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The best coffee grinders: Elevate your morning cup
If you're a coffee lover, then you probably appreciate a quality cup of joe and are looking for even more ways to elevate your morning cup. Buying quality coffee beans and grinding your own coffee beans is a simple way to take your morning coffee to the next level, ensuring you get the freshest cup and exactly the grind size you want.
But with so many coffee grinders on the market, how can you choose which is best for you?
To help you on your search, we've narrowed down a list of the best coffee grinders and are sharing some tips on how to choose the best one for you. Also, be sure to see our list of the best coffee makers on the market.
Must read:
- The best coffee subscription services: Get beans delivered
- The best coffee makers: Get the perfect brew at home
- The best single-serve coffee makers: When one cup is enough
- The best espresso machines: Make barista-quality drinks
- The best cold brew coffee makers: Easy ice-cold java
- The best burr coffee grinders: Crush your beans, don't chop the
- The best French press coffee maker: better than Starbucks?
The Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder consistently tops the list of the best coffee grinders on the market, and it's easy to see why. This grinder is user-friendly with its convenient pulse button and on/off switch. It has 40mm commercial-grade conical burrs and more than 40 grind settings to help you explore a wide range of brew settings, such as espresso, Aeropress, Chemex, French Press, and more.
This grinder also comes highly rated by its customers. It has more than 10,600 reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5. Customers especially like its sheerness, ease of use, and the quality of the material.
Pros:
- Produces high-quality coffee grinds
- 40 different grind settings
- Very user-friendly
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Expensive for an entry-level grinder
- It doesn't hold a lot of grounds
- The grind container isn't transparent
The OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder comes with an incredible value. It does everything you'd expect of a higher-end machine but costs just $105. It has durable 40mm stainless steel conical burrs for optimal flavor extraction. It also has 15 different grind settings, so you can adjust your grind to suit your taste. It's easy to use, with a one-touch timer that keeps your last setting.
As for customer feedback, this grinder has more than 10,100 reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5. Customers especially like the durable quality of the material and that it's easy to use.
Pros:
- Very user-friendly
- Good grind consistency
- 15 different grind settings
Cons:
- It gives off a loud, high-pitched noise
- Prone to clogging
- Creates a mess
If you can afford to spend a bit more on your coffee grinder, then you might want to consider the Baratza Virtuoso+ Conical Burr Coffee Grinder with Digital Timer Display. This one comes with a backlit grounds bin with a 40-second digital timer, adjustable to a tenth of a second. There are 40mm hardened steel burrs and 40 different grind settings to help you explore an extensive range of brew methods.
This coffee grinder has more than 1,200 customer reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Customers especially like the flavor it produces, that it's easy to use, and the value for the money.
Pros:
- 40 different grind settings
- Digital timer and backlighting
- Excellent grind accuracy
Cons:
- Most expensive grinder on our list
- Louder than other grinders
- A bit bulky
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is your best bet if you want a smart coffee grinder. It comes with stainless steel conical burrs designed to minimize grinding heat and protect the coffee bean's essential oils. It has 60 different grind settings, so you can get exactly the grind you want. The precision timer allows you to adjust grind times in 0.2-second increments.
This coffee grinder has more than 3,000 customer reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. Customers especially like the quality of the material and that it's easy to use.
Pros:
- 60 different grind settings
- Digital display and precise timer
- Excellent grind consistency
Cons:
- More expensive than most grinders on our list
- Noisy compared to some other grinders
- Not great for course grounds
You'll love the KRUPS Precision Grinder if you're on a budget. With a price tag under $50, this grinder still comes with all of the features you need. It has 12 different grind fineness settings, as well as intermediary settings for even more precise grinding. You can make anywhere from 2 to 12 cups with an auto-stop to grind the exact amount you need. It's also easy to operate and easy to clean.
This coffee grinder has nearly 3,000 customer reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Customers especially like the freshness of the grounds and that it's easy to use.
Pros:
- Affordable price point
- Suitable for most people
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Fewest grind settings
- Not suitable for large quantities
- Louder than some other machines
How did we choose these coffee grinders?
A quick internet search will show that there are hundreds of coffee grinders on the market; even narrowing down the options to the most popular grinders returns an expansive list. So you might be wondering how we curated this list down to just five coffee grinders.
We started by identifying the coffee grinders that customers had most highly rated. From there, we looked at their features, including their capacity, particle size and consistency, ease of use, speed, heat, and more, to find the best.
We were also diligent about finding coffee grinders at different price points when narrowing down our list. Everyone is on a different budget, and we wanted to ensure our list wasn't filled with only the most high-end coffee grinders on the market.
Which coffee grinder is right for you?
We've narrowed down what we think are the best coffee grinders on the market, but you still might be wondering how to choose which is best for you.
First, consider your budget. The coffee grinders on our list come at a variety of price points, and you'll want to be sure to only consider those that fit into your budget.
Next, consider what type of grinder you want. The two most common types of coffee grinders are burr and blade grinders. A burr grinder has two burrs. One stays in place while the other rotates attached to a motor. This type of grinder crushes rather than slices the beans. On the other hand, a blade grinder has a blade that slices your coffee beans into many small pieces.
Each type of grinder has its pros and cons. Blade grinders are more affordable but can produce an uneven grind. Burr grinders, on the other hand, have a more even grind but are pricier.
Once you've narrowed down your budget and the type of coffee grinder you want, you can consider plenty of other smaller factors, such as the size, speed, settings, style, capacity, and more.
What is the best coffee grinder?
The Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder is the best, based on grind setting, grind quality, price, and more.
Is an expensive coffee grinder worth it?
Whether an expensive coffee grinder is worth it for you depends on your needs. If you value having the best quality product that's going to grind your beans well and last a long time, then an expensive coffee grinder might be worth it. But if you don't necessarily need the best of the best and just need a tool to get the job done, then you might prefer an affordable alternative.
Are there alternative coffee grinders worth considering?
Our list includes many of the top coffee grinders on the market, but there are many more that we couldn't include.
If none of the coffee grinders on our list is right for your needs, here are some great alternatives that didn't make our list: