – The Baratza Vario is the perfect coffee grinder for both commercial and home use. With an easy-to-use digital timer and a simple interface, you will be able to grind your beans with ease, anytime and anywhere.
I think this Vario coffee grinder is for those serious coffee lovers who aren’t hesitant to spend almost $500 for a single unit. However, it’s worth it because it’s a high-quality machine. It has 54mm ceramic flat burrs that produce more consistent grounds than steel burrs. In the end, it’s the perfect choice for both commercial and home use to provide you with the best tasting cup of joe!
Versatile – The Vario coffee grinder has a fantastic combination of programmability and versatility, making it the perfect coffee grinder for any brewing method. But since it can be easily calibrated to produce a super fine grind, this grinder is a must-have tool for all espresso lovers out there.
Some people have to buy a separate or secondary grinder just for a specific grind setting. But I think it’s not practical to have many grinders just to brew coffee in different ways.
So, why not invest in versatile equipment like the Baratza Vario? This burr grinder features a range of grind settings, allowing you to explore different brewing methods.
However, I came across some reviews that say the grind consistency starts to hesitate a little bit when you get to coarser settings. But other than that, it’s really awesome for espresso, pour-over, French press, cold brew, and so on.
6. Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme
Cuisinart is perhaps a less known brand for electric burr grinders, but I’m thoroughly impressed with the Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill. If you are on a tight budget or are not ready for a more significant commitment, we recommend this burr grinder. It may not be the best if you want a highly consistent grind, but it does its job decently.
This grinder is basically designed for home use. It comes with a reasonable price for anyone to get started with. If you also want to experiment with the different grind sizes, I think this unit has some features that you may want to explore.
This device is a great fit for any coffee enthusiast, whatever their level of experience is, because you can adjust the machine in various grind settings as needed. You may think it’s not worth buying, but it may surprise you as your coffee beans are guaranteed to be consistently ground to the correct size.
After all, if you want to make coffee, a cheap but quality grinder is more practical as long as you’re getting the satisfaction you want.
7. JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder
JavaPresse is a small company that wants to provide the best coffee possible. The Manual Coffee Grinder was built with professional-grade ceramic conical burrs to enhance your favorite coffees while also being as quiet as possible.
For those who love a cup of coffee or are looking for an easy way to grind coffee beans at home, the JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder is a great purchase. The ceramic burr ensures that your grounds are even in size, and it has 19 different settings for the perfect grind.
Compact – Some people may agree that this grinder delivers an adequate grind size. But I like more this JavaPresse Manual coffee grinder because it gives you the ability and freedom to grind away (almost) anywhere, making it an excellent travel option.
It is designed to be a throw-in-your-bag and go type of mechanism, which shall aid you on any adventure with ease. The the only thing you need to consider is to do the grinding manually, which requires time and a little bit of effort.
After all, whether you want to make espresso or drip-style coffee with your own ground beans from home, this grinder will give you fresh ground coffee with the correct grind consistency that will translate into your cup every time.
NOTE: I didn’t highlight their disadvantages because I believe there’s no perfect equipment to deliver a perfect result. Of course, each grinder has its flaws, but we have different ways of using that particular coffee grinder. My piece of advice is just to lower your expectation. Think what it’s more important to you, getting the satisfaction you want or achieving the perfect results?
Why do you Need a Coffee Grinder?
Now that you have an idea of what the best burr grinder is? Why do you need to have one?
It’s worth having those essential tools if you want to step up your coffee experience. There are some important rules that you need to pay attention to when it comes to grinding. And with that being said, having equipment that works appropriately is just the start.
To Grind Your Beans at Home:
If you’re fun of brewing coffee using different methods, you may want to start with whole coffee beans and grind them. And when it comes to coffee grinding, the best way to achieve a great consistency is to try and explore it yourself.
You’ll be used to it once you’ve started grinding your own beans at the comfort of your home. Besides, experimenting with the different grind sizes and consistency will give you an idea of how a particular grind can impact your cup.
To achieve the Correct Grind Consistency:
The grind consistency is more powerful than you think. Choosing the wrong grind to your preferred brew can ruin the taste. Let’s say in espresso; you need a finely ground coffee to brew the perfect cup. But if you’ve used coarsely ground coffee, you can’t expect the coffee to tastes as it should be.
Each brewing method operates differently. And each process has a preferable coarseness of coffee beans. That is because a specific grind size has something to offer, making it the best and suitable grind for a particular brew method. In the end, it all comes with the equipment.
You Maximize you Beans’ Freshness:
One of the most important things in brewing the perfect coffee is the beans’ freshness. It’s a golden rule to always grind your beans as close in time to brewing to ensure you’re getting the natural taste and smell of your coffee.
Ground coffee can only last for a short amount of time. So, if you want to get the most out of your coffee, consider to invest and own a burr grinder at home.
Owning a piece of brew equipment can help maximize the aroma, flavor, and full potential of your coffee. For example, sometimes, the first thing you lose when grinding your beans is the aroma, which will happen if you don’t have your own tools. The thing is, if you have control over your brew, you can maximize those essential traits of any roasted beans.
Final Words
Suppose you don’t want to settle on a lower quality pre-ground store-bought coffee. Make a move and get a quality coffee grinder. To test and explore how to use it, buy whole bean coffee to grind just before you brew. It’s worth investing in a quality coffee grinder as it has a significant impact on your coffee making.
If you are serious enough with your craft, you love coffee, want the best for your beans, then buy a quality burr grinder. Please choose from the recommended list and use it accordingly.
But again, if you are on a budget or are not ready for a more significant commitment, there are many budget-friendly grinders out there that do the job decently.
You may want to try an inexpensive manual coffee grinder. A manual tool is fun to have because you have control over it. It means that you can have a more precise and consistent grind result in a manual grinder than in an electric one.
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