Whether you’re purchasing a coffee grinder for the first time or replacing a well-used one, this guide will help you find the best grinder. We’ll break down what to look for before making a purchase and recommend the best coffee grinders for a variety of needs.
The Benefits of Freshly Ground Coffee
Much like freshly ground peppercorn or freshly chopped herbs, when you grind your own coffee beans, your coffee will taste its most flavorful and fresh. Plus, the fragrance is irresistible.
When coffee beans are ground up, the compounds that give them flavor are instantly released and exposed to oxygen. So grinding coffee beans immediately before brewing coffee is the best way to capture the flavor in the coffee beans. It adds only a few seconds to your coffee-making routine, but the difference in taste is immeasurable. Plus, pre-ground coffee comes in one size only and different coffee recipes call for different grind sizes, so it’s helpful to be able to customize your grind size.
Buying a Coffee Grinder
The type of grinder you invest in affects the quality of your coffee’s taste as well. In general, we suggest investing in a burr grinder as opposed to one with a blade. Burr grinders grind coffee beans into a uniform size, which makes the coffee grounds consistent and the coffee taste balanced. It’s also important to consider how you brew coffee at home, since some grinders come with options for lots of different types of coffee, whereas others do not. So, here are a few things to look for:
- Grind consistency: Does this grinder have burrs or blades? How big are its burrs? (Generally speaking, the bigger the better!)
- Variability in grind settings: How many grind settings does it have? What types of coffee is this grinder for?
- Noise Level: How loud is this grinder?
- Advanced features: Does this grinder have any advanced features?
- Compactness: Does this grinder store easily?
- Price: How affordable is this grinder?
Best Overall Coffee Grinder
Encore Baratza
From the beginner to the coffee connoisseur, this Encore Baratza is the overall best coffee grinder. Its design is simple and user-friendly, but its quality makes it the coffee grinder of choice for industry professionals. It allows you to make a variety of different coffee recipes with its 40 different grind settings. Its 40mm of conical burrs ensure that coffee beans grind evenly for optimal flavor.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Variety of grind settings for different types of coffee
- 40mm burrs, which promote the best coffee taste
- User-friendly design
- Good value for the price
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Requires ample storage space
Best Budget-Friendly Coffee Grinder
Hamilton Beach Coffee Grinder
If you’re ready to take the leap and start grinding your own coffee, but want to spend as little as possible, you can’t go wrong with this Hamilton Beach coffee grinder. (Read more about why we love this grinder.) Although other coffee grinders are better for grind consistency, you’ll still reap all of the benefits of freshly ground beans with this affordable option.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Affordable price
- Compact size
- Easy to clean
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Yields less uniform coffee grounds than other models
- Doesn’t feature different grind size settings
Best for Traditional Coffeemakers
Cuisinart Coffee Grinder
This Cuisinart coffee grinder is ideal for those who love to make a big pot of coffee in their coffeemaker each morning. The grind chamber allows you to hold enough grounds for 32 cups of coffee. Plus, the hopper on top allows you to store whole beans, so you can be ready to grind your beans with the click of a button. Its design is intuitive and user-friendly, making it simple to get into a coffee grinding routine.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Stores whole coffee beans in a hopper
- Great storage capacity
- Great price for a burr grinder
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Doesn’t feature automatic grind sizes for different brew methods, like pour-over coffee or French press
Best Coffee Grinder for Travel
Hario Ceramic Grinder
The Hario ceramic grinder is the best for travel. Its compact size can be conveniently stored in a backpack or suitcase. Ideal for an Aeropress, its manual grind style means you can take it anywhere—camping, hiking or backpacking. Plus, its precise burrs make evenly distributed coffee grounds for the freshest possible cup of coffee.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Portable and compact
- Non-electric, which makes it quieter than other coffee grinders
- Made with burrs
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Smaller burr size than other models
Most Versatile Coffee Grinder
Breville Smart Coffee Grinder
The Breville Smart coffee grinder has 60 grind settings so that you can grind coffee perfectly, whether it be for French press, pour-over coffee, espresso or anything in between. This grinder is ideal for the craft coffee lover (alongside a coffee subscription that allows you to try coffees from different roasteries). Its display screen makes customization simple, plus its “dosing IQ” automatically gives a precise grind every time you use it.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- 60 different grind sizes for a variety of different types of coffee
- Automatic options for grind sizes
- Burrs yield uniform coffee grounds for optimal taste
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Requires ample counter space
- Pricey
Best Coffee Grinder for Espresso
Eureka Mignon
The Italian-made Eureka Mignon espresso grinder has a sleek aesthetic that will look beautiful on any countertop. Because its burr is free moving it has infinitely customizable grind sizes, which means you can experiment with lots of different grinds to find the ones that you most prefer for your coffee. Since it’s designed for espresso, it’s best suited for the experienced home barista (alongside these barista-essential coffee products), who makes espresso at home.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Infinitely customizable grind settings
- Ideal for espresso
- Precise grinds due to its 50 mm burrs
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Unnecessary for a drip coffeemaker
- Steep price tag
Most Compact Electric Coffee Grinder
KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder
Although the KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder is compact in size, it can grind enough coffee beans for a full pot of coffee. It features helpful measurements on the side so that when you’re brewing a pot you know exactly how much to grind per cup of coffee you’re making. So if coffee with cream and sugar is your thing, this simple compact grinder will more than get the job done, Plus, it easily fits inside a kitchen drawer.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Small footprint
- Measurements on the side
- Large capacity
- Great price
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Flat blade yields less uniform coffee grounds than other coffee grinders
Best Manual Grinder
JavaPresse Manual Grinder
It’s portable, it’s lightweight, it’s easy to clean, it’s sleek—what’s not to love about the Javapresse manual grinder? If you make lots of small batches of coffee and like the charm of a manual grinder, you’ll love the simplicity and quality of this coffee grinder. Although not ideal for someone who is often in a hurry or who makes lots of different types of coffee that require different grind sizes, this manual grinder is a great price for the person who is looking for this manual style.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Significantly quieter than electric grinders
- Portable
- Easy to clean
- 18 different grind settings
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Takes longer to grind than an electric grinder
- Small capacity
Best for Grind Consistency
OXO Brew Grinder
This OXO brew grinder features 15 settings and 40 mm of conical burrs that create evenly ground coffee, which gives you the best possible flavor extraction. This supports any type of coffeemaker but will especially highlight flavor in brew methods like French press coffee. It features a see-through hopper for storing your beans so that you can keep an eye on when you need to replenish your coffee. It also has the capacity to hold enough coffee grinds for 12 cups of coffee.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- 15 settings and 40 mm of conical burrs create evenly ground coffee
- Compact size for a high-quality burr grinder
- UV tint hopper keeps beans fresh longer
- Affordable price
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Less coffee bean storage capacity than similar models
Best Coffee Grinder for Noise Level
Fellow Ode Brew Grinder
The Fellow Ode Brew Grinder is famously quiet compared to other electric coffee grinders. If your house has napping babies, or you just want to avoid the loud whirring noise most coffee grinders make, you’ll love this grinder. Plus, it features a beautiful, modern design and lots of advanced features. So gently grind your favorite coffee beans, brew up a pot of hot coffee, whip up our hazelnut mocha sauce, sip and enjoy.
Pros
What we like about this grinder:
- Quieter than other electric grinders
- Sleek design
- Professional quality burrs
Cons
What to consider before buying:
- Requires ample storage
- Higher price point than other similar models