The Best Coffee Grinders

Buying Guide

Once you savor your first sip of freshly ground and brewed coffee, you will never go back. The change in flavor is so striking that any old pre-ground bag won’t cut it anymore. And that’s perfectly fine.

It also means you’ll need to add a new gadget to your morning coffee routine to match your elevated expectations. There are many different types of coffee grinders available. So, knowing which one is right for you to make your best coffee is crucial. A grinder may just be the most important coffee-making appliance and the key to brewing high-quality cups every time.

MORE: The Best Manual Coffee Grinder

If you’re still not convinced a coffee grinder is a necessary kitchen gadget, consider this. There is a scientific reason why you should grind your coffee immediately before brewing. Once ground, coffee gets stale very quickly. The primary reason coffee gets stale is oxidation. The oxygen molecules in the air react with flavor compounds in coffee and cause them to break down. Over time, your coffee’s oils will go rancid, and the aromas will dissipate. Even the most unique coffee turns to bland generic flavors when left to sit too long. As a result, when you purchase a pre-ground bag from the store, it’s likely already lost flavor and gone stale.

Naturally, you want the best tasting coffee you can make, not a chemistry experiment on your counter. Thankfully, there are a few ways to preserve coffee’s fresh flavors longer. The best way is to purchase whole bean coffee and grind it for brewing each time.

There are several types of coffee grinders available. For starters, there are blade grinders, which are similar to a blender. They feature a spinning blade that pulverizes the coffee beans into pieces. This means you get an inconsistent grind. Admittedly, that is not ideal for brewing your best-tasting cup of coffee, which is the goal in the first place. The blade grinders will improve upon pre-ground though, so they have that in their favor.

The next level up is a burr grinder. Burr grinders rely on the same general principle. They feature sharp cutting surfaces with precise adjustments in order to chop up the coffee in a customized and controlled manner. That results in more consistent grinds every time.

The burrs, or cutting surfaces, can be flat, conical or a hybrid made of steel or ceramic. Each grinder will have two burrs, set opposite each other so the beans will get stuck and efficiently cut from both sides. Good quality burrs are extremely sharp and durable.

Even small, portable mills can hold high-quality burrs and produce excellent ground coffee. For example, some models are compact and budget-friendly for those new to coffee grinders. Espresso lovers will want to look for a coffee grinder that is able to produce a consistent super-fine grind, as this is just like the strong brews created in espresso machines.

MORE: The Best Canister for Ground Coffee

Burr grinders will come with a range of grind settings, from coarse to extra fine. Some have as many as 40 different fine-tuned settings. However, the automatic JavaPresse Brushed Stainless Steel Manual Coffee Grinder with 18 settings will offer plenty of variety for most homebrewers.

So what does the price hike get you? Unfortunately, not an at-home personal barista but essentially the next best thing. Real steel burrs go a long way to producing better grind consistency, which in turn makes a better cup of coffee. Consider the additional cost as an investment. A well-made burr grinder should last you longer than five years if you take care of it. That extensive usage would work out to mere pennies per use. That seems like a totally reasonable price to pay for a better cup of coffee.

• There are two main types of coffee grinders, burr mills and blade grinders.
• Burr mill grinders will produce a more consistent and predictable grind every time because of their design.
• Be wary of faux burr mills, which are cheaper and appealing, but are composed of less durable materials and will not perform as well as true burr mills.
• Once ground, coffee stales very quickly. The coffee grinder solves this problem by enabling users to grind just enough coffee beans each time they brew a pot or cup of coffee. It ensures the flavors and aromas are as robust and flavorful as possible.
• Coffee grinders come in a range of sizes, varying from small portable grinders up to full-size countertop models.
• Coffee grinders are adjustable and can produce a variety of grinds from very fine to coarse, depending on what type of brewing system you plan to use. The more expensive grinders generally have more fine-tuned grinding adjustments.
• Grinders allow you to easily switch between different brewing methods, experimenting with fine grinds for Turkish or espresso all the way up to coarse grinds for cold brew and everything in between.