As it pertains to making better coffee in the morning, no decision yields a greater effect than switching from pre-ground to whole bean coffee. Roasted whole bean coffee carries with it the aromatics of the bean for a few weeks after roasting, and remains stable and “fresh” for much longer. Pre-ground coffee expels all the bean’s natural aromatic and exposes the grounds to particles that distort flavor — in other words, pre-ground coffee is stale coffee.
To convert whole bean coffee to ground coffee, we need a coffee grinder. But not all grinders are created equal. We tested what most experts consider the world’s best coffee grinders, comparing size, speed, price and performance, to identify which machines to buy, and these are the nine best coffee grinders of 2021.
A rule of thumb: burr grinders rule, blade grinders drool. Where a blade grinder works more like a blender, chopping away at beans at the blade level, burr grinders effectively chew and crush beans. The difference between the two is dramatic. When coffee is put in a blade grinder — which are typically inexpensive and designed for spice grinding — only the beans that are in contact with the blade are brought to size. This means the beans that sit below the blade, or wedge themselves into corners, are left at a completely different size, while the beans at blade-level are turned to dust. These differences ruin good whole bean coffee by creating ground coffee that’s inconsistent and prone to weird extraction. In short, pots of coffee will never be replicable.
Sturdy Construction
With coffee grinders, the heavier the better. There are a few reasons for this. One, more weight means the machine’s motor won’t knock itself out of calibration or grind setting mid-grind. But it also means the grinder you’re buying — a relatively small machine tasked with crushing coffee beans for 30 seconds every day — is less liable to break internally because there’s less plastic and more metal.
Serviceability
No matter how nice the machine, every grinder requires service now and again. Even if there’s not a mechanical issue, you’ll need to remove the burr and guts of the machine to clean coffee from months ago off the internal gears. If you can’t take it apart easily, don’t buy it.
Baratza is a coffee grinder company, and not a home appliance company, a kitchenware company or even a coffee company, It only makes coffee grinders, and that’s why it’s the most respected name in the grinding business. The brand is lauded for its use of heavy stainless steel burrs, replaceable parts, modularity and its unrivaled customer service department, with the Encore being its entry-level grinder.
The Encore is the most consistently good grinder for the money. Period. Though $140 is not cheap — a great coffee maker can be had for less — no grinder under $200 can chew through beans with as much reliability as the Encore. This, plus the ability to order more burrs when the original eventually wear out and stellar customer service, ensures the Encore can sit on a countertop for as long as you can stand it.
Baratza is the only brand to have three products on this list, and for good reason. Unlike other specialty coffee grinder producers, its products cover the spectrum of coffee nerdery — beginner to commercial-grade. The Virtuoso+, which replaced the discontinued Virtuoso, is the ideal upgrade pick from the Encore.
It replaces the annoying plastic build of less-premium grinders with a heavier, metal foundation that reduced vibration and risk of decalibration. Its burrs are the same size (40mm, one for each grind setting) as the stainless steel burrs in the Encore, but they’re cut sharper and thus able to producer finer grounds. The guts of the machine are made of more metal and less plastic than its sibling, too. Plus, the Virtuoso+ has a sturdy knob and timer system that the Encore — and most grinders that aren’t commercial-grade — don’t have. The timer allows you to figure out exactly how much coffee you grind per pot once and, from there on out, it’s set-and-forget.
Ground uniformity is exceptional
Feels high-end because it's made to be high-end
Finest setting is only subpar for espresso grinding
There’s a high probability that there are more Oxo products in your kitchen than any other brand. For $100 and under, there’s not a better coffee grinder. Oxo’s first stab at a craft coffee-driven grinder ticks all the boxes you want out of a grinder — conical steel burrs, adjustable grind settings, a timer — and comes in a lot cheaper than most with similar specs. Plus, Oxo’s grinder occasionally goes on sale (we’ve seen it as low as $70 on Amazon), where most high-end grinder prices are stable. This is as little as you should spend on an electric grinder.
Breville makes the best home espresso machines so it stands to reason they’d make a pretty good espresso grinder, too. Expect products that obsess over details wrapped in a nice commercial-residential aesthetic.
Compared to other grinders in its price range (and some well above), Breville’s offers extraordinary precision and customization. It has more grind settings (60) than any other grinder on this list, supreme programmability and loads of helpful presets. Plus, it’s got a nifty hook to slot in a portafilter for espresso grinding and it’s fairly simple to take apart and maintenance. The ability to buy it in different colors is a nice touch.
Features an impressive number of grind settings
Has a slot for a portafilter
Number of settings can be intimidating to the uninitiated
The internet lost its mind (and raised $1.25 million) when Fellow, the brand behind the award-winning Stagg EKG electric kettle, launched a Kickstarter campaign for the Ode Brew Grinder. And Fellow's promise to bring "the café experience into your kitchen at a fraction of the cost" held up.
Fellow's entry into the coffee grinder market is a worthy competitor with its professional-grade 64mm flat burrs, low-profile design and attention to minute details. The Ode is also significantly quieter than the competition, a major plus for those living with others. Fellow is very aware of the mess that coffee grinding can make, so it added a grounds knocker, which limits the amount of chaff, though not totally eliminating it. The Ode has 31 grind settings, which are easy to toggle between and produces consistent grinds.
Fairly quiet compared to the competition
Large number of grind settings
Made for drip, immersion and pour-over grind sizes exclusively
Hand coffee grinders are a workout. The Porlex Mini Grinder, however, makes it less of a workout. After testing multiple hand grinders, Porlex's is one of the easiest and least strenuous to use. It's super easy to adjust the grind setting – using an intuitive click system — and it feels like it takes fewer cranks to go through a bunch of coffee beans (The Mini maxes out at 20 grams of coffee.) The whole thing feels super durable, and the handle can easily be stored within the silicone sleeve.
Cuisinart is in the business of making everything for the kitchen, and that extends into the coffee realm. It won't produce grind sizes as uniform as more expensive models, but it is a really, really competitive price for a burr grinder and a small countertop footprint. Its 18-position grind selector doesn't offer the most selection when it comes to grind size, but somewhere in that range you can find something that suits your coffee-brewing method. It even has a built-in timer, which is always a plus when it comes to coffee grinders.
Reasonable price for decent coffee grinding
Doesn't take up too much counter real estate
Grounds come out with a bit of extra fine powder
Best Coffee Grinder for the Budget-Conscious Shopper
You'll recognize the Mr. Coffee name because of its super-affordable coffee makers, so it only makes sense a brand with "coffee" in its name will make a coffee grinder. You shouldn't expect the most uniform grounds from a $40 coffee grinder, but in a pinch, this will make do. Because this is a cheap machine, don't expect it to be a workhorse like the better options on this list. However, reviewers have noted that Mr. Coffee's customer service is excellent and always willing to help.
Good customer service
Decent uniformity in grind sizes
Espresso setting is definitely not going to get you the best espresso grind
Make no mistake, Baratza’s Sette machine is an incredible tool. It’s meant for baristas to accurately grind out shots of espresso in real-time, so it has a built-in scale and dosing system to go along with a category-leading 270 grind settings. It’s also significantly faster at getting through espresso grinds than others within a couple hundred dollars. This is one of the best coffee grinders that can actually handle making a fine-enough coffee grind for espresso drinkers, while also excelling at large grind sizes. You probably don't need this at home if all you're drinking is a morning cup, but if you're moonlighting as a competitive barista, this will help you make a winning cup.
A whopping 270 grind settings
Sleek and beautiful to look at
Excessive for the casual coffee drinker
The 10 Best Coffee Makers You Can Buy in 2021
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The best coffee maker is the one that fits your kitchen, budget and style, but never compromises on excellent coffee.
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