Some say a great cup of coffee is all in the grind. If you are one of these people, it is highly important to choose a high-quality coffee grinder. With so many options on the market, finding the best grinder for your needs can be a overwhelming. Fear no more, here is our comprehensive guide to choosing the best home coffee grinders for you.
Our top choices are the Baratza Encore or the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder. You'll thank us later.
First, you will need to choose which type of coffee grinder you want to purchase.
Burr versus Blade Grinders
There are two main types of coffee grinders – Blade and Burr coffee grinders. Blade coffee grinders are less expensive, but produce a less consistent grind. They typically work by cutting coffee bean randomly. The result is an uneven grind. And in the world of coffee grinds, uniformity and consistency are the most important things.
If you are looking to use your coffee grinder to make French Press coffee or are just looking for an entry level coffee grinder, then this might be a perfect option for you.
However, if you are more of a coffee connoisseur and/or are looking to use your grinder for espresso, then you definitely want to purchase a burr grinder. The reason being, that burr grinders are better at preserving the flavor of the bean, allow you to adjust your grind preference, and provide a much more consistent overall grind. If you were to take money completely out of the situation, a burr grinder would definitely be the way that you want to go.
So, assuming you have chosen to purchase a burr grinder, which one do you choose? There are a lot of options out on the market and determining the right fit for you is essential to your coffee experience.
What are the different types of Burr Grinders
There are two types of burr grinders – flat burrs and conical burrs. Conical burrs can grind coffee faster than flat burrs, while flat burrs produce a more consistent grind. So, if you are planning on brewing a lot of coffee and espresso, then the conical burr might be a better fit. On the contrary, if you are looking to brew in smaller batches and are just looking for the perfect cup of coffee or espresso, then the flat burr is the better option for you. You also have two options when it comes to the burr blade material. The blades come in steel, ceramic, and titanium with titanium being the most expensive, and steel being the most common. If you want to get a titanium coffee grinder that will last you well past your lifetime, then go for it – otherwise stick with a steel grinder and you should be just fine.
One feature you will need to take into consideration when purchasing a coffee grinder, is how the grind is adjusted on the machine. There are two types of grind size adjustments, a stepped and a stepless. The stepless adjustment gives you an unlimited amount of options when selecting a grind size. Whereas the stepped adjustment has a set number of grind settings. Either one of these types of grind adjustments should work just fine for you, but if you are really into the size of you grind, then the stepless option is definitely the way to go.
There you have a it – a complete guide to choosing your next coffee grinder. Just remember, whichever coffee grinder you choose, it will be a great option for enjoying your next cup of coffee. Nothing beats a freshly ground and roasted cup of coffee and once you start grinding your own beans, you'll never go back to buying store bought grinds.
Related Article: Check out our article, for additional information on choosing the best coffee grinder
Best Home Coffee Grinders of 2020
Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder Review
To start off our list, we have the Baratza Encore coffee grinder. This gem of a coffee grinder takes quality, value, and customization options to new levels. Its high-torque motor effortlessly drives the conical burrs through your coffee beans while also offering the user an innovative burr calibration system to ensure that each burr is getting its full range of motion. When marveling at the accuracy and precision of the machine, you may well forget that this isn't considered a commercial coffee grinder. It comes with 40 individual grind settings that range from fine to coarse. As a huge bonus, the Baratza Encore can grind coffee beans fine enough for espresso. At the end of the day, the Baratza Encore coffee grinder is an impressive, dependable, and quality machine that is perfect for those who are looking for a good home coffee grinder.
Buy Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder
Capresso Infinity Coffee Grinder Review
Looking for a high quality coffee burr grinder under $100? Look no further than the Capresso Infinity Coffee Grinder built with a slow grinding speed option (<450rpm) which allows for very precise grinding. This makes for low heat grinds that help preserve the authenticity of bean flavor and taste. The Capresso Infinity is also particularly easy to clean and maintain with its upper compartments being very easy to disassemble. Cleaning poorly-designed coffee grinders can be a challenge so this added feature is a huge bonus. The Capresso Infinity coffee grinder is a great pick for any coffee lover on a budget.
Buy Capresso Infinity Coffee Grinder
Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder Review
The Virtuoso is a paramount example of elegance, style, and function. While it wasn't specifically built for espresso, the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder offers so many options that by properly adjusting factors like grind size, quantity, and tamp pressure, you can produce a perfect cup of espresso. If you're looking for a model that is specifically designed to make espresso, check out Baratza's Preciso Espresso Grinder. Priced above the previously noted Encore model, the Virtuoso is a master of consistency producing a grind that is so precise and repeatable you'll be sure to squeeze every ounce of flavor out of the coffee bean. The more consistent the grind, the better the coffee. One of the most attractive qualities of this machine is that it offers so many options for customization. With its powerful burr grinders, the Virtuoso grinder makes an excellent choice for drip coffee and an even better one for French Press. This high performing coffee grinder is an excellent upgrade option especially if you've been happy with the Encore.
Buy Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder
JavaPresse Manual Burr Grinder Review
Believe it or not, one of my all-time favorite grinders costs just $26. It comes in the form of a simple yet incredibly effective manual burr grinder from JavaPresse. This well-designed conical burr grinder is everything you'd want in a quality grinder minus the automation of course. It produces an impressively uniform grind which as many coffee lovers know is the key to achieving the perfect cup of coffee. It offers 18 different grind settings giving you amazing precision over even the finest details of your grind. Because of how precise this grinder is, I've been able to experiment more broadly with different grind sizes and brewing methods. It's sturdily built hand crank eliminates over 90% of the noise that comes from electric grinders and its body has an extremely slim design making it compact and portable. I've used this with a French Press and Pour Over and it the consistency of its results never ceases to amaze.
Buy Javapresse Manual Burr Grinder
This list is not all-inclusive. Shop our full selection of top coffee grinders.
Grinds for Different Brew Methods
Now that you're armed with the basics coffee grinding, let's talk about choosing the right grind for your brewing method. In the end, it's all about the chemistry and a big part of that is grind size.
Brew Method | Grind | |
 | Chemex Pour Over | Coarse - Medium |
 | French Press | Coarse |
 | Drip Coffee | Medium |
 | Espresso | Fine |
 | Siphon | Medium - Fine |
 | Aeropress | Fine |
 | Turkish | Ultra Fine |
 | Moka | Medium |
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