While coffee aficionados may argue on the quality of beans, one thing they tend to agree on is the importance of the grind. The best coffee grinder will yield a consistent grind for less variance between bitter and bold bits, and ultimately a smoother cup of coffee (or espresso, if that's your jam), according to experts at The Roasterie.
When it comes to burr versus blade, burr coffee grinders are said to produce a more consistent and even grind, while those from a blade may have a more uneven texture, per the experts at The Roasterie.
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
"Blade grinders also generate heat as they chop, which causes the beans to release precious aromatics and imparts a burned flavor onto them," says Heather Calatrello, Founder and Head Coffee Roaster at Shed Light Coffee.
Below, we share a range of high-quality coffee grinders carefully chosen by experts.
Best Coffee Grinders
- Best Overall: Capresso 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder ($90, Amazon)
- Best for Professional Quality: Baratza Encore ($118.95, Amazon)
- Best for Convenience: Cuisinart Automatic Burr Mill ($50.02, Amazon)
- Best Value: Oxo Brew Conical Burr ($99.95, Amazon)
- Best Manual for Espresso: IZpresso JX Manual Coffee Grinder ($129, Amazon)
- Best for Portability: Gosche Bremen Manual Burr Coffee Grinder ($31.99, Groshe)
- Best Manual Overall: Timemore C2 ($58.65, Amazon)
- Best for Low Noise Level: Eureka Mignon Specialita Espresso Grinder ($769, Amazon)
- Best Design: Boly Electric Conical Burr Coffee Grinder ($61.99, Amazon)
How We Chose
We chatted with coffee experts and RDs to find out what is most important when choosing a coffee grinder. Our top picks are based on the following criteria:
- Grind consistency
- The heat generated (less is better)
- Noise level
- Affordability
- Overall quality
- Durability
1. Best Overall: Capresso Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
This coffee grinder from Capresso sports commercial-grade solid steel burrs and with an advanced cutting design, it offers precise grinding.
It even has a wide grinding range from ultra-fine Turkish to coarse French press. Its gear reduction keeps the noise level to a minimum and limits static build-up.
"I have been using my Capresso Conical Burr Grinder for years and love it! My favorite features are that it's compact, not loud, very easy to use and it offers 16 different grind settings, which allows you to get the exact consistency you like," says Kristi Ruth RD, LDN.
"It's also pretty easy to use compared to other, more technologically complicated coffee grinders," says Amy Gorin, RDN.
Pros
Easy to use
16 grind settings
Consistent, even grind
Minimal noise
Cons
Not the cheapest
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $90
2. Best for Professional Quality: Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder
When it comes to a smoother-tasting cup of coffee, a quality grind and flavor extraction can be worth a higher price point. Especially when you've got an award-winning grinder such as the Baratza.
Baratza grinders are Specialty Coffee Association Award-Winning Grinders, and they come highly recommended by coffee experts everywhere. But, what makes them great for at-home use is they are versatile, easy to clean and consistently produce an even grind.
"The particles are more evenly ground, resulting in a smoother-tasting cup of coffee. With 40 grind settings, the grind size can be adjusted for espresso, French press, pour-over and drip coffee, among others," says Lisa Andrews, RD, LD, founder of Sound Bites Nutrition.
Pros
Award-winning grinder
Professional quality
Consistent, even grind
40 grind settings
Easy to use and clean
Cons
Pricey
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $118.95
3. Best for Convenience: Cuisinart Automatic Burr Mill Coffee Grinder
Having options for ground consistency is essential, says Kelsey Lorencz, RD, who loves her Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill because of its versatility and convenience.
"The chamber holds enough beans and grounds for 32 cups of coffee, so I can grind enough the night before without having to wake everyone in the house up in the morning."
This automatic burr coffee grinder features 18 grind settings, a removable 8-ounce bean hopper and a removable grind chamber for convenience and ease of cleaning. The one-touch design allows you to simply push the button start it up. The device will automatically turn off when the grind is complete.
This coffee grinder is pretty affordable at just under $60. That said, some customer reviews suggest this one may not last as long as other models when used every day.
Pros
Versatile
Easy to clean
Ample capacity
One-touch control
Affordable
Cons
Not as durable as other machines
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $50.02
4. Best Value: Oxo Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
This coffee grinder from Oxo is one of the best you can get for a fairly reasonable price. It boasts a durable stainless steel container with a large-capacity bean hopper and a one-touch-start operating system for ease of use. Not to mention, it yields an admirably uniform grind.
"I like that this grinder is less staticky and therefore less messy than some others on the market. It's also a lot quieter, too," says Veronica Rouse, RD. "But, I've found that grinds sneak out of the back of the container."
Rouse and her husband love also love that you can set the one-touch feature for any amount of time. "It takes one simple touch, and in 15 seconds I have just enough grounds to fill my Moka Pot."
Pros
One-touch start
Uniform grounds
Large capacity bean hopper
Less static
Relatively quiet
Cons
Grounds may escape the machine
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $99.95
5. Best Manual for Espresso: 1Zpresso Manual Coffee Grinder
The IZpresso is a manual grinder with incredible precision and a range of grind sizes to choose from, says Matt Woodburn Simmons, co-owner of Home Coffee Expert.
"Each of the 40 steps gives an 8.8-micron difference in size for the grounds, this lets us have extremely precise settings for making espresso. It uses titanium-coated conical burrs, ideal for getting consistent ground coffee, and will last around 10 years," Simmons says.
"It's versatile, precise and effortless," says Yker Valero, coffee expert and founder of Bon Vivant Coffee. Bonus: This coffee grinder is simple to dismantle (without tools) for easy cleaning, and it comes with a dedicated cleaning brush.
Pros
Versatile with a 40-click range
Precise
Easy to clean
Ideal for espresso
Cons
Pricey for a manual grinder
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $129
6. Best for Portability: Grosche Bremen Manual Burr Coffee Grinder
This ceramic double conical burr grinds evenly without heating your coffee beans, and it's ideal for travel or camping. According to Grosche, this highly-rated manual grinder was designed based on customer feedback.
It has a conical burr grinder, a silicone lid to avoid spilling coffee beans and a non-slip silicone base. It also comes with an extra glass airtight storage jar to hold extra coffee grounds.
This manual grinder is complete with adjustable gears for coarse and fine grounds and is easy to use, according to product reviews. It takes just 2 to 3 minutes to make enough grounds for one cup of coffee.
Pros
Silicone lid to prevent spilling
Extra storage container for grounds
Compact and portable
Affordable
Cons
Requires manual cranking
7. Best Manual Overall: Timemore C2
This manual coffee grinder from Timemore may not be your best choice for espresso, but it's a great entry-level grinder, says Asser Christensen, quality grader and founder of The Coffee Chronicler.
"If you're on a budget, this is an affordable choice that offers a consistent grind," Christensen says. "It grinds everything, including beans for French Press and Moka Pot."
What's more, it's got a sharp burr design with a hardness of 55-58HRC. Translation: It can cut beans fast and consistently. HRC is a Rockwell rating that determines the sharpness of the steel, according to Cutting Edge Knives. All this to say, the blades in this grinder are pretty sharp!
Pros
Affordable
Sharp burr design
Entry-level ease
Cons
Not the best for making espresso
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $58.65
8. Best Low-Noise: Eureka Mignon Coffee Grinder
A sound-insulated case makes this coffee grinder from Eureka quieter than most. Touch-screen control allows you to adjust your grind for single, double and continuous mode. According to the product listing, it uses hard steel flat burrs for a quicker, more consistent grind, and experts agree it's a reliable choice.
"The Eureka Mignon performs consistently well, is very quiet and user-friendly and it has a great design," says Michael Balmer, founder of My Coffee Base. Balmer specifically loves that it has a range of options to make fine adjustments for different grind textures.
"With espresso, grounds are crucial to the end result, and the Mignon performs every time," Balmer says. Plus, the device has an anti-clump electrostatic system, which allows for fluffier grounds.
At 13 inches in height and almost 5 inches wide, the Mignon is bigger than compact grinders, Balmer says. This is something to keep in mind if your counter space is limited.
Pros
Feature for quieter grinding
Touchscreen controls
Anti-clump system
User-friendly
Great for espresso
Cons
Bigger than most grinders
Expensive
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $769
9. Best Design: Boly Electric Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
This coffee grinder from Boly comes highly recommended by Ashley Harris, founder of Coffee Logik. "It's one of the most compact lightweight electric coffee grinders around, and it manages to lock in the full flavor and deliver delicious coffee," he says.
With a one-touch operation and 12-cup capacity, this grinder automatically shuts down when the job is complete. The stainless steel professional-grade conical burr design offers a consistent grind and retains all the flavor of the bean, and with settings, you have a range of grind options to choose from.
Another top sell, says Harris, is it disassembles easily and is easy to clean. It even comes with a few practical accessories including a serving scoop, removable collecting jar and cleaning brush.
The only downfall is that coffee grounds spill out when removing the grind container, Harris says.
Pros
Compact and lightweight
Locks in flavor
One-touch operation
19 grind settings
Easy to clean
Cons
Coffee grounds may spill
Buy it: Amazon.com; Price: $61.99
Things to Consider Before Buying
When it comes to choosing the best coffee grinder, keep these factors and tips in mind.
Type
Going with a burr versus a blade coffee grinder is probably your best bet if you treasure a good cup of joe.
"A burr grinder is always preferred over a blade grinder," Calatrello says. "Blade grinders don't actually grind anything — they use a blade to chop up the beans, which gives you an inconsistent grind size. Getting the grind size right is essential, or you'll end up with either an under or over-extracted brew."
On the flip side, burr grinders give you even grinds while extracting the bean's oil, which gives it a stronger, richer flavor, Harris says. That said, they do tend to be pricier than blade models.
Uneven grounds may affect your coffee's flavor and quality because you'll get bitterness from the finer-ground bits and boldness from the larger pieces, according to The Roasterie.
Noise
Noise can be an issue, especially in the morning when you don't want to wake up others you live with. "Even the quietest coffee grinder still makes a bit of noise," says Calatrello.
Conical burr grinders may be quieter than flat burr grinders, according to product reviews. But manual grinders generally make the least noise because there is no electric motor, Calatrello says.
Price
Blade models are your least expensive type of electric coffee grinder, and they will definitely get the job done. Conical and flat burr grinders can be more pricey because they're known to consistently produce a more uniform ground, Christensen says.
"Flat burrs are typically found in high-end large grinders and are preferred by most coffee shops for their consistency, especially for dialing espresso grounds," Calatrello says.
Maintenance
Simple cleaning and maintenance are important factors when it comes to your overall satisfaction with a coffee grinder. Look for a machine that easily disassembles (without the need for tools) with removable chambers and those that have cleaning supplies included.