May
19, 2021
5 min read
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Move over pods, there’s a new king of coffee. Okay, maybe it’s not new, but certainly improved. While it used to be that making coffee the old fashioned way — by grinding up beans and either immersing the grounds in hot water or pouring it over them through a filter — was so labor-intensive that many of us switched to Keurigs, the best coffee grinders have seen to it that you can drink fresh beans without the demanding workload.
Burr and blade grinders alike have made it easier for the average person to enjoy a good cup of joe in the morning without compromising on flavor. But whereas burrs prioritize the quality of the blend over pricing factors, blade grinders are better suited for the novice at-home barista, hence our top recommendation, the Black & Decker CBG110S. Considering the more affordable option is a manual, or hand, grinder, blade grinders strike the perfect balance between performance and value, a great starting point for those who have never ground their own beans before.
In some cases, however, you don’t even have to purchase a separate device to actually brew your coffee. A number of coffee makers these days come with grinders built-in, such as the best-in-class Cuisinart DGB-900BC, which features an integrated burr grinder at the top, commanding the entire coffee making process, from bean to brew. Anyone strapped for time in the mornings before work, including late sleepers, will want to take a close look at the 12-cup automatic coffee maker in your search for the best coffee grinder around.
Best Coffee Bean Grinder Overall: Black & Decker CBG110S ($23)
Best Coffee Maker with Grinder: Cuisinart DGB-900BC ($399)
Best Burr Coffee Grinder: Baratza Encore ($139)
Best Manual Coffee Grinder: Hario Skerton Plus ($38)
Best Coffee Grinder for Espresso: KitchenAid KCG8433OB ($149)
Best Coffee Grinder for Pour Over: Breville Smart Grinder Pro ($200)
Best Coffee Grinder for French Press: OXO Brew Conical ($100)
Black & Decker CBG110S ($23)
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Black & Decker
If you’re reading this, chances are you don’t own a coffee grinder already. Intended for the aspirational coffee drinker, Black & Decker’s CBG110S stainless steel blade grinder puts simplicity first, with a single button running the whole show. Press it and choose your grind consistency. Whether you’re making espresso, where the grounds are meant to be extra fine, or need a coarse grind for something like a french press, you have complete control over the consistency of your coffee.
Best Coffee Maker with Grinder: Cuisinart DGB-900BC ($399)
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Cuisinart
Asking the hasty workaholic to not only grind their own coffee but also follow through with the rest of the coffee making process is a tall order. For those waking up each morning 30 minutes (or less) before your commute, the Cuisinart-DGB900BC might be the best solution for you. A full-fledged coffee maker with a grinder built-in, this 12-cup machine features an 8-ounce bean at the top, with the capacity to hold up to half a pound of beans. Select between strong-, medium-, or mild-strength coffee then start brewing.
Best Burr Coffee Grinder: Baratza Encore ($139)
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Baratza
Though more expensive than a blade grinder and significantly more so than a hand grinder, coffee experts will tell you a burr grinder is the way to go for the most balanced brew, and the Baratza Encore is the best place to start. Unlike blade grinders, burr grinders employ a pair of sharp revolving burrs — either conical or flat — that are used to crush the coffee beans between a rotating grinder wheel and a stationary surface. In conjunction with its 40mm conical burrss, the Encore in particular uses only a pulse button and on/off switch to make grinding the coffee as easy a task as possible.
Best Manual Coffee Grinder: Hario Skerton Plus ($38)
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Hario
In addition to their lower price points, hand grinders offer better grind consistency, portability, and are much quieter than their electric counterparts. This comes in handy early in the morning when you’re trying to avoid waking up your family or roommates before you set off for the workday. The Hario Skerton Plus, while a costlier product in the category, is made from high-quality ceramic, making it built to last above even some premium automatics. Equipped with a set of conical burrs, it produces a uniform grind no matter the consistency.
Best Coffee Grinder for Espresso: KitchenAid KCG8433OB ($149)
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KitchenAid
Like most grinders on this list, the KitchenAid KCG8433OB is versatile enough for any type of coffee, but espresso is its specialty. With support for either 54 and 58mm portafilters, a built-in adjustable portafilter holder cuts out the step of adding grounds to the basket while its automatic smart dosing technology lets you choose the number of shots you plan to make. Pick between 70 different consistency settings — from coarse to fine depending on your coffee of choice.
Best Coffee Grinder for Pour Over: Breville Smart Grinder Pro ($313)
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Breville
When you’re on the prowl for a new grinder, you won’t find much under $50 that is both automatic and capable of grinding coffee for more than your standard drip. Because the pour-over method requires coffee grounds with a similar consistency to that of sea salt, according to Blue Bottle Coffee, the Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the right choice for pour-over coffee if only for the sheer amount of coarseness options it presents. Ranging from espresso to french press, it has over 60 grind settings, making it one of the most flexible grinders out there.
Best Coffee Grinder for French Press: OXO Brew Conical ($100)
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OXO
From award-winning kitchenware company OXO, the Brew Conical may seem like yet another burr grinder to top off the list, its midrange price tag sets it apart from other contenders for the best coffee grinder spot on this list. With enough capacity to hold 0.75 pounds of beans, the OXO Brew Conical enables coffee drinkers to make up to 12 cups at a time — the same capacity as the Cuisinart-DGB900BC but for 1/4 the cost. Sure it has fewer settings to explore, but since the criteria for french-pressed coffee is merely a coarse, even grind, OXO’s little device here will do just fine.